Countdown to Christmas’ opening weekend kicks off with Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story, the third installment in Hallmark Channel’s powerhouse partnership with the NFL and Skydance Sports. No flag on this play – there’s no better way to usher in the October start of the network’s holiday viewing season than with a heartfelt and romantic Christmas story set in the world of the NFL.
First in 2024 Hallmark Channel brought us the first “Holiday Touchdown” Christmas movie featuring the Kansas City Chiefs called “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story”, starring Hunter King and Tyler Hynes. What a brilliant idea for a Hallmark Christmas movie…Football and a Love Story. It was a huge success in my eyes and loved the romantic backstory and especially seeing Santa Claus. Then Hallmark did it again with another “Holiday Touchdown” movie in 2025 called “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story”, featuring the Buffalo Bills staring Holland Roden and Matthew Daddario and the one and only Santa Claus. Yet another great Football love story and all of us Hallmark Channel fans were hoping for another one next year. Well, it’s next year 2026 and it’s about the Chicago Bears! Bravo to The Hallmark Channel. After seeing this new movie tomorrow night, you will feel love, joy, happiness and knowing what true love has in store. Next you will be wondering what Football team will be featured next year. So what is your guess? I have to say I don’t think it will be our Los Angeles Rams, since we don’t have any snow hear, but one could hope! Judy Shields, The Hollywood Times
When ambitious freelance reporter Avery Clark (Fonseca) returns to Chicago to spend Christmas with her mom (Woods) and new stepdad (Payton), she’s hoping for a little holiday downtime before her next assignment. Instead, she lands a feel-good story profiling Darlene Donnelly (Mason), a beloved Chicago Bears superfan about to celebrate an incredible milestone – attending her 500th game. There’s just one catch: Avery knows next to nothing about football or Chicago. Enter Darlene’s handsome grandson Matt (Buckley), a Chicago firefighter and die-hard Bears fan who, with a little gentle nudging from Darlene, agrees to show Avery what being part of Bears Nation is all about. As Avery follows Darlene’s remarkable story through cherished game-day traditions, festive Chicago adventures and memories of a love story that began at a stadium, she starts to understand that football is about much more than what happens on the field. And as sparks fly between Avery and Matt, this Christmas may just convince a woman who’s always on the move that sometimes the greatest adventure is finding a place, and someone, that feels like home.
Stars: Lyndsy Fonseca, Robert Buckley, Marsha Mason, Barbara Alyn Woods, Khary Payton
Robert Buckley and Lyndsy has such great chemistry, they made it feel like they were an actual couple and added to yet another wonderful love story involving football and Christmas. This movie will be another great hit and you have to make it a date night or family time movie for a Saturday night. I can’t think of another way to spend this coming Saturday, then watching this new Holiday Touchdown Christmas movie. Bravo The Hallmark Channel!!
Featured Cameos: Chicago Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams, tight end Colston Loveland, tight end Cole Kmet, legendary Bears alumni Mike Singletary, Charles “Peanut” Tillman and Dan Hampton, Connie Payton, wife of the late Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, and the team’s beloved mascot Staley Da Bear, as well as Tamera Mowry-Housley, Marilu Henner, Jake Connelly and Dyon “Mojo” Brooks
