Arrowhead Stadium

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By Brandon DrenonBBC News, Washington

NFL superstar and rumoured Taylor-Swift-sweetheart Travis Kelce is beginning to grow weary of The League 's coverage of her presence at games.

" I think they're overdoing it a little bit for sure, " Kelce, 33, said in his New Heights podcast on Wednesday.

But the NFL has defended its coverage of the popstar, saying it's a " pop culture moment".

TV cameras were glued to Swift during her attendance at Kelce's Last Game on Sunday.

The Swift-Kelce media coverage exploded when the Anti-Hero singer first attended a Kansas City Chiefs Game On 24 September and was seen leaving Arrowhead Stadium in a convertible with Kelce.

And Then Swift of A-list celebrities at The Next game in New Jersey , cheering on Kelce alongside Blake Lively , Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman .

The rumoured romance led to Kelce's jersey sales skyrocketing by 400%, NFL viewership numbers got a big bump and The League 's middle-aged male-dominated audience has been joined by the Swifties - die-hard fans of the singer-songwriter.

Nearly 20% of the tickets sold for the 1 October game were purchased after fans saw Swift at her first Chiefs game a week earlier, The Bbc 's US news partner CBS reported.

Cameras panned to Swift no fewer than 17 times at The Chiefs -Jets showdown on Sunday in New Jersey , Kelce's brother, Jason, said on their podcast.

" Damn, that's crazy, " Kelce responded.

In addition to showing Swift multiple times at The Games , The League also promoted her appearances heavily on Social Media .

The NFL posted a video of Swift talking to Blake Lively , who sat next to Swift at The Game , on its Instagram account with the caption: " The @chiefs are 2-0 with @taylorswift in attendance. "

In a statement released on Wednesday, the NFL defended its coverage of Swift.

" We frequently change our bios and profile imagery based on what's happening in and around our games, as well as culturally, " the NFL wrote.

" The Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce news has been a pop cultural moment we've leaned into in Real Time , as it's an intersection of sport and entertainment, and we've seen an incredible amount of positivity around the sport. "

Swift's attendance at The Chiefs -Jets game was The Most watched Sunday show since the Super Bowl , with an average of 27 million TV viewers, according to Nbc Sports .

Jason Kelce , who is also an NFL player, said on the podcast that The League is not used to celebrities coming to games.

" Like basketball has it figured out. They're all courtside, they're sitting there, they show them once or twice And Then they get back to The Game , " He Said .

" The NFL is like 'look at all these A-list celebrities at The Game !'"

" They are not there to get thrown on the TV, " Kelce said, continuing to air his frustrations.

" You never know, you get caught throwing down a big old cheeseburger and you look like an idiot. There are certain things you just don't want to be on TV at all times. "

Given The Massive economic and cultural Ripple Effect Swift's presence has brought to the NFL, it's no surprise that The League is making The Most of the Kelce-Swift duo.

The NFL has long sought to make inroads with younger and female viewers.

And Swift is perhaps the biggest popstar in The World , with legions of fans in the same demographics that the NFL wants watching its games.

Fox Sports said The Chiefs -Bears match on 24 September was the week's most-watched telecast across all networks, drawing in 24. 3 million viewers.

Among them, viewership among females aged 12-17 was notably higher, up 8% from the same window a year ago, ESPN reported.

" It's like a business bonanza that just appeared for two brands that have some of the biggest brands in The World , " Andrew Brandt, a former Green Bay Packers executive, told Vox.

And One of ESPN's leading analysts, Stephen A Smith, says Kelce played his own part in the media frenzy after telling fans he sent Swift a friendship bracelet with his phone number on it.

" Travis Kelce , stop, bro you did this, not the NFL, " Smith said in response to Kelce's podcast comments.

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Source of news: bbc.com