The National Football League has reportedly engaged in coordinated efforts to create viral moments between quarterbacks and their partners, a strategy aimed at replicating the significant boost in viewership and engagement seen during Taylor Swift's relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
According to a report from Front Office Sports, a league source indicated that some of the widely shared training camp videos, including one featuring Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and his fiancée Madison Beer, were "partly coordinated." Similar efforts were allegedly involved with videos of other players, such as Joe Burrow and his rumored girlfriend Olivia Ponton, and Jaxson Dart with his girlfriend Marissa Ayers.
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The NFL has sought to capitalize on the "Taylor Swift effect," which saw a notable increase in favorable opinions of the league among Gen Z and Millennial women during the 2023 season. Data from Morning Consult Brand Intelligence indicated a 64% favorable outlook among surveyed women in these demographics after Swift's appearances, an 11% increase from before her attendance. The Chiefs, with Swift in attendance, played in four of the five most-watched games of the 2025 season.
Ian Trombetta, an NFL executive, described the training camp videos to Front Office Sports as "authentic, genuine and relatable, and that's resonated strongly with women and young fans, who are key growth audiences for the NFL." However, the report suggests these moments may not have been entirely organic.
Madison Beer, a pop singer with a substantial social media following of 39.5 million on Instagram and 21.1 million on TikTok, is seen as a key figure for the league's strategy. Her recent U.K., European, and U.S. tour, which included a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden, further positions her as someone who could attract younger audiences.
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Speculation has also arisen regarding the scheduling of Chargers games. The team is set to appear in two prime-time slots during November, a period coinciding with increased at-home viewership. This has led to questions about whether Beer might have promotional activities planned around those dates, November 16 and November 29, when the Chargers are scheduled to play on ESPN and NBC.
Fan reactions to the perceived NFL strategy have been largely negative, with social media commentary expressing disappointment and skepticism. Some viewers have called the approach "insulting to women" and "pathetic," criticizing the NFL for what they see as an inauthentic attempt to create hype and revenue by staging relationships, rather than allowing them to develop organically. Critics argue that such tactics are unlikely to replicate the genuine fan engagement generated by Swift and Kelce.