Travis Kelce’s mom, Donna, was a walking pop-up stand at Sunday’s game at Arrowhead Stadium between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Las Vegas Raiders. She wore a hat from her daughter-in-law Kylie Kelce’s official merchandise line, “No Business Here.”
Along with the hat, which retails for $35 online, America’s favorite football mom supported her future daughter-in-law Taylor Swift by wearing a noticeable “TTPD” bracelet in a nod to Ms. Swift’s 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department.”
Ms. Swift, a week after hosting women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark, was also at her fiancé’s game on Sunday, sneaking into the Arrowhead virtually unnoticed but not shy about being seen in the family suite.
Mentioning Ms. Swift was at the game also necessitates mentioning her just-released album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” first announced by Ms. Swift last August on “The New Heights” podcast co-hosted by Travis and his brother, Jason Kelce.
And after the Chiefs finished delivering a 31-0 beatdown of the division rival Raiders, the whole Kelce clan joined a bunch of other Chiefs players and family at the newly opened steakhouse, 1587 Prime, in Kansas City, that happens to be co-owned by Travis Kelce and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The eatery, which opened last month, offers steaks ranging from $59 for a 6 oz. petite filet to $345 for a 45 oz. wagyu tomahawk steak. Non-meat eaters can get a roasted branzino for $63 or a $76 lobster tail.
The public knows all this because of the incessant online posts, photos, and comments surrounding Taylor Swift, the Kelces and the Chiefs second-straight win. Nothing beats free marketing.
For those paying attention, this Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift romance isn’t just about spreading love. It’s also about spreading the wealth among family and friends who stand to benefit financially from their union.
Whether it’s wearing a $35 hat that can be purchased online, promoting a podcast or plugging a new high-end steakhouse, supporting Taylor and Travis is as much about business as it is football.
Of course, Mr. Kelce and Ms. Swift are at the top of the food chain. Ms. Swift, fresh off her Eras Tour, continues to make millions on her new album, reportedly featuring a song about Mr. Kelce’s manhood.
“That’s the joy of the double entendre,” Ms. Swift has said. “You see in that song what you want to see in that song.”
Meanwhile, the New Heights Podcast, which attracted 24 million views for Ms. Swift’s appearance two months ago, was licensed by Wondery last year for a reported $100 million.
Kylie Kelce, Jason’s wife, has her own podcast, “Not Gonna Lie,” started last year. The mother of four daughters offers her perspective of various issues, including parenting, pop culture, and women in sports. She has generated enough attention for Sports Illustrated to name her as one of “The 50 Most Influential Figures in Sports.”
In honoring her in a list that also includes NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani and Ms. Clark, SI said Kylie Kelce’s podcast, “highlights her sense of humor and candor as she discusses such diverse topics as cheerleading as a sport and the realities of being a mother of four daughters.”
Donna Kelce, who spent 30 years in banking, has been going viral for just being in photos alongside her future daughter-in-law. America’s favorite football mom has used her new celebrity to acquire sponsorship deals with Celebrity Cruises, General Mills and eight other brands across 21 different categories. She also supports the Eagles Autism Foundation and Operation Breakthrough.
A contestant on Season 4 of “The Traitors” reality series, she understands the roots of everyone’s interest in her. “I know where this is coming from,” she said. “I know they’re interested because of who my children are and who they know. I just take it with a grain of salt.”
The price of fame does come at a cost, however. “We can’t go anywhere,” she said. “If we want to do something you have to rent out the restaurant or the movie theater or whatever.”
Maybe it’s a good thing her son owns a steakhouse.