It’s fair to say that media frenzy surrounding Taylor Swift’s wedding to Travis Kelce has been extraordinary.
Now that the stardust has settled after the “wedding of the century,” it’s clear that the romance between the pop star and the NFL athlete has spawned countless headlines.
However, the influence of the couple’s love story extends far beyond that. In fact, fans may not realize that their relationship was also the inspiration for a Hallmark Channel movie that’s grown into one of the network’s most successful franchises.
Taylor & Travis Inspired Hallmark’s ‘Holiday Touchdown’
Back in 2024, screenwriter Julie Sherman Wolfe was approached to write a Hallmark rom-com that included all the familiar elements that “Hallmarkies” expect. This film, however, required one key difference: it represented a collaboration between Hallmark and the NFL, which meant the love story needed to unfold against the backdrop of professional football.
When Wolfe spoke with journalists during a 2024 panel at the Television Critics Association summer press tour, she revealed that the Kansas City Chiefs were chosen for the movie for two key reasons: the team’s recent Super Bowl win, and the attention afforded to Swift’s romance with Kelce, the Chiefs’ star tight end.
The love story of Swift and Kelce, Wolfe explained, “was sort of a jumping off point” in conceptualizing what came to be called “Hollywood Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.”
The ‘Holiday Touchdown’ Films Are About Honouring Tradition
Beyond the Swift-Kelce romance, Wolfe was also inspired by her own real-life experience of growing up in a football-loving family.
“I feel really strongly about the traditions and the family and the love and the passion that fans have,” she said. “And that’s what this movie really focuses on.”
That’s clear in the official synopsis of “Holiday Touchdown: A Kings Love Story” from Hallmark: “Alana Higman (King) is sure that her family’s lifelong history as Kansas City Chiefs superfans makes them a frontrunner to win the team’s ‘Fan of the Year’ contest. Derrick (Hynes), Director of Fan Engagement, is tasked with evaluating how Alana and her family stack up against the other finalists. As the pair spends time together, it’s clear there’s a spark between them but when her grandfather’s vintage Chiefs good-luck winter hat goes missing, Alana begins to doubt everything she believed about fate, destiny and even questions her future with Derrick — unless, that is, a little Christmas magic can throw a Hail Mary.”
A Movie Made for Swifties
HallmarkAlso appearing on that panel were stars Tyler Hynes and Hunter King — who revealed herself to be a huge Taylor Swift fan. “I mean, I’m a Swiftie. I don’t know who isn’t a Swiftie, right?” she said.
She continued by expressing her firm belief that “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story” would connect with her fellow Swifties.
“I don’t know who wouldn’t want to watch this movie,” King said at the time. “It’s based and centered around love and passion and football and Christmas and family, and those are all things that I love and that are so important in my life. And I feel like a lot of Swifties also, like, that’s kind of her brand as well. So I feel like they would totally dig this movie and they’re like, ‘We like that, we want that.’ So come onboard, watch it. It’s going to be great.”
A Massively Successful Hallmark Franchise
“Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story” proved to be a huge hit. Garnering viewership of nearly 2.9 million viewers, the rom-com became the most-watched cable movie of 2024.
That success demanded a sequel, which arrived with 2025’s Buffalo-set “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story.” The second film in the series was likewise a hit, with nearly 3 million fans tuning in.
A Third ‘Holiday Touchdown’ Movie is in the Works
The movie’s popularity led to plans for a third film in what’s become a hugely popular franchise for both Hallmark Channel and the NFL.
Production is currently underway on the latest entry in the series, “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story.”
As the title suggests, this one is being filmed on location in Chicago. Recently, a casting agency sent out a call seeking extras to appear in a crowd scene in the movie, offering an opportunity for Hallmark fans to become part of the magic.
