Why Advertisers Should Swipe Right on Romance Content

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, hearts aren’t the only thing on fire. Romance content is still sizzling across screens after what’s become an annual holiday blitz of festive romantic comedies. And they’re also an enormous – and often overlooked – source of attention for advertisers. The opportunity has never been more ripe: From Hallmark’s longtime domination to year-round releases across every platform, advertisers have a prime opportunity to tap into an ever-growing, deeply engaged audience with fun and relevant creative.

Here’s why advertising around romance content could be the secret to your brand’s next great love story.

A Perfect Match for Seasonal Advertising

Rom-coms thrive during key moments of the year—Valentine’s Day, summer, and the holiday season—giving brands a natural alignment with audience expectations and opening up the potential for seasonal advertising. Seamlessly pairing your Valentine’s Day campaign with the release of a buzzy new Lifetime romance film, or aligning a holiday product launch with Hallmark’s “Countdown to Christmas” is incredibly easy to plan around annually. These moments aren’t just opportunities to advertise—they’re opportunities to connect on a deeper level with content where people are looking to feel good.

Hallmark: The Reigning Queen of Hearts

For the 11th consecutive year, the Hallmark Channel reigned as the most-watched entertainment cable network for women 18+ in the fourth quarter of the year, fueled by its annual “Countdown to Christmas” programming. The 2024 holiday season showcased over 30 new original movies, drawing a staggering 29 million unique viewers. For some context, Hallmark’s top three holiday films weren’t just network hits—they were the most-watched movies across all cable TV channels in 2024.

This isn’t just a seasonal trend. Hallmark’s formula of accessible, heartwarming romance stories delivers consistent ratings gold, proving that advertisers can reliably reach key demographics year after year – they even beat cable news in an election year.

And with the launch of Hallmark+, the brand’s new digital platform late last year, Hallmark is now positioned to capture audiences beyond cable, making its streaming and CTV advertising more accessible – and more interactive, thanks to Infillion’s TrueX and IDVx ads – than ever.

A Genre That Never Goes Out of Style

Romance isn’t just thriving on TV; it’s dominating the publishing world too. Representing 23% of all book sales in the U.S., romance is the fastest-growing genre, even as overall book sales decline. This shows a universal truth: people love love stories, and they’re always hungry for more.

The same applies to digital platforms. Streaming services have ushered in a renaissance for romance content. From dating shows like The Golden Bachelor and Love Is Blind to blockbuster movies like Crazy Rich Asians and Anyone But You to viral series like Heartstopper and Bridgerton, romance is no longer confined to a single platform or genre. Add in the massive popularity of K-dramas on Netflix, and it’s clear that love stories have a cross-generational, multicultural appeal.

Guaranteed Brand Safety In A Sea Of Dangerous Placements

In 2025, advertisers face mounting challenges in navigating brand safety as 24-hour news cycles, AI-generated deepfakes, lack of content moderation, and increased scrutiny around influencer marketing dominate headlines. Romance content offers a reliable, brand-safe oasis. Its feel-good nature aligns with positive brand messaging while contextual targeting can ensure your campaign is resonating with the right audiences. Given that research consistently shows consumers are more receptive to advertising when they’re in a good mood, romance content is a great way to reach them in those moments. Clearly, some brands are tapping into this; for the second year in a row, Walmart partnered with Roku on a holiday romance movie that was fully shoppable.

Hallmark’s success and the broader romance boom show that advertisers don’t have to choose between brand safety and bold strategies. Smart contextual targeting allows brands to lean into feel-good content, creating interactive campaigns that captivate while avoiding pitfalls.

Everyone Loves a Love Story – And Now Everyone Shares The Love

In an era of fragmented audiences and short attention spans, romance content cuts through the noise by tapping into something universal – love. Whether it’s the latest holiday romance movies, a Netflix K-drama, or a steamy rom-com bestseller, romance resonates across ages, demographics, and geographies.

For advertisers, this means one thing: romance is always in season. As Valentine’s Day approaches, consider how your brand can tap into this enduring genre with Infillion, no matter what time of the year it is. Interactive gift guides, quizzes for what to gift that special someone, and lean shopping experiences can all contribute to creating association between your brand’s narrative and universal, time-proof, feel-good content. Swipe right on romance content—it just might be the perfect match for your 2025 marketing strategy.

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