Young Women Are Embracing the NFL Like Never Before—Here’s Why

The United States has several popular sports, from baseball and basketball to hockey and tennis. However, none is as popular as football. Baseball once reigned supreme as the nation's favorite sport, known as America's favorite pastime, but was surpassed by football in the 1970s. According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, the majority of Americans, when asked what "America's sport" is, more than half of adults – 53% – responded with football.

While it has historically been a sport followed and cherished by men, it has become increasingly popular among women in recent years. Besides having an NFL women's forum and community dedicated to offering awareness and resources for women who play, work in, or support the game, another factor influenced this significant increase in viewership.

The increase in women watching games was felt even more during the 2024 Super Bowl, the second most-watched TV event in U.S. history. Women made up an impressive 47.5% of the audience – 58.8 million – an increase of 9% from the previous year. This increase in female viewership had numerous positive outcomes – the salary cap went up more than expected and ad revenue for the league increased from just under $225 million to $255 million.

To find out why young women are embracing the NFL like never before, 24/7 Tempo consulted sports-related sources. These include Morning Consult Pro, ESPN, and NFL.com. (For more sports content, click here to read about 13 football facts most fans didn't know.)

The biggest cause of women embracing the NFL has been what is known as the "Taylor Swift Effect." According to the communications and marketing company, IDX, due to Swift attending Kansas City Chiefs games regularly, the NFL has attained its highest regular-season female viewership since 2000. Numbers are up across all age groups, with the highest spike with teen girls.

Ever since Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift announced their relationship together, the NFL has seen a meteoric rise in viewership among young women. "Swifties," as Swift's fans are known, are some of the most passionate fans in the world. They live and die by her every move.

While most Swifties didn't prioritize watching sports, when they found out Swift was dating Kelce, they immediately tuned in. Swift herself is a sports fan. She grew up a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles. She brought a whole new audience to the NFL who hadn't ever watched before.

It also helps that Kelce plays for the Kansas City Chiefs, the back-to-back reigning Super Bowl champions. Swift and Kelce appear to have a healthy and happy relationship together. In late June 2024, Kelce made his first appearance on stage during the Eras Tour in London.

The NFL has fully embraced the influence Swift has on the game. Yet, they must think about how to keep these new fans interested in the sport after Kelce retires. Many NFL fans would argue that Kelce only has about two good years left of football in his body. By the end of the 2024 regular season, Kelce will be 35. The fact that he's still putting up amazing stats each year is remarkable.

The NFL is undoubtedly thinking of ways to market the game to ensure that new fans will still feel welcomed and want to watch. The easiest way to keep the attention of Swifties is by continuing to highlight relationships between players and "it" girls. An it girl is someone young women follow for their day-to-day life updates.

There are tons of high-profile relationships in the NFL today, aside from Kelce and Swift. One of the relationships that doesn't get as much attention as it should is Ciara and Russell Wilson. While the last two seasons haven't gone as Wilson wanted, he and Ciara should be highlighted more by the NFL.

There are plenty of great players in the NFL who are in relationships with successful women. As previously mentioned, Russell Wilson and Ciara have been a power couple for years. However, with Wilson's declining play, the league likely won't highlight them.

One couple who recently got married is Christian McCaffrey and Olivia Culpo. The two were dating for multiple years before officially locking each other down in the middle of 2024. Another power couple the NFL could easily push is Joe Burrow and Olivia Holzmacher. Over the years, Burrow has become a fan favorite among girls. Many women love the charm and confidence he possesses. (Next, read about the most embarrassing football seasons in history.)