Hallmark Channel’s Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story is set to be one of the network’s most ambitious projects, seamlessly blending sports, romance, and Christmas magic. Born from an unexpected partnership between Hallmark Media and the Kansas City Chiefs, the film builds on the success of the viral Falling for Football campaign while showcasing the rich culture of Kansas City. The production team took a break from filming in July to stop by the TCA Summer Press Tour.
The collaboration’s roots trace back to the Chiefs’ playoff campaign trailer, Falling for Football. The lighthearted homage to Hallmark films became an instant hit, capturing the network's attention. “We wanted to give a nod to this being like kids waking up on Christmas morning for the playoff season,” explained Lara Krug, the Chiefs’ VP and Chief Marketing Officer. “We came up with an idea to do this trailer, Falling for Football, again as an ode to what Hallmark does so well. And we thought, what better way of doing that than to get Tyler [Hynes] and some of the other famous Hallmark stars who were so gracious to do this with us.”
Tyler Hynes, one of Hallmark’s leading stars, participated in the campaign and quickly saw the synergies between the two brands. “The whole experience for me was pretty special. A few months earlier, I’d gone to the Hallmark headquarters where Don Hall walked us around and told us the history of their company,” he shared. “I was very taken aback going to the stadium and some of the lovely people at Chiefs were walking us around and explaining to us their history. And I just couldn’t help but see such a very strong parallel between the two brands.”
The film’s narrative takes cues from the heartfelt stories fans tell about their teams, weaving love and football into a Christmas setting. Julie Sherman Wolfe, the film’s writer, reflected on how Falling for Football inspired the movie. “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. I got the call from Samantha [DiPippo] the week after the Super Bowl.”
For Hallmark Media, ensuring authenticity was essential. “I feel like we’ve all put our heart and souls into this project,” said Samantha DiPippo, Hallmark’s SVP of Programming. “And you know, we’ve worked very much hand in hand with the Chiefs, with the NFL and Skydance, and it’s been a really amazing process.”
Filming entirely in Kansas City and surrounding areas, the project brought an authenticity and local charm that Hallmark audiences will feel on screen. “We are filming in Kansas City and Missouri the entire movie,” DiPippo confirmed. “This is the first movie we’ve actually shot there, and I would say the location I am most excited about is next week, we are filming at Arrowhead Stadium.”
The cast and crew praised the city’s warm and welcoming vibe. “The salt of the earth people you encounter on the crew and spectators and people working in the background just break your heart, they’re so lovely,” said Ed Begley Jr., who plays a fictional Chiefs superfan in the film. Tyler Hynes also described how his time in Kansas City deepened his appreciation for football: “For me, not being a huge football enthusiast, it’s when this sort of human connection of everybody in the city that I started to come across, having gone there for the parade and having gone there to shoot the commercial, when you start to see it through their eyes, this is where it gets really interesting to me.”
For Hunter King, another Hallmark star in the film, Kansas City and the iconic Arrowhead Stadium were transformative. “But then when you film at Arrowhead Stadium, I mean, that’s such a magical moment. You’re like, okay, I feel the Chiefs love,” she shared.
This collaboration reflects a broader trend of sports and entertainment converging to create compelling fan experiences. “The world has changed,” Krug explained. “I think when we think through entertainment and sport and culture, I’m not sure there’s a disconnect anymore which is a really wonderful thing I think to see for fans and consumers, in general.”
The heartfelt and community-centered approach of Holiday Touchdown resonates with its cast and creators. Diedrich Bader, who stars as a fictional Chiefs superfan alongside Begley Jr., noted, “It’s funny and it’s sweet and it’s heartfelt and there’s so little of that. There’s no cynicism in this. And it’s beautiful in that way. So I’m delighted to be here, and I’d love to do more.”
At its heart, Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story celebrates universal themes of love, family, and traditions. The story incorporates elements inspired by real fan experiences, such as a heartfelt tribute to a beloved Chiefs winter hat. Wolfe recalled, “There is something to do with a winter hat. And when Julie had first done her initial take for this, it was a baseball cap. It was a vintage Chiefs cap. And we were all texting late on a Friday night and one of the members of the Chiefs team had said, ‘Oh, this just reminds me so much of my grandfather who had this winter hat, it was a Chiefs hat, and he wore it every year.’”
The filmmakers and stars are confident that this unique blend of football, romance, and holiday cheer will resonate with fans of all kinds. “If we can tell a story where you get to combine all of them with Hallmark, the best and the best, it’s perfect,” Krug said.
Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story premieres tonight at 8/7c, uniting Hallmark fans and the Chiefs Kingdom in a celebration of family, fandom, and the magic of Christmas.