Hallmark has partnered with the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs for a twinkly romcom called Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. It premiered Nov. 30, but airs again on Wednesday, Dec. 4.
It'll also be available to stream for subscribers to Peacock (for a limited time) and Hallmark+.
But First, Some History
Back in January, the Chiefs celebrated a 9th consecutive time playing in the postseason with a fake trailer for a Hallmark-ish film called Falling for Football.
It even stars Hallmark regular Tyler Hynes (2023's Three Wise Men and a Baby, and its new sequel, Three Wise Men and a Boy), and features several Chiefs-related cameos, including Donna Kelce, the mom of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (and his brother and podcasting partner, former Philadelphia Eagles player Jason Kelce).
A Hallmark Hometown Celebration
So, is Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story the actual Hallmark version of Falling for Football? Nope, it's an entirely different story.
Shot entirely in and around Kansas City, Missouri -- also home to the Hallmark corporate offices -- it also ties into the Chiefs' Christmas Day game on Netflix, against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Written by Hallmark veteran Julie Sherman Wolfe, the film is a collaboration among the Chiefs, Hallmark and Skydance Sports, a division of Skydance Media (which has announced plans to merge with Paramount, which also owns CBS, which also airs NFL games.)
In what may or may not be a coincidence, Hynes also stars in Holiday Touchdown, as the improbable new hire as head of fan engagement for the Chiefs.
I say improbable, because the character is a soccer fan, and doesn't appear to know much about team history, both of which would seem to disqualify him for the gig. But hey ...
Anyway, he meets KC superfan Alana (Hunter King), but keeps his job under wraps. The secret comes out, though, when he must evaluate how Alana's Chiefs-loving family stacks up against the other contenders for "Fan of the Year."
There's barbecue and other local flavor -- most notably the iconic GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium -- and some more Chiefs cameos, including, again, Mama Kelce, and Coach Andy Reid.
The plot revolves around romance (obviously), a possibly magical hat, and a little Santa action.
Also starring are Ed Begley Jr., Mary Beth McDonough, Richard Riehle, Diedrich Bader and Christine Ebersole ... plus a random appearance by ex-presidential daughter Jenna Bush Hager.
Other than believing in the power of the hat, and wondering about whether one is getting a sign about something, there isn't any faith content. After all, this is a Hallmark Christmas movie.
Why the Chiefs, Why Christmas, Why Now?
Writer Wolfe is actually a fan of the San Francisco 49ers, which lost to the Chiefs in the last Super Bowl.
This past summer, at the biannual TV Critics Association Press Tour, Wolfe was asked whether the high-profile romance between Travis Kelce and singing superstar Taylor Swift inspired the idea.
She referenced an ESPN piece she did last Christmas, and here is is.
At TCA, she said:
I'll start with the Taylor and Travis thing. The love story itself was an inspiration for the ESPN piece that we did at Christmas, because the season had so much to do with this romance and love and so many ups and downs, like any season, but this one in particular.
As far as informing the movie goes … that was sort of a jumping-off point. And then the short that the Chiefs produced for the playoffs was kind of the next part.
A short time after the Super Bowl, Samantha DiPippo, Senior Vice President of Programming for Hallmark Media, gave Wolfe a call.
Wolfe said:
I was still in mourning. And she said, “OK, are you sitting down?” And I said, “Yes.” And she told me all about the movie. And you know what? Honestly, I feel so strongly about the passion that fans have for the game of football, and I think it transcends a particular team.
So, I was able to sort of separate my own personal angst from that and write a movie that, if you didn't know I was a 49er fan, you would think that I was a Chiefs fan. Because that's just my job.
And, I feel really strongly about the traditions and the family and the love and the passion that fans have. And that's what this movie really focuses on.
And the 49er part, you know, I actually have a lot of respect for the Chiefs organization, especially after doing my research. But that doesn't mean that I still wouldn't like a rematch.
What Did Falling for Football Have to Do With It?
As for the effect of Falling for Football, another TCA panelist, Chiefs VP and Chief Marketing Officer Laura Krug, answered my question about this with:
Falling for Football [is an] ode to what Hallmark does so well. And we thought, what better way of doing that than to get Tyler and some of the other famous Hallmark stars who were so gracious to do this with us.
And when we launched it on our social channels, my biggest thing was waiting and hoping that Hallmark was going to respond on social, because I hoped that they saw it as an ode and not as anything else.
And so, when they did and that -- then speed up to this conversation, it was one part of I think a much bigger puzzle in making this partnership and movie come to life.
I then asked Hynes how the Chiefs landed him for the role in the fake trailer, and he said, "They asked."
He'd also just visited Hallmark HQ in Kansas City, and was impressed by the Chiefs Kingdom culture, saying:
And I just couldn't help but see such a very strong parallel between the two brands. And there's an earnestness to both of them, there's an authenticity, there's a sort of tightknit, passionate fandom around both.
Here's a peek at the film:
Image: (L-R) Hunter King and Tyler Hynes/Hallmark Media
Kate O’Hare, a longtime entertainment journalist, is Social Media Content Manager and Blog Editor at Family Theater Productions.
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