Cultural icon Taylor Swift has made international headlines since releasing her first album, Taylor Swift, in 2006. Her Eras Tour is the highest-grossing concert series of all time, earning over $1 billion in 2023 alone. The Eras Tour brings “Swifties” through all of her different music-making eras, from Fearless to the recently released Tortured Poets Department. Over the course of 152 shows and counting, Swift has captivated fans of all ages, produced a movie, and announced the upcoming release of three albums. With the tour finally coming to a close in December, we at the Indy Sportsbook thought it was time to place final bets on how she will end this chapter of her legacy.
Reputation TV: Swift is the queen of “easter eggs” and has commented publicly about her decisions to place them throughout social media posts and music videos for her followers to uncover. Her announcement of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) during the Los Angeles leg of her tour was foreshadowed continuously throughout the concert; she debuted five new outfits all in the album’s signature color blue before announcing the re-record on 8/9/2023. Given the level of intricacy that goes into these easter eggs, Swifties have applied immense levels of focus in decoding the clues for Reputation (Taylor’s Version).
Favorites for the release of this album are highest for January 2025 or later. However, we feel that the time frame for the first two weeks of December should not be overlooked; while the odds are smaller at +210, Swift will wrap up the Eras Tour in Vancouver on 12/9. It is safe to say that announcing the release of Reputation (Taylor’s Version) would provide the perfect conclusion to a record-breaking tour. Be on the lookout for more black-and-white Instagram posts by the artist, as well as any snake memorabilia for these odds to shoot up.
Debut TV: While her first album was released in 2006, Swift has yet to re-record this set of songs with her new label for unknown reasons. Her debut album, Taylor Swift, is the only one that does not have a song featured in the permanent setlist of the Eras Tours. As a result, there has been little speculation of when she will be releasing the re-recorded version of her first album. Despite the lack of attention Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version) has received, we believe Swift has the potential to surprise all of her fans when it comes to this album. We believe that Swift will announce the re-recordings of both Reputation (Taylor’s Version) and Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version) by the end of her tour, so this is something to look out for even if you can’t find a bookie willing to take your bet.
Travis Kelce: Swift’s relationship with Kelce initially began thanks to the Eras Tour. While he didn’t exchange friendship bracelets with the artist, Kelce still found a way to get her number, and the two began seeing each other shortly after. Swift spent the end of the 2023 season balancing her international tour dates with the Chiefs playoff run that ultimately resulted in them winning the 2024 Super Bowl. Kelce has also become an even more public fan, making his debut on stage on the first night of her dates at Wembley Stadium; his appearance for “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” stunned fans and prompted a renewed media focus on their relationship.
While bettors had originally looked at the odds of Kelce proposing after clinching a Superbowl win, we believe that a proposal is unlikely until after the slotted December end date of the tour. Current odds stand at +200 for an engagement announcement before June 2025. Now, if you have followed Swift’s previous relationships, these odds would seem relatively low given her breakup with Joe Alwyn after six years. However, her relationship with Kelce appears to be flourishing per media coverage, as the two are regularly seen supporting each other publicly. Based on what we have seen so far, it seems extremely likely that the two will live out their love story.
Album of the Year: Rounding out the parlay for this edition of the Sportsbook, we have Grammy Album of the Year; Swift is currently leading the odds at +125 for The Tortured Poets Department. Her album Midnights won Best Album in 2024, beating out Miley Cyrus’ Endless Summer Vacation, Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts, and SZA’s SOS. Swift then announced TTPD in her acceptance speech after winning, surprising Swifties everywhere who were expecting Reputation (Taylor’s Version). This year, Swift’s newest album is slated to compete with Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter, Charlie XCX’s BRAT, and Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft. This win is almost a shoo-in, so you are losing money by not placing your bets accordingly.
While everyone may not be a self-proclaimed Swiftie, it is impossible to ignore the impact she has had on industries beyond her multiple-genre music. From stimulating economic growth to encouraging her followers to register to vote, she has a profound ability to affect everything around her; her tour has added $5.6 billion to the U.S. economy alone. Furthermore, the Eras Tour has brought together Swifties from all over the world, and its conclusion will mark the end of a tour that has changed the standards of live performances forever. No matter how she chooses to end this chapter of her story, Taylor Swift has ensured she will never be forgotten.
Kate Oliver ’26 (koliver@college.harvard.edu) had tickets to the Eras Tour in Vienna before it got canceled.