In a recent surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live, NFL player Travis Kelce was caught up in a funny parody of the NFL’s fascination with Taylor Swift . The spoof highlighted the NFL’s not-so-secret obsession with the superstar singer, as reported by Page Six .
It all started with an NFL Fox Sunday comedy that emphasized how much attention the league paid to Swift and Kelce’s developing romance. Kenan Thompson played Curt Menefee, Mikey Day was Howie Long, James Austin Johnson was Jimmy Johnson, Devon Walker was Michael Strahan and Molly Kearney was Terry Bradshaw in the sketch, Variety reports. The spoof centered around overzealous pundits who couldn’t stop talking about Swift’s appearance at many Kansas City Chiefs games.
In the midst of Swift’s gags and comments about their relationship, Thompson’s character joked, “You know what, I’m done. When we get back, we’re going to speak to someone who actually wants to talk football.” At that point, Kelce made an unexpected appearance along with a microphone, saying, “Yes, please.”
The NFL’s in their Swiftie era #SNLPremiere pic.twitter.com/DZ1F1bomol
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) October 15, 2023
The sketch wonderfully expressed the feeling that the NFL was paying more attention to off-field events than to the games itself. It emphasized the public’s excitement over Swift’s presence at the Chiefs games and the celebrity’s growing romance with the NFL player. Just moments after Kelce made an unexpected appearance at the opening of Saturday Night Live, the superstar herself made a cameo. Swift returned to the stage following a commercial break to introduce Ice Spice for her second performance of the night, as reported by Variety.
🫶 @taylorswift13 @icespicee_ #SNLPremiere pic.twitter.com/0gXEcvWQDS
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) October 15, 2023
Kelce’s participation in the act highlighted his sense of humor along with his desire to accept the public’s curiosity with his newfound link to Swift. It also represented another chapter in Swift’s lengthy relationship with the show, on which she has appeared numerous times as both a musical guest and a guest host. The two were photographed walking hand in hand on their way tot he SNL afterparty at Nobu restaurant.
Swift, known for singles such as Bad Blood and Cruel Summer , has appeared on Saturday Night Live multiple times. Kelce, a two-time Super Bowl champion, hosted an episode of SNL last season. Their relationship has captivated the media, with their public appearances attracting a lot of attention.
Swift’s presence at Chiefs games has had a substantial impact on NFL viewing and the entertainment value of their SNL appearance. Her first appearance at a Chiefs game resulted in a substantial increase in NFL Sunday ratings, with 24.3 million viewers tuning in on Fox. The second game, which Swift attended with a slew of A-list friends, drew an average of 27 million viewers on NBC and Peacock. Swift was at Kelce’s game on a Thursday night, but Amazon Prime Video has yet to announce official viewership stats, reports Variety. Swift’s movie Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour has also grossed $39 million on its first day, including $2.8 million from Thursday previews.