Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce have 'authentic' relationship despite 'marketing strategy' rumors: Chiefs president

As Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelce’s romance continues to be in the spotlight, fans have speculated whether their relationship is legitimate. 

Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan set the record straight on whether Swift and Kelce’s romance is only a marketing ploy to benefit the football team. 

"I’d love to say that it was a marketing strategy, but it is an authentic relationship," Donovan shared on CNBC’s "Squawk Box." "And we’re happy to have it, and it’s been nothing but good for us."

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His comments come after the Chiefs' president was asked whether he could have predicted the attention placed on the team after Swift and Kelce started dating. 

"I think the best thing I can say about the whole relationship and the impact it’s had on us is, Taylor Swift is an authentic member of the Kansas City Chiefs kingdom," Donovan added.

"She’s an authentic fan… that matters to our fans and our fan base… it matters to us, and we try to respect that."

It is no question that Swift has impacted the NFL, helping the professional football organization and the Kansas City Chiefs attain millions of dollars in revenue, according to a marketing expert.

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According to Eric Smallwood, president of Apex Marketing Group, Swift generated $331.5 million in equivalent brand value, or EBV, for Travis Kelce's football team and the NFL in the months after their relationship went public.

Apex Marketing Group, which started tracking Swift's impact on the NFL, noted the starting value was $166 million in October 2023.

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The number included every time the media – including print, digital, radio, TV, highlights and social media – mentioned the iconic pop star. Smallwood told FOX Business earlier this year that online media and social media gained the most from Swift's attendance at Chiefs games.

Last month, Swift and Kelce’s romance was under the microscope after the mega pop star skipped two games. 

The couple has been battling split rumors since an alleged breakup contract went viral in early September. Kelce's team shut down the alleged contract as "false and fabricated," but the rumor mill went into overdrive.

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Fans speculating about "trouble" in Swift's relationship with Kelce over a few missed games are "reaching," according to celebrity matchmaker Alessandra Conti.

"Although the two have been accused of their romance being a PR stunt, I've been a Celebrity Matchmaker in Beverly Hills for 12 years, and if there's one thing I can spot, it's a fake," Conti told Fox News Digital.

"Taylor and Travis have a very real connection; from their body language to the lengths that they have both taken to support each other throughout the last year, to involving their families and friends, and truly integrating their lives, this is as real as a couple that Hollywood has seen," she added.

Kelce and Swift debuted their relationship last year when the "Bejeweled" singer attended one of the NFL star's football games.

Fox News Digital's Lauryn Overhultz and Janelle Ash contributed to this report.