Mia Smith, Staff Writer |  

The sports scene has some new players: the wives and girlfriends of athletes, otherwise known as WAGs. Social media has been taken by storm by these women. Women like Alix Earle, Hailee Steinfeld, Taylor Swift and many more have created their own demographic within sports.

As a girl myself, I know I am not the only person to find athletes quite the dish. So it is no wonder why these A-list females are flocking by the dozen.

But it goes to wonder, are stereotypes of the athlete boyfriend always being the main attraction diminishing with a new storm of female empowerment? Are the boyfriends and husbands now sitting on the bench while their wives and girlfriends brave the starting line of fame?

The attention of watchers has been drawn away from the television and down to their phones to watch their favourite girls sip cocktails and try to style their boyfriends’ backup jerseys while the boys are gearing up for the intense game ahead.

“Get ready with me” videos (GRWM) are a hidden subgenre on social media. Many ladies have developed a common interest in watching Earle, who is dating Miami Dolphins wide receiver Braxton Berrios, ‘get ready with me for game day’ videos. Do Earle fans watch the games? Possibly. But most likely just to catch a glimpse of Earle in her cute outfit in the crowd.

While sitting down at a restaurant for dinner I decided to give our server, Bree Engbrecht, who is 19-years-old, a little quiz to see if my hypothesis was correct. “Someone in the NFL I think,” Engbrecht said when asked about who international pop star Steinfeld’s boyfriend is.

Swifties to the field

Arguably one of the most influential names in the world, Swift has single-handedly brought the world of WAGs to a stadium level. In an article written by ESPN, once news broke of Swift and Kelce’s relationship, his jersey prices spiked by nearly 400 per cent. The influence that Swift has on the sports scene is simply incomparable and unheard of, something professionals are calling the ‘Swift effect.’

This being swiftly proven by the team’s ticket sales increasing almost threefold just 24 hours after Swift made her first appearance at a Chiefs game, according to an article by Glamour. Women now account for almost half of the NFL’s new social media followers overall in the past year.

You’re welcome, NFL

All in all, the influence that WAGs have had on the public through social media platforms has heavily impacted the previously male-dominated world of sport. Bringing in a new demographic of sports fans, even if that sport is attentively watching the television in anticipation of spotting their favourite WAG in the crowd.

Some athletes have boosted the careers of their girlfriends and wives by giving them platforms to create and endorse things such as clothing brands, podcasts and healthcare lines. But in a recent switch of tides, the partners of athletes have given the athletes themselves boosts in publicity and fans.

Mia Smith is a Staff Writer for The Reflector 2024-2025.