Comparing 2024 Holiday Movies Influenced by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Romance
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship is straight out of a movie.
The pair connected during summer 2023 after Kelce, 34, infamously name-dropped Swift, also 34, on his “New Heights” podcast and lamented their missed connection at her Eras Tour concert in Kansas City.“This all started when Travis very adorably put me on blast on his podcast, which I thought was metal as hell,” Swift told TIME in December 2023. “We started hanging out right after that. So we actually had a significant amount of time that no one knew, which I’m grateful for because we got to get to know each other.”
The world only found out about their relationship when Swift went to one of Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs games in September 2023. The couple’s romance has only grown stronger since then, and dozens of fans have been clamoring for a big-screen adaptation.
Hallmark and Lifetime plan to do just that — perfectly timed for the cozy holiday season. Hallmark, for its part, has a new partnership with the Chiefs itself and even filmed Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story at the Arrowhead Stadium.
“I was watching [Taylor and Travis’ relationship] with the rest of the world. I knew all about it,” Holiday Touchdown’s Tyler Hynes exclusively told Us Weekly in July 2024. “Making this movie and being roped into the world feels like icing on top.”
Lifetime announces its Christmas in the Spotlight two months later.
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of how these rival Tayvis-inspired films compare:
The Plots
Holiday Touchdown: Alana Higman and her family are Chiefs superfans, hoping to win an official “Fan of the Year” contest. Derrick, the team’s director of fan engagement, spends time with the Higmans to evaluate how they measure up against other entrants.
A logline reads, “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.”
hristmas in the Spotlight: Pop star Bowyn meets professional football player Drew backstage at one of her concerts, which he attends with his niece. After Drew publicly declares his crush, they start dating.
A synopsis reads, “Feelings grow stronger, but can it last in the limelight, especially when they both have such hectic schedules? With people questioning if their feelings for each other are real or just for show, the pressure mounts from the press, paparazzi, their fans and even their family. The pair has until the end of the holiday season to decide if they want to stay together, or let it go down in flames.”
The Casts
Holiday Touchdown: Hunter King (who previously told Us in July 2024 that she is a self-proclaimed Swiftie) and Tyler Hynes lead the Hallmark film as Alana and Derrick, respectively. Costars include Ed Begley Jr. and Christine Ebersole, while Today anchor Jenna Bush Hager and Donna Kelce make brief cameos.
Christmas in the Spotlight: Jessica Lord plays the pop star with Laith Wallschleger taking on the role of the NFL athlete. Jeannie Mai and TikTok personality Haley Kalil will also appear in the flick
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The Taylor and Travis Touches
Holiday Touchdown: The film takes place in Kansas City, where Kelce lives and Swift spends plenty of her downtime, and heavily features his Arrowhead Stadium workplace. Travis’ mother even plays a character named Donna in the flick. When a trailer dropped in September 2024, Alana and Derrick also made a heart out of two candy canes reminiscent of Swift’s iconic “hand heart” concert pose.
Christmas in the Spotlight: Pretty much the entire plot line is reminiscent of Swift and Kelce, from their careers, a public crush declaration, rampant attention and more. Not to mention Drew bringing his niece to Bowyn’s show reminds Us of “Uncle Travvy” and his bond with brother Jason Kelce’s three daughters.
