He’s a fan of fast cars, designer clothes and luxury vacations, and thanks to Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce can now afford even more.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end is currently struggling to dispel rumors that his year-long romance with the superstar singer is just for show after a contract purporting to show an end date for their relationship surfaced on social media.
But while the contract is believed to be a fake (sources close to the star told DailyMail.com the document is an elaborate fraud using a logo stolen from his PR firm’s website), the effect the romance has had on Kelce’s bank balance is all too real.
Last year, Kelce, 34, earned more than $19 million from his football career, but he also earned an estimated $5 million from a series of endorsements, the most recent of which was a Pepsi commercial showing him dressed as a Roman gladiator.
In addition to his numerous endorsement deals, the NFL star has also made a number of investments in businesses ranging from hot sauce Cholula to menswear brand Indochino and truck accessories firm RealTruck.
Kelce’s public profile has increased tenfold since he began his relationship with Taylor Swift
He’s a fan of fast cars, designer clothes and luxury vacations, and thanks to Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce can now afford even more.
Then there’s the podcast deal he and his brother Jason recently struck with Amazon that will allow the brothers to raise $100 million over the next three years.
She has also branched out into acting and will appear in the upcoming films Loose Cannons and Happy Gilmore 2, as well as the FX drama series Grotesquerie.
“Travis was already on this trajectory before he partnered with Taylor Swift, but that has just snowballed,” Lisa Delpy Neirotti, associate professor of Sport Management at George Washington University, told DailyMail.com.
‘Her audience grew enormously due to her relationship with Swift because she attracted women.
‘He was already very popular, especially among the male-dominated NFL fan base, and the audience for his New Heights podcast was growing. They were on a good trajectory.
“But when Taylor came along, they brought in a whole new audience. Like Taylor, they come across as very down-to-earth, genuine, and very nice people.
‘The interesting thing is that she’s now part of the Chiefs Kingdom, and I think both male and female Chiefs fans have embraced her.
‘I’ve heard that a lot of male Chiefs fans are now following her and learning more about her.
She has also branched out into acting and will appear in the upcoming films Loose Cannons and Happy Gilmore 2, as well as the FX drama series Grotesquerie.
The Kelce brothers have a successful podcast that could be worth up to $100 million
‘So, she has a little bit of this relationship, but he has a lot more – he gained a lot more viewers and exposure.
“Without Taylor, she probably wouldn’t have these endorsement deals with Pepsi, but she would still be doing pretty well, to put it simply.”
That gets to the heart of the furor over the fake contract, which claims Swift and Kelce’s romance is nothing more than a “stage romance” — a fake relationship designed to benefit them both.
In reality, the couple is the genuine article and Kelce’s publicists were quick to deny the allegations and called in lawyers to have the document removed from Reddit.
However, Kelce and his family have enjoyed a major boost in their non-athletic careers because of their relationship with Swift: His brother Jason has amassed an impressive portfolio of endorsements of his own, while his mother Donna has partnered with cake company Pillsbury to host the Pillsbury Bake-Off contest, the winner of which will be announced in November.
Kelce has taken advantage of several different opportunities while still an active player in the NFL.
Social media has also boosted the family coffers: experts at Melbourne, Australia-based SEO firm Impressed told DailyMail.com that Kelce can earn up to $34,000 for a single sponsored post.
For Jason, that figure is $15,000, while his wife Kylie can earn up to $11,900 and Donna $5,400.
While the Kelce family may seem omnipresent (Kelce spent the past week touring studios to promote his partnership with Pepsi), veteran San Francisco sports marketing expert Bob Dorfman says interest in the Kelces hasn’t hit the ceiling yet.
“With the Chiefs seeking their third consecutive Super Bowl championship and rumors of a commitment circulating, the interest in Kelce will only grow stronger during this NFL season,” he told DailyMail.com.
‘Clearly his relationship with Swift has helped his popularity and endorsement portfolio grow significantly, with Swifties becoming die-hard football fans, cameras during games regularly panning to the celebrity box when Taylor is there to cheer on her boyfriend, and post-game paparazzi following the pair’s every move.
Kelce to host Prime game show ‘Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?’
DailyMail.com has obtained exclusive photos showing Travis Kelce reclining on a couch in a sultry pose during a photo shoot last week. The reality is that his romance with Swift, a newly minted billionaire, has given him more than just a boost and put even more dollars in his pocket.
“Unless a serious injury or breakup derails his season, we can expect Kelce to make a few million more dollars in endorsement deals and other off-field opportunities.”
Both Dorfman and Delpy Neirotti agree that Kelce’s likeability is key to his success and has meant the market for his endorsements has yet to be saturated.
“Oversaturation is always a possibility, but Kelce has been pretty smart with his marketing decisions,” Dorfman said.
‘He’s always entertaining in front of the camera and has a very pleasant personality.’
However, Delpy Neirotti suggests one caveat for Kelce: making sure his off-field activities don’t affect his on-field performance.
The tight end returns to the fray today against the Baltimore Ravens and says all eyes will be on his performance.
Over the past year, Kelce, 34, has grossed more than $19 million in his football career, but he’s estimated to have racked up about $5 million on top of that from a slew of endorsements.
“He has taken on a lot of responsibility and has a great team around him,” he told DailyMail.com. “But he needs to perform at his best on the pitch.”
“Let’s see if these distractions play into that. Obviously, he’s getting older, too, but his main focus should still be on the field during the season.
‘I’m sure he and his team-mates are fully committed, but there will be some scepticism if his play doesn’t meet expectations, either because he spends too much time out of the dressing room or plays off the pitch.
‘He hosts his podcast with his brother, plays a role in a horror series, produces a film, invests in different companies and a racehorse.
‘There are a lot of distractions, but during football season, your focus should be on football.’