The new Hallmark film Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story is around a romance with a Kansas City Chiefs theme. However, pop sensation Taylor Swift and tight end Travis Kelce won’t be mentioned.
The movie, which premieres on Hallmark on Saturday, is only partially based on the couple’s well-known romance. Nonetheless, there are numerous NFL connections, such as appearances by Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, a number of players, and Donna Kelce, who is the mother of Travis Kelce and his brother Jason, a former NFL player.
It was released at a time when the NFL and Hallmark are trying to reach a wider audience. Fans who have long wished for Swift’s happiness have been enthralled with her public and viral romance with Kelce for the past year. Swifties, as the artist’s admirers refer to themselves, also developed a strong interest in the sport.
The audiences of the football league and the channel are comparable.Variety reports that 24% of Hallmark’s overall day audience in 2023 was male, and over half of the network’s Countdown to Christmas viewers also watched sports.
As part of a playoff celebration, the Chiefs capitalized on the fandom’s enthusiasm in Swift and Kelce’s romance by enlisting Hallmark stars Tyler Hynes and Janel Parrish to appear in a romantic comedy movie teaser. The NFL and Hallmark, which is well-known for its holiday-themed programming, later joined up for a more extensive collaboration.
According to Hynes, who portrays co-lead Derrick in Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, Swift and Kelce’s love story has influenced our society and the world in a manner that I believe gives a lot of people hope and just warmth.
“We’re all just lovers,” Hynes continued. And I believe that their love, which is so amazing and performed on such a large platform, permeates all of culture, and we are definitely included.
The new film, which was filmed at Arrowhead Stadium, the home field of the Chiefs, centers on Alana (Hunter King), a Chiefs megafan whose family is competing for Fan of the Year, and Derrick (Hynes), the team’s director of fan engagement, who is entrusted with assessing Alana’s candidacy. The theft of her family’s treasured vintage Chiefs hat disrupts the developing alchemy between the two as they get to know one another.
Chiefs guard Trey Smith, wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr., running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and defensive end George Karlaftis are among those who make surprise appearances throughout the film.
According to King, the players were all incredibly talented and kind, and working with Donna Kelce was a blast.
We all developed an obsession with Donna. According to King, there was a fan club of us on site who were all itching to speak with her and hang out with her. However, we will always be appreciative that they all consented to appear in our film.
In the film, the well-known football mother plays the manager of the barbecue restaurant Norma & Nic’s in Kansas City. She wears a No. 87 jersey, a reference to the real jersey number of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
The part is a part of the NFL mom’s acting career. She will debut as an actress on Friday in another Hallmark film, this one featuring references to her son Jason Kelce, the former center for the Philadelphia Eagles. Christmas on Call, which is set in Philadelphia, includes an appearance by Donna Kelce wearing an Eagles jersey.
“Our brand is all about bringing people together through sports,” Hallmark’s chief brand officer, Darren Abbott, told Variety.
Hallmark is not alone in realizing the potential of leveraging Swiftie fans. On Saturday,Lifetime released its own rival title, Christmas in the Spotlight, a holiday movie about a singer in love with a football player.
For its 15th annual Countdown to Christmas, Hallmark said it plans to debut 47 new movies total.
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