Hallmark’s ‘Holiday Touchdown’ NFL Films: A Cozy Guide to the Chiefs, Bills & Bears Christmas Rom‑Coms

When you think of Hallmark holiday movies, you probably picture snow‑covered towns, a warm fireplace, and maybe a second‑chance romance. This year the network decided to add a new ingredient to the mix: the NFL. In 2024 Hallmark announced a partnership with the league and rolled out the Holiday Touchdown series, a trio of Christmas‑themed rom‑coms each built around a different football franchise.

It all started with the Kansas City Chiefs. The inaugural film, Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, premiered in November 2024 and follows a tight‑knit family of die‑hard fans who enter a “Fan of the Year” contest. Along the way, daughter Alana (Hunter King) meets Derrick, the team’s fan‑engagement director (Tyler Hynes), and the two discover that the real magic of the holidays isn’t just the lights on Arrowhead Stadium – it’s the community that rallies around the game. The movie was shot on location at Arrowhead, so you can actually hear the roar of the crowd in the background.

One of the funnier side notes? Travis Kelce’s mother, Donna, pops up for a cameo, a little wink to the pop‑culture buzz that surrounded Kelce’s whirlwind romance with Taylor Swift. Even if you’re not a Swiftie, the cameo adds a tongue‑in‑cheek nod to the way football can become a part of pop‑culture conversation.

Riding the momentum, Hallmark headed north to Buffalo for Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story in November 2025. This one leans into the city’s famously gritty, neighbor‑like spirit. Holland Roden plays Morgan, a lifelong Bills fan who teams up with childhood friend Gabe (Matthew Daddario) to solve a mystery: who’s been sending her uncle a holiday gift shaped like a Bills football for decades? The chase takes them from cozy coffee shops to the bustling tailgate scene at Highmark Stadium.

Roden even confessed that after spending a weekend tailgating with the Bills Mafia, she was officially a fan. “I’m from Dallas, so I grew up rooting for the Cowboys, but Buffalo has this… relentless, good‑neighbor vibe that just pulls you in,” she told us. The film captures that atmosphere, showing fans drinking out of a literal bowling ball and even cleaning the “mustard‑and‑ketchup”‑covered mascot’s ears – a detail that feels as authentic as it is amusing.

Finally, in the fall of 2026 Hallmark turned its lens to Chicago for Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story. The plot centers on freelance reporter Avery (Lyndsy Fonseca), who returns to the Windy City for Christmas and ends up profiling Darlene Donnelly (Marsha Mason), a super‑fan celebrating her 500th Bears game. Avery knows next to nothing about football, but Darlene’s grandson Matt (Robert Buckley), a Chicago firefighter, takes her under his wing. Between snow‑drifted streets, steaming hot chocolate, and a halftime show that feels like a love‑letter to Bears Nation, Avery discovers that football can be a gateway to community, tradition, and maybe even love.

What ties all three movies together isn’t just the football backdrop – it’s the idea that holiday joy is amplified when you share it with a tribe that cheers together. Whether you’re a Chiefs fanatic in Kansas City, a Bills devotee in upstate New York, or a Bears supporter in the heart of Chicago, Hallmark’s Holiday Touchdown gives you a reason to root for both the team and the romance.

And if you’re still skeptical about mixing football with Hallmark’s signature sentimentality, remember that the franchise is part of the network’s larger “Countdown to Christmas” lineup, which kicks off every October. So grab a blanket, a mug of cocoa, and maybe a plate of gingerbread, and settle in for a season where the end zone meets the mistletoe.