It’s been two days since Taylor Swift took over the NFL’s coveted late-Sunday afternoon window by attending the Chicago Bears-Kansas City Chiefs game amid rumors she’s dating star tight end Travis Kelce.

Now, evidence is mounting that the pop star’s appearance at Arrowhead Stadium is positively impacting all parties involved.

The Fox broadcast of Chiefs-Bears, which drew 24.3 million viewers, was the most-watched game of the week and topped many key female demographic categories. While the overall number is down from the late-afternoon Week 3 window in 2022 — a Green Bay Packers’ win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drew 26.39 million viewers — Fox reportedly saw an increase in the female 12-17 demo, up 8.1% from Week 3 last year.

Data from Roku TVs shows that Chiefs-Bears earned a 63% increase in female viewers age 18-49 over the Chiefs-Jacksonville Jaguars game last week, which aired on CBS at 1 p.m. ET. 

The Chiefs’ next game this weekend is a “Sunday Night Football” matchup at the New York Jets — and Swift has a home in New York.

Kelce’s Spotlight

The affiliation with Swift is increasing interest in Kelce, too.

Fanatics saw a nearly 400% spike in the tight end’s jersey sales after Sunday’s game, making him a top-five seller in the NFL.

Meanwhile, “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce” — the podcast co-hosted by the star NFL brothers — currently ranks first on the Apple charts and fourth in Spotify’s rankings, where it’s also the top sports podcast.

There’s seemingly no end in sight to the saga of the potential sale of Manchester United by its heavily criticized owners, but one of the remaining bidders is still pushing to acquire the team.

Jim Ratcliffe, who is believed to be battling with Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani should the Glazer family decide to sell Man United, has reworked his $6.25 billion bid to better accommodate concerns from the minority investors who would remain if he bought the club, according to multiple reports.

It’s not the first time Ratcliffe has altered the terms of his bid: The English businessman previously offered the Glazers the ability to keep minority stakes in Man United.

The billionaire has offered to acquire 69% of Man United, which would not benefit the shareholders of the remaining 31% of the club. It’s unclear how Ratcliffe’s new bid would specifically alleviate any concerns.

It’s also unknown if this reworked bid would satisfy the Glazers enough to actually pull the trigger on selling Man United. Despite announcing last November that ownership would explore a sale, United continues to operate as if no changes are imminent. 

Recent activity has included a record $75 million annual shirt sponsorship and $115 million annual kit deal with Adidas. Over the summer, United issued a strong earnings report, further showcasing the club’s intrinsic value.

This year, United was second on Forbes list of most valuable soccer clubs, as other English clubs like Chelsea also soar in value.

Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders have been an unqualified success by any metric. The league’s winningest team since their arrival in 2009, the Sounders have won two MLS Cups and placed no lower than third in attendance in any season.

Now, they’re looking for a home stadium to match their reputation. 

Team president of business operations Hugh Weber told the independent Sounder At Heart outlet that the Sounders are considering leaving Lumen Field, the stadium they share with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, for their own facility.

“Lumen Field has been a great home, but having a soccer-centric stadium is always the dream of any premier MLS club,” Weber said. “It’s always something we’re contemplating and thinking about.”

The issue raises a complex dynamic for MLS and its individual clubs. League commissioner Don Garber has made showcasing the sport in dedicated facilities a hallmark of his tenure, and only seven MLS teams don’t play in soccer-specific stadiums — but they include the league’s top three attendance averages this season and its four largest seating capacities, including Seattle. 

The number of clubs without their own venues will continue to decrease with projects such as NYCFC’s forthcoming stadium in Queens. 

Suburban Complex

A new Sounders stadium would likely be situated in suburban Renton, Washington, where the club plans to open a new training facility next year. The 158-acre site, which was the former Longacres Racetrack and later a Boeing office park, will include four full-size practice fields and 50,000 square feet of office space.

“There’s definitely room on the site [for a stadium],” Weber said. “There’s a lot of exploration that has to happen in terms of is it even a thing our fanbase would consider a positive? I’d be remiss and not honest if I said we weren’t thinking about it and how we can solve for it.”