<div class="" data-article-body="true"><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">One year after Hallmark struck gold with a <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/first-came-the-fake-hallmark-movie-now-the-real-chiefs-rom-com-is-here-130035972.html" data-ylk="slk:Kansas City Chiefs holiday love story;cpos:1;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;" class="link  yahoo-link">Kansas City Chiefs holiday love story</a>, the network is back with its second official NFL team-up — and this time, the Christmas spotlight is on the Buffalo Bills.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words"><em>Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story </em>follows two childhood best friends — a pediatric doctor (Holland Roden) and the Bills’ stadium development executive (Matthew Daddario) — whose shared affinity for their hometown football team has kept their families connected for decades. But romance is still at the heart of the story: One of them is secretly in love with the other.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">The Skydance Sports-produced TV movie, which <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1" class="link " href="https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/holiday-touchdown-a-bills-love-story/videos/sneak-peek-holiday-touchdown-a-bills-love-story" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:airs on the Hallmark Channel;elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:2;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas">airs on the Hallmark Channel </a>on Saturday, Nov. 22, is the follow-up to <em>Holiday Touchdown: A Kansas City Chiefs Love Story. </em>That film, which starred Hunter King and Tyler Hynes, became last year's <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1" class="link " href="http://www.thefutoncritic.com/ratings/2024/12/05/hallmark-channels-holiday-touchdown-a-chiefs-love-story-wins-most-watched-cable-movie-of-the-year-516411/20241205hallmark01/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:most-watched original cable movie,;elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:3;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas">most-watched original cable movie,</a> with nearly 3 million viewers tuning into the premiere.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">“Even before it opened, we were pretty sure that we had something special,” Jason Reed, head of Skydance Sports, tells Yahoo.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Early confidence that a winning formula was in place led Hallmark to quietly commission second-unit work on the Bills movie at Christmastime last year in and around Buffalo, N.Y. It was a stamp of approval that came months before the team's involvement with Hallmark was <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1" class="link " href="https://www.buffalobills.com/news/hallmark-media-nfl-skydance-sports-and-the-buffalo-bills-take-the-field-for-holiday-touchdown-a-bills-love-story-premiering-during-hallmark-channel-s-16th-annual-countdown-to-christmas-programming-event" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:publicly announced;elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:4;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas">publicly announced</a> in March 2025.</p><figure class="relative mb-4"><div class="relative"><img alt="Hunter King and Tyler Hynes in Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story." loading="lazy" width="960" height="640" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="rounded-lg" style="color:transparent" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/HgNDZam7UwcSynu3zSxo6Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-11/3ad530b0-c6f6-11f0-adb9-3cdf0048f128"><button aria-label="View larger image" class="group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent" data-ylk="elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;"><span class="absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none"><svg viewbox="0 0 22 22" aria-hidden="true" class="size-4 lg:size-6" width="22" height="22"><path d="M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z"></path></svg></span></button><dialog aria-label="Modal Dialog" aria-modal="true" class="fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden"></dialog></div><figcaption class="relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5"><div style="max-height:none;overflow:visible">Hallmark's first NFL film, <em>Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story </em>starring Hunter King and Tyler Hynes, was a ratings hit. (Hallmark Media)</div></figcaption></figure><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">Bills fans will have a grand time spotting their favorite team members, both past and present, throughout the movie, with cameos by head coach Sean McDermott; players Ray Davis, Damar Hamlin, Dion Dawkins, Dawson Knox, Reid Ferguson, DeWayne Carter and Joshua Palmer; and former greats Jim Kelly, Steve Tasker, Thurman Thomas, Scott Norwood and Andre Reed.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">“There's so much crossover between NFL fans and Hallmark viewers; they are one in the same,” says Samantha DiPippo, senior vice president of programming at Hallmark.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">“When you take two big brands and find commonality between them — in this case, the NFL and Hallmark — you actually expand the power of both brands,” Reed adds. “One of the themes that emerges [within the NFL] is this sense of belonging. You belong to your team, you belong to the sport, you belong to your favorite players. And Hallmark is very much the same way. You are a fan of Hallmark movies. You like the stories they tell. You have your favorite actors, many of whom are exclusively in the Hallmark universe.”</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">There’s proof behind the numbers. Last year, more than 75% of Hallmark viewers watched football during “Countdown to Christmas,” the network’s signature holiday programming event, according to <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/hallmark-teams-nfl-second-christmas-125315616.html" data-ylk="slk:Variety;cpos:5;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;" class="link  yahoo-link">Variety</a>. And increased interest in football among women continues to rise: 47% of the NFL fan base in the U.S. is female, a 9% uptick in 2024 alone, according to <a data-i13n="elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:6;pos:1" class="link " href="https://www.quantumrun.com/consulting/nfl-demographics/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:a recent study;elm:context_link;elmt:doNotAffiliate;cpos:6;pos:1;itc:0;sec:content-canvas">a recent study</a>.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">“When you tell a story that serves both audiences, it's pretty unique. And there's not a lot of content that competes in that space that is designed for both lovers of Hallmark and lovers of the NFL,” Reed says. “When you catch it, it's pretty powerful.”</p><figure class="relative mb-4"><div class="relative"><img alt="Holland Roden smiling as she looks at Matthew Daddario in Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story." loading="lazy" width="960" height="640" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="rounded-lg" style="color:transparent" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/.XzJWINWRPD8bJvHRxdZdw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-11/6138f910-c720-11f0-b9fe-c085a0e4a43f"><button aria-label="View larger image" class="group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent" data-ylk="elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;"><span class="absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none"><svg viewbox="0 0 22 22" aria-hidden="true" class="size-4 lg:size-6" width="22" height="22"><path d="M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z"></path></svg></span></button><dialog aria-label="Modal Dialog" aria-modal="true" class="fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden"></dialog></div><figcaption class="relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5"><div style="max-height:none;overflow:visible">The film premieres Saturday, Nov. 22, at 8 p.m. EST. (Hallmark Media)</div></figcaption></figure><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">There aren't set guidelines for how a team is chosen to get the Hallmark treatment, but there <em>are</em> several factors that are top of mind. A distinct culture, a unique fandom and an opportune moment — this being the final NFL season to be played at Highmark Stadium — helped identify the Bills as the natural next choice, Reed says.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">“There are 32 very unique fandoms [in the NFL]. There are 32 very unique locations that these teams are located in, so from my point of view, it’s great because we can keep telling stories forever,” he notes. “Every single team deserves it, and every single fandom deserves to be highlighted this way.”</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">To keep the movie authentic to Buffalo, the creative team attended Bills games and learned about the history of the city and why the Bills are a vital part of its cultural fabric. Through their research, a veteran storyline was incorporated into the movie's plot, as was the impending arrival of the new stadium.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">It also helps that the Bills have their own real-life fairy-tale love story between actress-singer <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/a-super-bowl-commercial-was-all-about-breasts-hailee-steinfeld-was-honored-to-have-a-part-in-the-psa-204308710.html" data-ylk="slk:Hailee Steinfeld;cpos:7;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;" class="link  yahoo-link">Hailee Steinfeld</a> and star quarterback Josh Allen. Their relationship, much like <a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/article/taylor-swift-engaged-to-travis-kelce-after-2-years-of-dating--see-photos-of-the-ring-and-proposal-171520382.html" data-ylk="slk:Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Chiefs romance;cpos:8;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;" class="link  yahoo-link">Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Chiefs romance</a>, was not a deciding factor behind Hallmark’s Bills movie — though it certainly helps fuel engagement.</p><figure class="relative mb-4"><div class="relative"><img alt="Holland Roden and Matthew Daddario smiling and sitting on a blue couch. " loading="lazy" width="960" height="640" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" class="rounded-lg" style="color:transparent" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/mkUma3Mx3psm73UhADXbmQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-11/614a3720-c720-11f0-be9e-b20d1bafcb1e"><button aria-label="View larger image" class="group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent" data-ylk="elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;"><span class="absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none"><svg viewbox="0 0 22 22" aria-hidden="true" class="size-4 lg:size-6" width="22" height="22"><path d="M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z"></path></svg></span></button><dialog aria-label="Modal Dialog" aria-modal="true" class="fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden"></dialog></div><figcaption class="relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5"><div style="max-height:none;overflow:visible">Bills quarterback Josh Allen's real-life romance is purely coincidental — but does give the rom-com, starring Holland Roden and Matthew Daddario, a boost. (Hallmark Media)</div></figcaption></figure><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">“We’ve really tapped into the zeitgeist, and it’s a little bit of that Hallmark magic that we have,” DiPippo says, noting that the Bills movie was already in production when Steinfeld and Allen <a data-i13n="cpos:9;pos:1" href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/hailee-steinfeld-shares-intimate-wedding-005502858.html" data-ylk="slk:got married;cpos:9;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;" class="link  yahoo-link">got married</a> on May 31 in Santa Barbara, Calif.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">With the <em>Holiday Touchdown</em> franchise now two movies deep, the door is open for a third Hallmark film with a new NFL team at the forefront — “not [one] that I can discuss,” Reed teases — and potentially even expanding into other professional sports leagues.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">"We're always open to what's that next story that we can tell, whether that's through sports or whether that's through an iconic place like the Grand [Ole] Opry," DiPippo says. "We're always open to finding new ways to tell a Hallmark story the only way that we can. It's been really exciting to partner with Skydance Sports and with the NFL because we get to play in a different world than we do in other movies."</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">“Whatever the next movie is going to be, their [team’s] star players better get busy marrying Hollywood superstars,” Reed quips.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">For now, the focus is squarely on this weekend’s film. Reed will be measuring success based on three things: if the traditional Hallmark fan likes the movie, if Bills fans feel it accurately captures the spirit of their fandom and most importantly, if his mother-in-law — an avid Hallmark watcher — enjoys it.</p><p class="mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words">“Then it’ll be a great Christmas for everybody,” he says.</p></div>

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