Chiefs draw more fans in Brazil but some supporters disappointed Taylor Swift nowhere to be seen

SAO PAULO (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs' red and white dominated in the stands at NeoQuimica Arena on Friday night during their season-opening game against the Los Angeles Chargers, though even some of the local supporters couldn't hide their frustration that Taylor Swift was nowhere to be seen after days of anticipation in Brazil.

Several Chiefs players talked about a growing support base for the team in Brazil, and these fans were the clear majority among the more than 47,000 in attendance. The Chargers, who were the designated home team, were jeered as they came on the field but Los Angeles came away with a 27-21 victory.

The bigger story for some, though, was the no-show by Swift, who last week announced she was engaged to Chiefs tight end and three-time Super Bowl winner Travis Kelce.

There was speculation all week here that Swift might make a third visit to the South American nation, and the first to the stadium of soccer club Corinthians, whose fans see her as a good luck charm. Stories in the Brazilian media about a possible visit boosted online interest in the game, the NFL’s second in Brazil.

"I got to say it feels a bit less exciting now,” said 24-year-old Elena Sampaio, who was wearing a Chiefs shirt but didn't know the names of any of the players. “When I heard Taylor was coming I felt this was going to be a bigger event than I imagined. Too bad."

Instead, local fans who were still looking for Swift in the boxes had to settle for Santos and Brazil striker Neymar hugging Kelce and chatting with him before kickoff.

Fans also celebrated as Green Day drummer Tre Cool joined a group of samba drummers who played before the performances of the national anthems of Brazil and the United States.

"The atmosphere in Brazil will always be festive like this. We are loud, we want the players to hear us. We want to be part of the game,” said Manuel Andrade, 32, a school teacher who supports the New England Patriots. “I don't like the Chiefs at all, and it feels great to cheer against the majority here. I came here last year, hope to come as long as we have this."

The halftime show featured Colombian singer Karol G, but the Brazilian audience wasn't particularly welcoming, as it was last year when one of their own, Anitta, performed.

The acoustics at NeoQuimica Arena also failed to impress, with fans having a hard time understanding the words of “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido," one of Karol G's hits. The language barrier for Portuguese-speaking Brazilians also made the atmosphere less electric.

“I love the NFL, the idea of a halftime show here, but this looked a bit cheesy for a Brazilian audience,” said Vinicius Humberto, 42, a marketing specialist attending the game. “There's surely a learning curve on how to appeal to a local audience with so many international games. They will learn because they are really good at this.”

Brazilians sounded more excited and sang in a single voice when a country music hit about denial, “Evidencias,” was played between the third and fourth quarters.

The NFL held several events in Sao Paulo this week in the lead-up to the game. The league also sponsored murals by artists Kobra, Crica Monteiro and Leandro Nascimento, as it did last year when the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Green Bay Packers here.

The game Friday was the first of seven that will be played this season in international venues, including in Berlin, Dublin and Madrid.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in an interview with TV Globo during the game that Rio de Janeiro has the potential to also host a regular-season game. The coastal city has the historic Maracana Stadium, where some of the biggest soccer matches have been played.

“We will be here (Sao Paulo) over the long term. But Rio is obviously a place we have some interest in playing at some point, too,” Goodell said. “We are never going to leave Brazil. This is something we are going to continue playing in.”

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Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston scores against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half of an NFL football game, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Jeff Lewis)

Brazilian soccer player, Neymar Jr. greets Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce during warm ups before an NFL football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce arrives an NFL football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Fans cheer during warm ups before an NFL football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

A Kansas City Chiefs fans watches during warm ups before an NFL football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

A fan poses before an NFL football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Sao Paulo. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

BLUFFTON, S.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 6, 2026--

Officials of Landingplace Hotels, a next-generation hotel franchisor founded by experienced hospitality operators, today announced the launch of Landingplace Holdings, a strategic ownership platform designed to acquire and convert existing hotels into Landingplace-branded properties while supporting the company’s long-term franchise growth strategy. The announcement comes nearly one year after Landingplace introduced its first two brands, reflecting the company’s rapid progress in building an owner-focused hospitality platform backed by institutional capital.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260406138263/en/

To support this initiative, Landingplace Holdings has established a corporate bond program with an assigned International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) and is eligible for trading through London-based OTC markets, providing institutional-grade infrastructure to support the acquisition and repositioning of hotels aligned with the company’s conversion-focused brands. The program establishes a scalable capital framework designed to support Landingplace’s initial portfolio of corporate demonstration properties and accelerate early franchise system growth.

The corporate ownership platform will focus initially on a small number of corporate demonstration properties designed to showcase the Landingplace operating model and provide real-world case studies for prospective franchise partners. The initiative allows Landingplace to demonstrate the operational philosophy behind its brands through real-world proof-of-concept properties.

“From the beginning, Landingplace was designed as an owner-first platform built by operators who understand the realities of hotel ownership,” said Jeremy Bratcher, CEO and co-founder of Landingplace Hotels. “Launching Landingplace Holdings allows us to put that philosophy into action by acquiring and converting properties ourselves, demonstrating the operational efficiencies and flexible brand standards we’re offering to the market.”

Landingplace Holdings will focus primarily on acquiring and converting midscale hotels into Landingplace Suites, the company’s extended-stay brand, as well as Landingplace Select, its select-service brand designed for shorter-term stays. The ownership platform is designed to complement the company’s franchise development strategy by creating high-visibility demonstration properties and case studies that illustrate the brand’s conversion approach.

“Many owners evaluating new brands want to see real-world examples before making a decision,” said Jacob Amezcua, president and co-founder of Landingplace Hotels. “By actively acquiring and repositioning hotels ourselves, we’re able to demonstrate exactly how our operational model performs in the marketplace.”

The bond program supporting Landingplace Holdings is being structured in collaboration with Wolfline Capital, a global investment banking firm specializing in structured capital markets transactions, and JTC Group, which will serve as registrar and provide administrative support for the issuance.

By utilizing globally recognized settlement infrastructure including Euroclear and CREST, the program provides a transparent, institutional framework for capital formation supporting the company’s acquisition strategy.

“Access to institutional-grade capital markets infrastructure allows us to approach acquisitions with discipline and scalability,” Bratcher said. “Our goal is to build a small portfolio of corporate-owned properties that showcase the brand and create momentum for franchise growth across the system.”

Several ownership groups and prospective franchise partners already are evaluating conversion opportunities alongside the company’s corporate acquisition efforts, as Landingplace moves quickly to establish its first portfolio of branded properties and accelerate early system growth.

The company believes the initiative will further strengthen its ability to support hotel owners navigating rising operating costs, increased financing pressure and evolving guest expectations.

“Owners today are facing a rapidly changing landscape,” Amezcua said. “By actively participating as owners ourselves, we’re able to demonstrate that the Landingplace model isn’t just theoretical—it’s something we’re willing to invest in and operate alongside our franchise partners.”

Landingplace officials emphasized that the ownership platform is intended to complement, not replace, the company’s long-term franchise growth strategy.

“Our goal has always been to build a scalable franchising platform,” Bratcher added. “The corporate ownership program simply allows us to accelerate early momentum and provide real examples of how the Landingplace model works in practice.”

Strategic Capital Partners

The Landingplace Holdings bond program was developed in collaboration with Wolfline Capital, a global investment banking firm specializing in structured capital markets transactions. JTC Group, a global professional services provider, will serve as registrar and administrative partner for the issuance. The program is designed to utilize globally recognized settlement infrastructure, including Euroclear and CREST, and is expected to be listed on the London Stock Exchange. The structure provides Landingplace with access to global capital markets infrastructure typically utilized by larger hospitality platforms.

Wolfline Capital officials said the structure reflects growing investor interest in hospitality platforms focused on operational efficiency and disciplined growth. “Landingplace represents a new generation of hospitality platforms designed around owner economics and operational efficiency,” said Nikita Dolgii, managing partner at Wolfline Capital. “The capital structure supporting Landingplace Holdings provides the company with a scalable framework to execute its acquisition and conversion strategy.”

About Landingplace Hotels

Founded by hospitality and Fortune 500 veterans Jeremy Bratcher and Jacob Amezcua, Landingplace Hotels is a next-generation hotel franchisor built by operators for operators. Headquartered in Bluffton, S.C., Landingplace Hotels’ brands provide flexibility and value-driven stay experiences for guests while streamlining operations and providing enhanced distribution opportunities for owners.

The company currently provides franchise opportunities for Landingplace Suites, a midscale extended-stay brand, and Landingplace Select, a midscale select-service brand focused on transient guests.

For additional information, please visit www.landingplacehotels.com or contact franchise@landingplacehotels.com.

The name of the franchisor is Landingplace Franchising LLC, and its address is 1050 Fording Island Road, Suite C #1055, Bluffton, SC 29910.

This is not an offer to sell a franchise. An offer can only be made through delivery of a Franchise Disclosure Document. Certain states require registration of a franchise before offering or selling in that state. Landingplace franchises will not be offered to residents of those states unless and until the franchise has been registered or exempted as required. Those states include California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Operational outcomes will vary by location and operator. Landingplace Hotels does not make any guarantees regarding income or profitability. See Item 19 of our Franchise Disclosure Document for more information.

Jeremy Bratcher, CEO and co-founder (left), and Jacob Amezcua, president and co-founder (right)