TYLER HYNES,
HUNTER KING AND ED BEGLEY JR. STAR IN MOVIE SET TO PREMIERE ON
HALLMARK CHANNEL DURING THE 15TH ANNUAL
COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS PROGRAMMING EVENT
STUDIO
CITY, Calif. and KANSAS CITY,
Mo., June 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Are you
ready for some football? It's game time on Hallmark Channel this
holiday season when two renowned Kansas City institutions - the
Kansas City Chiefs and Hallmark - team up with the NFL and
Skydance Sports for a holiday movie
and partnership that will have audiences everywhere cheering -
TOUCHDOWN! Tyler Hynes (Shifting
Gears, Three Wise Men and a Baby), Hunter King (Two Scoops Of Italy, The Santa
Summit) and Ed Begley Jr.
(Young Sheldon, Better Call Saul) star in the
new, original movie, Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. The movie begins
production next month and will film entirely in Kansas City, Missouri locations, including the
iconic GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, marking the first time the
loudest stadium in the world has been used as a filming location in
a Hallmark movie.
"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, Chief Brand Officer, Hallmark. "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."
"We are honored to partner with Hallmark on a project as unique
as this," Chiefs President Mark
Donovan said. "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."
In Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love
Story, Alana Higman
(King) is sure that her family's lifelong history as Kansas City
Chiefs superfans makes them a frontrunner to win the team's "Fan of
the Year" contest. Derrick (Hynes),
Director of Fan Engagement, is tasked with evaluating how Alana and
her family stack up against the other two finalists. As the pair
spends time together, it's clear there's a spark between them but
when her grandfathers (Begley Jr.) vintage Chiefs, good luck winter
hat goes missing, Alana begins to doubt everything she believed
about fate, destiny and even questions her future with Derrick –
unless, that is, a little Christmas magic can throw a Hail
Mary.
This film marks the ultimate celebration of a longstanding
collaboration between the two pioneering KC-based brands,
officially uniting the Hallmarkies and Chiefs Kingdom like never
before. With planning underway for game-day activations, unique
co-branded merchandise, and on-air, social, and digital promotion,
the multifaceted partnership will engage widespread audiences both
on and off the field, with more details to be announced later this
year. What's more, this film will fuel the proven track record of
viewership crossover between Countdown to Christmas enthusiasts and
sports fans. In fact, over 50% of Hallmark Channel viewers also
watched sports while the Countdown to Christmas was on air in 2023,
making this film the perfect holiday occasion.*
Skydance Sports serves as the
Executive Producer of Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. A newly formed venture between
Skydance Media and the NFL, Skydance
Sports is designed to create a top-end sports content studio
and expand multi-platform sports programming across a broad range
of formats.
To celebrate the uniquely local partnership between the two
organizations, Kansas City's downtown skyline will be lit purple
and red tonight beginning at sunset.
ABOUT HALLMARK MEDIA
Owned and operated by Hallmark, Hallmark Media is entertainment’s
leading destination for feel-good content. Hallmark Channel
features an ambitious slate of new, original movies, scripted
series, and the popular annual holiday franchise, Countdown to
Christmas. Hallmark Mystery features a unique mix of movies and
acquired series focused on the lighter side of the suspense and
mystery genres, as well as its own seasonal programming event,
Miracles of Christmas. Hallmark Family showcases timeless
storytelling for the whole family centered around faith, love, and
community. Hallmark Movies Now, the company’s subscription
streaming service, offers commercial-free movies and series from
Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Mystery, and more, including exclusive
content you can’t find anywhere else.
ABOUT KANSAS CITY
CHIEFS:
Founded as the Dallas Texans in 1960 as a charter member of the
American Football League (AFL) by sports pioneer Lamar Hunt, the franchise moved to Kansas City in 1963 and became known as the
Kansas City Chiefs. The team currently competes in the West
Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National
Football League (NFL). Under the guidance of the Hunt Family and
the leadership of Chairman and CEO Clark
Hunt, the mission of the Kansas City Chiefs is to Win with
Character, Unite our Community, Inspire our Fans and Honor
Tradition. For information about the Kansas City Chiefs, visit
chiefs.com.
ABOUT SKYDANCE
SPORTS
Skydance
Sports, the joint venture between the NFL and Skydance, has
quickly become the preeminent studio for leagues, teams, elite
athletes and A-List Hollywood talent seeking to produce premium,
sports-related entertainment. Initially launched in 2021, the
studio's first two projects include the Sports Emmy-nominated
docuseries Good Rivals and the critically acclaimed film
Air which received two Golden Globe Award nominations
including "Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy." In 2022,
Skydance partnered with the NFL and NFL Films on a joint venture to
significantly expand multi-platform programming across sports in a
broad range of formats for partners, fans, and viewers around the
world. The partnership's first projects include an upcoming
docuseries chronicling the Dallas Cowboys' dynasty and franchise
owner Jerry Jones for Netflix and
Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants for HBO, as
well as the Sports Emmy-nominated NFL Draft: The Pick Is In
which for The Roku Channel and Kelce for Prime Video which
both broke records on their respective streamers upon release.
*Source: M-Su 6a-6a, P2+, 10/20-12/31/23. Duplication between Hallmark
Channel and ESPN. All data is program-based and L+SD.
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SOURCE Hallmark