Expert Insight: When it comes to Taylor Swift's impact on the NFL - media are contacting Emory's experts to know more

It's as if it has been the biggest love story since Grace Kelley married Prince Rainer or when Harry met Meghan for that matter.

But as much as fans, media and even the play-by-play callers are giving an enormous amount of attention to Taylor Swift every time she shows up and cheers on her new beau Travis Kelce, experts wonder...will it have a lasting impact on attracting new fans to the NFL?

Recently, Bloomberg News explored if an entertainment powerhouse like Taylor Swift can move the yard-stick of a generation that is seeing a shrinking fanbase and serious decline in viewership.  

For expert insight, Bloomberg contacted Goizueta Business School's Mike Lewis to offer his opinion and perspective on the situation.

Historically, leagues didn’t worry much about the transmission of passion for a sport and team. Homes typically had one screen — the family television — and if a parent was watching the Chiefs game, so were the kids. Fandom at home drove fandom outside of it. Kids wore NFL merchandise to school and bonded with their classmates. Youth sports participation, partly inspired by what was on TV, amplified the community solidarity and enthusiasm for all levels of a given sport.

Those traditional forms of fan development are breaking down. "We've evolved to this situation where kids are getting their content via the smartphone and everyone going off to their corner," explains Michael Lewis, director of the marketing analytics center at Emory University. The consequences are striking. In 2021, Lewis published data on sports fandom among different generations. Millennials overwhelmingly identified themselves as the most avid fans (42%), followed by Gen X and Baby Boomers. Gen Z was a striking outlier. Though 23% identified themselves as passionate spectators, 27% identified themselves as "anti-sports." No other generation came close to that level of sports antipathy.

However, Gen Z isn’t uninterested in competition. Rather, its media consumption habits are pushing it to different outlets. Survey data that Lewis published in August reveals that esports (competitive video gaming) is now more popular than traditional sports.

Professional sports is a multi-billion dollar business and appealing to multi-generational audiences is no easy task.

If you're covering or interested in learning more - we can help.

Mike Lewis’s work focuses on the intersection of sports analytics and sports marketing. He studies issues ranging from player performance analytics to brand equity in sports. This approach makes Professor Lewis a unique expert on fandom as his work addresses the complete process from success on the field to success at the box office.

Michael is available to speak with media - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.