Taylor Swift Has Grown Chiefs Fan Base by 40 percent, Gracie Hunt Says
Taylor Swift has had a major impact on the popularity of the Kansas City Chiefs amid her romance with Travis Kelce, and team heiress Gracie Hunt estimated that the “Blank Space” singer has grown the team’s fan base by more than a third.
“She is absolutely incredible, as the whole world knows, and it’s been such a special time to have her be a part of Chiefs Kingdom,” Gracie, 25, said about Taylor, 35, during an interview with People on Thursday, January 16. “She is just as beautiful and wonderful as you’d ever imagine her to be, so smart and intelligent.”
Gracie – whose the daughter of Chiefs chairman and CEO, Clark Hunt – then noted that having Taylor “cheer on the Chiefs” still “feels a little bit surreal” at times, and she estimated that the team’s fan base has grown “between 30 and 40 percent from her attendance.”
“It’s just been so special to have her be a part of Chiefs Kingdom,” Gracie added.
Taylor has gotten to know Gracie well ever since she became a member of Chiefs Kingdom, and the team’s heiress even paid tribute to the “Cornelia Street” singer while celebrating her birthday in December 2023.
“Happy birthday to this queen! Bright, beautiful, beyond talented and engaging … easiest decision Time Magazine ever made for Person of the Year,” Gracie captioned recent photos of her and Taylor, as well as throwback snapshots from her meet and greets on her past tour. “Hope it’s your best & most blessed year yet.”
Taylor started attending the team’s games after she and Travis, 35, confirmed their romance in September 2023. She quickly became a staple at the Chiefs’ home games, and Taylor previously addressed the backlash she faced for receiving attention at the games.
“When you say a relationship is public, that means I’m going to see him do what he loves,” she told Time in December 2023 after she was named the outlet’s Person of the Year. “We’re showing up for each other, other people are there and we don’t care.”
The “Shake It Off” singer continued, “The opposite of that is you have to go to an extreme amount of effort to make sure no one knows that you’re seeing someone. And we’re just proud of each other.”
In addition to Taylor cheering on Travis at his games, the professional athlete has also flown around the world to attend her Eras tour before it concluded in December 2024.
While Taylor and Travis have managed to keep many details about their relationship out of the spotlight, he did recently reveal how she feels about him potentially retiring from the NFL.
“She’s fully encouraging me to enjoy playing this game,” Travis said while appearing on the Wednesday, January 15, episode of the Stephen A. Smith Show. “She loves coming to Arrowhead [Stadium] and coming to the games and cheering for me so I got all the support in the world to keep chasing these dreams.”
Travis then added that having a stable personal life has helped him play better during the current season. “That’s the beauty of being in a very strong relationship is that you get that support to be able to come in and focus on your craft,” he said. “Focus on being the best version of you.”