Hallmark Media, the NFL, Skydance Sports and the Kansas City Chiefs are collaborating on a new holiday movie that will premiere later in the year. Titled Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, the original movie will feature actors such as Tyler Hynes, Hunter King and Ed Begley Jr. The venture will begin filming next month from Kansas City, Mo. locations, including GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium and follows a plot in which a family is trying to win the Chiefs “Fan of the Year” contest. In celebration of the local partnership, the Kansas City downtown skyline will be lit in purple and red Tuesday night at sunset.
“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,” Darren Abbott, chief brand officer of Hallmark, said in a statement. “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,” Mark Donovan, president of the Kansas City Chiefs, said in a statement. “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.”
Cody Tapp and Alex Gold discussed the news on their midday program, Cody & Gold, on 610 Sports Radio. Gold divulged more details about the movie that will premiere on the Hallmark Channel during its 15th Annual Countdown to Christmas slate of programming. Outside of production of this film, Hallmark and the Chiefs are planning game-day activations, unique co-branded merchandise and promotion across various platforms.
“Alright, I got to be honest,” Tapp said. “I’ve got to be in this movie. We’ve got to get the show in the movie. I just want to be standing in the background. I don’t want a line – let’s not get carried away here.”
Gold was going to remark on Tapp’s ego of immediately thinking that he should be in a Hallmark movie, leading him to reply that he could act well enough for the production. Furthermore, he expressed amazement in how the Chiefs are going to be involved in a Hallmark movie, adding it to the “unbelievable time” that they currently find themselves in.
“I did not expect to get an email saying the Chiefs are going to be in a holiday Christmas movie,” Tapp said. “I like the fact they’re going to film it in the summer. How are they going to make it look like winter? What’s their plan on that?… I guess a couple snow machines or some visual effects ought to carry that. Don’t you want to be in the background on one shot of this? They’re going to need extras, Gold.”
As Gold was divulging his opinion earlier in the show, Tapp was drafting an email to pitch that the show should be featured in the movie. Gold later stated that the program would either host a watch party or breakdown of the Hallmark movie and expressed to Tapp that Chiefs radio play-by-play announcer Mitch Holthus would be in the movie long before him.
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