Taylor Swift’s attendance at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday continues to be the most talked about story in sports and pop culture. She is reportedly attending this week’s game at MetLife Stadium, which could very possibly make the Jets/Chiefs matchup the most-watched regular season game in NFL history and has caused ticket prices to skyrocket.
Celebrity sightings at sporting events are not uncommon. Television broadcasts often cut to famous folks in attendance on the sideline, in the stands or in a box.
However, very few celebrities in history are as popular as Taylor Swift. Michael Jackson and Elvis might be the only two musicians to carry the same or greater status.
Thus, when rumors started to swirl earlier in the week that Swift might be at the game for Travis Kelce, FOX new that it had a potential ratings bonanza on its hands. To try and get ahead of her appearance, the producers on the lot in Century City scrambled to get their song selections in order.
They, of course, wanted to use Swift’s music during the game.
It was a hard no.
Richie Zyontz, one of the lead NFL producers at FOX, pulled back the curtain and detailed the mayhem surrounding the game, and corresponding Swift sighting, at Arrowhead from a broadcast standpoint. He said that the 12-time Grammy Award winner’s people swiftly denied their music request.
Earlier in the week, amid the avalanche of rumors, our bulldog associate producer Rich Gross had sought permission to use some of Swift’s music. Not a chance. Per the FOX music department, Swift’s record label and publishing company denied our request “in conjunction with speculations on or about her private/personal/dating life.”
— Richie Zyontz
Now that Swift and Kelce are Swelce is confirmed, it will be interesting to see if things have changed. NBC will air Sunday’s game between Kansas City and New York. Swift is reportedly going to be there.
Will the Peacock be able to use her music after FOX was denied? Stay tuned!