Not-so-Swiftly

Fox is pleased “across the spectrum” with how the 2023-24 season has unfolded, and Gottlieb said the second half will “get even better.”

“A few years ago, you could look at the landscape and say some of the old guard was toward the end that was carrying a lot of ratings juice—Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers,” Gottlieb said. “That transition has happened. Now, it’s San Francisco; it’s Jalen Hurts; Patrick Mahomes. The kids are all right. And a little Taylor Swift never hurt either.”

The Week 3 matchup between the Chiefs and the Bears—which included Swift in the crowd—drew 24.3 million viewers that Sunday, making it the most-watched telecast on any network.

But Fox isn’t banking on additional Swift appearances to drive further viewership and sports marketing.

“Our view is that it was a great moment. We were very proud and happy that we were there at the inception and helped bring that first wave of excitement of Taylor Swift at the game to life,” Gottlieb said. “The effect on ratings and demographics might have been a little breathlessly overstated.”

According to Gottlieb, when digging into the data, Swift’s presence didn’t bring a “significant viewership event,” but it was a “fun pop culture moment.”

“But with all great, fun pop culture moments, you have to be careful not to beat the horse to death,” Gottlieb added. “It might not be an every week occurrence that you want to get a broadcast full of Taylor Swift puns and mentions.”