The National Football League (NFL) and the Kansas City Chiefs are partnering with the Hallmark Channel to bring fans a new romance movie.
Holiday Touchdown: A Chief’s Love Story is scheduled to air during the channel’s 15th annual Countdown to Christmas event this December. It comes hot off the heels of the Missouri team’s 2024 Super Bowl victory and increasing popularity, fueled by tight end Travis Kelce’s high-profile relationship with global superstar Taylor Swift.
Starring Tyler Hynes, Hunter King and Ed Begley Jr, the original movie will film entirely in Kansas City and the team’s Arrowhead Stadium.
The film will follow a romance that develops between the team’s director of fan engagement Derrick (Hynes) and Alana (King), one of the finalists in the team’s “Fan of the Year” contest.
Production is scheduled to start in July.
“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 Hallmark chief brand officer Darren Abbott in a statement, per Variety.
“By blending the warmth of Hallmark storytelling with the excitement of professional football, we are thrilled to give audiences a front-row seat to this community’s spirit, rich traditions and passionate fans that define Kansas City, all wrapped up in the comforting and uplifting Hallmark way.”
Chiefs President Mark Donovan added: “We are honored to partner with Hallmark on a project as unique as this. As a club, we pride ourselves on exploring new ways to grow our brand, as well as connect with new audiences. This partnership unites two passionate fanbases and gives us an opportunity to show Chiefs Kingdom’s energy and tradition on one of the most-watched channels during the holiday season.”
Last season, the Chiefs’ marketability boomed due to Swift’s attendance at many of the team’s games to cheer on her boyfriend Kelce. It was widely reported that her attendance exponentially increased viewership numbers and ticket sales.
While the NFL is currently on a break before the start of the next season, Kelce has been traveling alongside Swift to support her on her massive Eras Tour.
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Swift, who most recently performed three nights at London’s Wembley Stadium, welcomed Kelce on stage for a surprise appearance during her final show on June 23.
The other two nights, Kelce had cheered her on from the VIP tent; however, during Sunday’s concert, he made his way to the stage, where he posed as one of her backup dancers.
In one video shared on X/Twitter, Kelce could be seen wearing a tuxedo and black top hat, before he walked towards Swift – who was pretending to be dead on the stage floor, as part of her Eras Tour act.
While it’s usually one of the backup dancers who picks Swift up and carries her across the stage during the concerts, her boyfriend took the reins this time. After setting Swift down on a red couch, he proceeded to partake in the performative act that introduced her next song, “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.”
Speaking about his relationship with the Grammy-winning “Anti-Hero” singer, Kelce recalled the sweet moment he started “to fall” for Swift.
“She’s very self-aware,” he said on the newest episode of his Bussin’ With The Boys podcast. “And I think that’s why I really started to fall for her, was how genuine she is around friends [and] family.”
