Nearly Half Of NFL Fans Are Now Women – And Executives Say Taylor Swift Didn’t Start The Fire (She Supercharged It)

It’s one of the most remarkable marketing success stories in sports that people LOVE to hate. Ala the “Taylor Swift effect.” The pop star’s presence at Kansas City Chiefs games starting in 2023 has helped NFL ratings among women soar across all demographics, with millions of people tuning in to watch the game for the first time and leading league officials and advertisers to reevaluate how they think about fandom and female fans. Now that nearly 49% of NFL fans identify as female, the NFL is looking for ways to capitalize on and convert the influx of casual fans sparked by Swift into die-hards.

NFL executives, however, say Swift’s impact didn’t emerge in a vacuum rather, it turbocharged a movement already in motion. “It’s like putting gasoline on an ongoing fire,” says Marissa Solis, the NFL’s senior vice president of global brand and consumer marketing. In recent years, with Chief Marketing Officer Tim Ellis at the helm, the league has invested in initiatives including new partnerships, grassroots activations and media collaborations with the goal of broadening its reach with women and multicultural consumers.

Advertisers are responding in kind. Today, the beer-and-betting playbook is being rewritten to make room for campaigns that speak directly to women’s buying power and influence as household spenders. Pampers ran commercials during early-season games targeting parents, and Hyundai used actress Parker Posey to launch a family-friendly campaign that eschewed traditional displays of masculinity. “The NFL is the biggest cultural stage,” says Hyundai marketing director Kate Fabian. “It’s where families and communities come together.” Companies are waking up to a reality that has been true for years, women make or influence about 85% of all consumer purchases. Brands that overlook female fans miss out on a massive opportunity, while those that make authentic connections with women can experience true, long-term value.

The NFL is also working to expand and empower women within its own ranks, a move that strengthens its on-field offerings while deepening its credibility with fans. A total of 358 women serve in coaching and football operations roles this season, a 290% increase from just four years ago, when 92 women were in similar positions. “The goal is normalization and balance,” Sam Rapoport, who leads the NFL’s Women’s Forum. The league’s on-the-ground progress has paralleled the larger public push toward inclusivity and representation that fans have come to expect and support in the spaces they watch, the voices that are talking about the games and the way those games are covered.

The NFL also sees female fans as more than a marketing segment and the league is taking steps to provide opportunities and entry points that can appeal to women as players, fans and family members. For example, flag football is being promoted as a sport for women and girls around the world. Women’s participation in fantasy football is growing, too, and many women prove just as invested and competitive as their male counterparts, with an eye and a data-driven approach to success that is enriching and expanding fantasy contests. Along with female-first partnerships like Betches, those developments are intended to help the NFL deepen connection and foster long-term engagement among women beyond the glow of celebrity.

Swift may have opened the door, but the league’s marketing and inclusion initiatives are making sure the spotlight will remain. By embedding genuine cultural relevance into their strategies, along with smarter advertising and inclusive representation, the NFL is working to ensure that the millions of women who tuned in for Swift will stay for the game, and see themselves reflected on and off it.