On Saturday evening, November 30th, Hallmark Channel will premiere a brand new film in partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs. Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. But the partnership goes far beyond the television screen.

In the film, Hunter King plays Alana, a Chiefs fan who comes from a long line of Kansas City fans and is out to win the team’s Fan of the Year competition. Tyler Hynes plays Derrick, the director of fan engagement who judges the competition. As Alana and Derrick spend time together, a spark begins to grow, but everything starts to go wrong when Alana’s grandfather (Ed Begley Jr.)’s lucky charm – a vintage Chiefs hat – goes missing.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid makes a cameo appearance in the film, along with Chiefs guard Trey Smith, wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr., running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and defensive end George Karlaftis and other players. Even Donna Kelce, Travis Kelce’s mother, got a role in the film.

Samantha DiPippo, Hallmark’s senior vice president of programming, said the film came about after a series of events last season. Initially, ESPN reached out to the media network and asked to be part of a commercial comparing the 2023 NFL season to a Hallmark movie. Then the Chiefs decided to put together a Hallmark-themed movie trailer before the postseason, which also featured Hallmark actor Hynes in one of the lead roles.

DiPippo said when they saw the trailer following the ESPN collaboration, they began chatting with the Chiefs about how they could do something together, especially since they are both Kansas City brands.

The next call was to screenwriter Julie Sherman Wolfe, who appeared in the ESPN commercial. Even though she’s a die-hard 49ers fan, they asked her if she could figure out what a Hallmark movie starring the Chiefs might look like.

“What Julie has written in this story is really about the idea of ​​family watching, a bit of superstition and of course Christmas magic.”

She says even if you’re not a Chiefs fan, the story is relatable to many football fans.

“Whether you’re an Eagles fan, a Jets fan or a fan of any other team, you can relate to those die-hard feelings for your team.”

She also believes there are some similarities between being a fan of an NFL team and being a fan of Hallmark movies.

“If you look at the fan base of being a Hallmark fan with the fan base of the Chiefs Kingdom, there was so much overlap when we really got into it,” DiPippo said. “Nearly 50% of NFL fans are female and about 25% of our Hallmark movie viewers are male. And the way people watch sports is very communal. It’s an experience that you watch with your friends and family and your siblings and your children, and that’s the same way people consume Hallmark movies. While you’re watching at home, you’re posting on social media because you’re part of a community. These elements really struck a chord with both brands.”

DiPippo said the NFL was also a great partner alongside Skydance Sports, which served as executive producer. Skydance Sports is a newly formed company between Skydance Media, the NFL and NFL Films with the goal of creating a premier sports content studio and expanding cross-platform sports programming across a wide range of formats.

Holiday touchdown However, this isn’t Hallmark’s only film featuring the NFL this season. The Philadelphia Eagles appear in another film: Christmas on demandwhich premiered on November 22nd. Donna Kelce also had a cameo appearance in this film.

The Kansas City partnership goes beyond the film on the screen. Hallmark has featured activations at Arrowhead Stadium all season long. The traditional “Kiss Cam” has been transformed into a Hallmark “Star Cam,” bringing fans in the crowd together with their own Hallmark holiday movie superlatives like “Secret Hallmark Fan” and “Queen of Christmas.”

Additionally, Arrowhead will feature a Hallmark-branded tailgate activation zone that will offer a celebratory photo opportunity, free hot cocoa and other surprises for fans. During the home game on November 29th, Chiefs fans will receive a unique Hallmark Channel pennant.

Can’t make it to the game? Hallmark also offers merchandise for fans of the Chiefs and the film, including a vintage winter hat, scarf and commemorative ornaments.

When asked if Hallmark might partner with more professional sports teams in the future, DiPippo said she wouldn’t be surprised. From the film to the stadium activations to the merchandise, she said there are many opportunities and Hallmark would like to find ways to partner with and sign more NFL teams.

“This was a great example of how our brands worked so well together, from creativity to on-site partnership. It’s really, really fun.”

Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story airs November 30 at 8:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. CT on Hallmark Channel Countdown to Christmas