The Jets Chiefs NFL game was the highest-rated TV show since the Super Bowl this year, thanks to Taylor Swift and two million more female viewers watching the game
Sunday night's Kansas City Chiefs vs. New York Jets NFL game attracted a viewership of 27 million people, making it the second-most-watched NFL game of the season. NBC, which broadcasted the game, attributed this strong performance in part to the presence of pop star Taylor Swift.
While the season opener on September 7 drew 27.5 million viewers and remains the most-watched game of the season, the Chiefs-Jets matchup outperformed the previous year's Week 4 game, which featured star quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs and Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was watched by 22.2 million people.
Taylor Swift, rumored to be dating Chiefs' star tight end Travis Kelce, made frequent appearances during the game, possibly contributing to the heightened interest. Swift had also attended the Chiefs' September 24 game against the Chicago Bears, which drew 24.3 million viewers on Fox.
NBC capitalized on Swift's involvement in the game, with sports commentator Mike Tirico acknowledging Swifties (Taylor Swift fans) at the start of the telecast. Carson Daly, the host of NBC's "The Voice," provided explanations of the game tailored to Swift's fan base during the broadcast, with Swift's song "Welcome to New York" playing in the background.