Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce Super Bowl generates dozens of prop bets: NPR

Once upon a time, you could only say that Taylor Swift’s most die-hard fans be interested in the pop star’s options at the concession stand.

Now you can bet on it. Yes, it’s true: Next Super Bowl Sunday, odds are 12 to 1 that the biggest pop superstar of our era will be shown holding and eating a hot dog.

The tectonic collision of the NFL and Taylor Swift, two of America’s biggest entertainment powers, dominated television screens this fall when Swift began dating Travis Kelce, the star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Now, with 115 million or more Americans set to watch Kelce’s Chiefs take on the San Francisco 49ers On February 11, bookmakers will look for their bite at the advertising apple.

Super Bowl proposition bets (bets on the game that are not directly related to the final outcome) have always been popular. This year, they have become a sideshow and a circus of their own. Call it the Taylor Swift effect.

How many times will the queen of pop appear during the game? Will you use white, red or some unlikely color? Which Swift song will the CBS broadcast team play first? And, of course, the most important: Will Kelce propose to her at the game? (Incredibly, the online betting house BetUS puts the odds at just 6 to 1.)

Who comes up with these Super Bowl prop bets?

When sportsbooks set out to create a lineup of prop bets for each year’s Super Bowl, identifying the stories is always the first step, said Dave Mason, brand manager for online sportsbook BetOnline.

“Of course, this year the crème de la crème fell into our hands,” he said.

Bettors can bet 89 Swift-Related Prop Bets on BetOnline in tribute to the year of birth of the singer and platinum record 1989. The company projects that this year will be the most bet Super Bowl in the book’s 25-year history.

Swift, Kelce and the Chiefs have become the subject of right-wing conspiracy theories alleging that the NFL has been rigged to promote Democrats.

Bookmakers haven’t shied away from politics either: BetOnline puts odds at 3-1 on former President Donald Trump mentioning the singer on TruthSocial on Super Bowl Sunday, while BetUS puts odds at 10-1 on Swift endorsing Biden after the game.

Once the Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl with a victory over the Baltimore Ravens in last week’s AFC Championship Game, sportsbook bettors set about brainstorming betting ideas. (That process included a post by the company’s sports betting manager on social media site soliciting ideas for accessories, with a promised reward of $100 cash).

“We challenged ourselves to create the largest menu of Taylor Swift prop bets in the world. We thought since she sets the bar when it comes to entertainment, we had to do the same for our industry,” he said Mason.

The results run the gamut from the Super Bowl and beyond: What color dress will Swift wear to this weekend’s Grammy Awards? Will he drink champagne at a Super Bowl after-party? Which will have more carats of diamonds, a Chiefs Super Bowl ring or Swift’s engagement ring?

Prop bets are designed to help attract casual fans.

Since a Supreme Court decision in 2018 opened the door to legalization nationwide, sports betting Now legal in 38 states and the District of Columbiareports the American Gaming Association.

Prop bets are designed to get casual fans “trying to sign up and make a bet for fun with a way to entice them and maybe get them to come back,” said Stephen Shapiro, a professor of sports and entertainment management at the University of Carolina. South.

“It’s a way to draw people in. And that’s why I think this Taylor Swift component brings an additional opportunity,” Shapiro said.

The NFL and sportsbooks should seek a balance between marketing and revenue opportunities without luring people into problem gambling, he added. (About 2 million Americans are believed to have a serious gambling problem, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling.)

U.S.-based sportsbooks generally limit themselves to offering bets related to the game itself, such as how many touchdowns Kelce could score or whether the 49ers will receive the kickoff. (Such restrictions help ensure that bets have an objective outcome that both bettors and sportsbooks can trust, such as the draw outcome, Shapiro said.)

For Taylor Swift bets and other similar bets, bettors must turn to sportsbooks based outside the US, many of which are not regulated by government agencies and It may be illegal to place a bet with, depending on the state. Prop bets that are not related to the game often have a limit of $100 or less.

Taylor Swift’s appearance at Super Bowl LVIII is not yet confirmed

Swift has made a powerful argument for being the biggest pop star in the world. Her 2023 was a huge year, thanks to her record-breaking Eras Tour, the first concert tour to gross over $1 billion. Even the accompanying concert film grossed $261 million at the worldwide box office, good for the highest-grossing concert film of all time.

TO YouGov poll conducted this week found that more than half of Americans had a favorable opinion of her, taller than the president who is reportedly hoping to win their endorsement. And 6 percent of her (the equivalent of 20 million people) described themselves as “a big fan” of her.

Any Super Bowl prop bets depend on whether Swift will be in the game. Her attendance has not yet been publicly confirmed.

On the Saturday night before the Super Bowl, Swift is scheduled to perform in Tokyo. Lest you wonder if it’s enough time for her to get to Las Vegas for the game, don’t worry, the Japanese Embassy said Friday.

“Despite the 12-hour flight and 17-hour time difference, the embassy can speak with confidence now to say that if you leave Tokyo the night after your concert, you should comfortably arrive in Las Vegas before the Super Bowl begins. “said the embassy. in a statement on their social media accounts.