In 2023, the star tight end Travis Kelce took center stage throughout the season. His 11th NFL season with the Kansas City Chiefs coincided with a life-altering event as he crossed paths with Taylor Swift, the love of his life. This meeting launched the football icon into global stardom, gaining millions of followers worldwide due to his newfound connection with Tay Tay.

Recently Sportico shared a list of U.S. sports stars who saw the most Instagram followers in 2023 and Travis Kelce claimed the second position even surpassing LSU Tigers basketball player Angel Reese. Others on the list are MLB star Shohei Ohtani, Spanish tennis player Carloz Alcaraz, and NBA star Victor Wembanyama.

Angel Reese saw her Instagram following soar to 2.53 million in 2023. Meanwhile, Kelce, surpassing her gained 1.16 million more followers, i.e. total of 3.6 million followers last year. At the start of 2023 the Chiefs TE boasted around 2 million followers and today that number has reached to an impressive 5.4 million.

Travis Kelce‘s massive fan following owes much to the Taylor Swift effect. Within two weeks of the renowned pop star’s first appearance at the Bears-Chiefs game in September at Arrowhead Stadium, Kelce’s followers surged by 1.1 million. Additionally, it led to a 400 percent surge in sales of his No. 87 Chiefs jersey after the game, as the duo was spotted strolling hand in hand thus confirming their relationship.

The majority of Travis Kelce’s new followers are newcomers to football, drawn in by Taylor Swift’s newfound interest in the sport. Her involvement has extended the NFL’s reach to a younger audience, marketing the sport effectively just by keeping a regular presence at the Chiefs game.

Ohtani’s Record Rise and Reese’s Instagram Surge

MLB star Pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani even trumped Travis Kelce in this race to gain the most followers. Recently in Dec. 2023, Ohtani received a 10-year, $700 million contract to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. After signing the biggest contract in U.S. sports history, he gained more than 5.33 million followers by the end of 2023.

Following Kelce, was a 21-year-old basketball player Angel Reese. Reese’s stardom surged after the LSU Tigers won the women’s National title in April 2023. She started her season with 447,000 followers and after one month she gained around 650,000 followers. Currently, she has 2.6 million followers on Instagram.

Travis Kelce attending Swift’s live concert in Argentina and Swift regularly showing up at Kelce’s games have captured fans’ interest, suggesting a unique connection between them. If things stay the same, Travis will likely gain more followers this year too.