Hallmark, NFL, Skydance & Buffalo Bills take field for 'Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story'

Premiering during Hallmark Channel’s 16th annual ‘Countdown to Christmas’ programming event

√ Last year’s inaugural collaboration, ‘Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story,’ was cable television’s MVP as most-watched movie of year

Hallmark Media Press Release

On the heels of its winning partnership last year, Hallmark Media, NFL and Skydance Sports are running it back this Christmas with “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story,” a new, original movie premiering during the G.O.A.T. of festive films, Hallmark Channel’s 16th annual “Countdown to Christmas.”

The announcement was made Friday through a video featuring Bills safety Damar Hamlin. Production kicks off later this year and will film entirely at locations in and around Buffalo, including iconic Highmark Stadium, which is making its last stand as the Bills home field in the upcoming 2025 NFL season. The starting lineup will be announced at a later date.

“The incredible success of last year’s partnership with the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs far exceeded our expectations,” said Darren Abbott, chief brand officer, Hallmark. “We are thrilled to team up with the Bills this year for a new holiday movie filled with heart, family and the classic Hallmark storytelling that our fans know and love, all set against the special community the Bills franchise has nurtured throughout its storied history.”

“We were honored to be approached by Skydance Sports to participate in this amazing project that will showcase two powerful brands – Hallmark and the Buffalo Bills,” said Pete Guelli, chief operating officer, Buffalo Bills. “This is just another example of how the Bills brand and our amazing fanbase continues to grow across the sports and entertainment landscape. This is an incredible opportunity to feature Western New York and Bills Mafia on the Hallmark platform. It is a privilege to be part of this project, and we hope this film will be a hit during the holiday season!”

With planning underway, fan 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 football fans. In fact, over 75% of Hallmark Channel viewers also watched NFL football while “Countdown to Christmas was on air in 2024, making this film the perfect holiday occasion.

Skydance Sports serves as the executive producer of “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills 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 multiplatform sports programming across a broad range of formats.

More about Hallmark Media

Owned and operated by Hallmark Cards Inc., 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.

The company’s subscription streaming service and membership program, Hallmark+ offers a distinctive blend of all-new, exclusive original series and movies, next-day access to Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Mystery premieres, plus monthly discounts and rewards for shopping at Hallmark Gold Crown retail stores. For more information, visit www.corporate.hallmarkmedia.com.

More 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 multiplatform programming across sports in a broad range of formats for partners, fans and viewers around the world. The partnership’s projects include the upcoming docuseries “America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys,” chronicling the Dallas Cowboys' dynasty and franchise owner Jerry Jones; a documentary feature on football legend John Elway; a docuseries on tennis icon Rafael Nadal for Netflix; and a scripted series for Hulu written and executive produced by Dan Fogelman set inside the world of the NFL. Recently released projects include the Hallmark holiday movie “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story,” “Aaron Rodgers: Enigma” for Netflix, “Freediver” on Prime Video, “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants for HBO, as well as the Sports Emmy-nominated “NFL Draft: The Pick Is In” for The Roku Channel, and “Kelce” for Prime Video.