NFL Marketing Exec On Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce Viral Phenomenon: “People Think We May Have Had Something To Do With It – Absolutely Not, We Knew Nothing”

deadline.com:

A senior marketing executive at the NFL maintained that the league had nothing to do with helping to engineer Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce‘s ultra-viral courtship of pop superstar Taylor Swift.

Marissa Solis, SVP of global brand and consumer marketing for the NFL, addressed the phenomenon during a panel at Advertising Week on the topic of how sports leagues are trying to reach elusive Gen Z audiences.

Once the romance became public in September, she said, the league could only do its best to react and make the most of it. Communicating with fans about the relationship offered “a perfect example” of the challenge of connecting with Gen Z fans, who are “fast paced and ever-changing,” Solis said. “It’s really, really tough to actually get them and to be ahead of them.” The league “learned from the best, Ms.

Taylor Swift,” she said with a smile, leaning into the off-field development, which also boosted TV ratings at a time when Swift was also getting set for the wide release of her Eras Tour concert film. “This thing happened like this,” Solis marveled, snapping her fingers. “People think that we may have had something to do with it.