Hallmark and Kansas City Chiefs team up for festive romance movie

In a unique partnership, Hallmark Channel is joining forces with the Kansas City Chiefs for a festive football-themed movie. "Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story" will premiere during Hallmark's 15th annual Countdown to Christmas event later this year.

The original film stars Tyler Hynes, Hunter King, and Ed Begley Jr. Production kicks off next month, with the entire movie being filmed in Kansas City, Missouri. It will make history as the first Hallmark production to film at the iconic GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

"With Hallmark and the Kansas City Chiefs both homegrown, rooted in values, tradition and community, there is a special alchemy between these two iconic organizations," said Darren Abbott, Hallmark's chief brand officer.

This isn't the first collaboration between the channel and the NFL team. Last year, they celebrated the playoff season with a campaign called "'Tis the Preseason," which included a spoof movie trailer starring Hynes and Janel Parrish.

Mark Donovan, Chiefs president, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, "We are honored to partner with Hallmark on a project as unique as this." 

The romantic comedy follows Alana Higman (King), a diehard Chiefs fan vying for the team's 'Fan of the Year' contest. Derrick (Hynes), the Director of Fan Engagement, must evaluate Alana's family against other finalists. As they spend time together, sparks fly, but a missing lucky hat throws Alana's beliefs into question.

According to Hallmark, over 50% of the channel's viewers also watched sports during the 2022 Countdown to Christmas, indicating a significant crossover fanbase. Hynes acknowledged this connection, telling Variety, "I feel like there is a bit of a mirror image with that specific fandom and Hallmark Channel."

The collaboration extends beyond the movie, with planned game-day activations, co-branded merchandise, and digital promotions. Skydance Sports will executive produce as part of a new venture with the NFL.

To celebrate the partnership, Kansas City's downtown skyline will be illuminated in Chiefs' colors starting Tuesday evening.

For Hynes, the experience introduced him to football and Taylor Swift, whose connections to the Chiefs added another layer to the project. "Football and Taylor Swift are new things to me...I went home and started watching the Netflix documentary series, fast forwarding to all of Patrick Mahomes' parts," he shared.

With its unique blend of romance, football, and holiday cheer, "Holiday Touchdown" aims to score big with Hallmark's dedicated viewers and potentially attract new fans from the Chiefs Kingdom.