In this Jan. 16, 2016, file photo, Olympics champion Missy Franklin watches the results board of the women's 200-meter backstroke during the Arena Pro Swim Series, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Stephen Spillman, File)
NEW YORK (AP) --
NBC says that it has surpassed $1 billion in advertising sales for the upcoming Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and is on pace to set a record for the most national advertising sold for any single event.
By contrast, the network announced reaching the $1 billion sales milestone only two days prior to the opening of the 2012 Olympics in London.
Seth Winter, advertising chief for NBC Sports, said Tuesday that the sales are an indication of advertisers' desire for big-event programming. Unlike many Olympics, NBC will be able to televise live events in prime time from Rio; the Brazilian city is one hour ahead of the eastern United States.
The Brazilian Olympic games are set to begin Aug. 5.
This image released by Hallmark Media shows Hunter King, left, and Tyler Hynes in a scene from "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. (Joshua Haines/Hallmark Media via AP)
Two new Christmas TV movies have a Taylor Swift connection that her fans would have no problem decoding.
"Christmas in the Spotlight" debuts Saturday on Lifetime. It stars Jessica Lord as the world's biggest pop star and Laith Wallschleger as a pro football player, who meet and fall in love — not unlike Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
"It's clearly inspired by Taylor and Travis, but I don't know them and I don't know what is going on behind the scenes. I only know what's been put out there," said Eirene Tran Donohue, a longtime, devoted fan who jumped at the opportunity to write a script even loosely based on her favorite musician.
She was inspired by the couple's support of each other's accomplishments, particularly Kelce's ease with dating the star despite the glare of the spotlight, adding, "I love the way that he celebrates her."
Tran Donohue wants fellow Swift fans to know she wrote the script with them in mind.
"There are so many Easter eggs," she said of little details added that a Swift fan would pick up on. "I put in as many as I could."
Then, on Nov. 30, Hallmark will air "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story." Instead of a nod to Swift, it's an ode to family traditions and bonding, like rooting for a sports team. Hallmark's headquarters is also in Kansas City, so it makes sense why the company chose the Chiefs to be highlighted.
In this story, written by Julie Sherman Wolfe, sparks fly when a new employee for the Chiefs organization (Tyler Hynes) meets a woman — played by Hunter King — whose family's dedication to the team goes back generations.
Sherman Wolfe, a San Francisco 49ers fan, said she got the call a week after Super Bowl LVIII, when the Chiefs... Read More
