The world of pop culture and NFL football have collided over the past few years as the world has watched the blossoming love story between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Now, a new Kansas City Chiefs-inspired love story is here to itch your holiday fever.Hallmark Channel is celebrating Christmas with a brand-new holiday hit, Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.

Starring Tyler Hynes and Hunter King, Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story watches the meet-cute holiday romance between a die-hard Chiefs fan and the team’s director of fan engagement. When sparks fly, Christmas fills the air. With a fantastic ensemble cast and cameos from Chiefs legends, Holiday Touchdown: A Chief’s Love Story is the perfect film for those holiday romance-seekers who also love football! As Tyler Hynes said about the film, “It seems like it encapsulates everything into one little, tight package.”

Tyler Hynes and Hunter King Are Excited For Hallmark Fans to See ‘Holiday Touchdown’
Image via Hallmark Channel

To say that both Tyler Hynes and Hunter King are excited about Hallmark fans to see their film is an understatement. Having poured a lot of heart and love into this movie, the joy and happiness Hynes and King exude reflects their relationship on screen. While the film is ready for viewers, Hynes pointed out that being a part of this film continues to be special. To help bring fans closer to the film, Hynes and King participated in a Kansas City Chiefs fan event that brought hype to the holidays and the instant Christmas hit. “We had the privilege of meeting the gentleman who is nominated for this year’s Fan of the Year award in Kansas City member…And there seems to be this continuation of opportunities to engage with the city, with the people over at the Chiefs, and that fandom. It just seems like it’s continuous, and I think the ride is not really going to end. It’s been, it’s been special, to say the least. Unique to say the most. Is that a phrase?” he said. Following up on her co-star’s words, King said, “It continues to be special. This is such a special cast and crew, and getting to work in Kansas City. But I love this cast so much, and just getting to spend so much time with them has been amazing. I truly, I do love all of you so much.”

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With so much love for one another off-camera, it was important to mirror that on camera. So, who are Derrick and Alana, the characters Tyler Hynes and Hunter King, who bring so effortlessly to life? To describe their characters, Hynes went with “a man in need of football,” while King went with “a woman who will do anything for her family.” Their chemistry is perfect in bringing this story to life.

King and Hynes Are All-In on the Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are their own special character in this film. With the franchise having so much media attention and immense success over the past few years, both actors reflected upon how they’ve become Chiefs fans in their own respect. For Tyler Hynes, he’s all in on the Chiefs. Hunter King pointed out, “How could you not be, not only not watching this movie, but after making this movie? We got to film at Arrowhead Stadium and work so closely with the Chiefs. As an organization, they’re incredible. They’re so much like Hallmark. Their values and what they stand for, it’s hard not to be a fan of the Chiefs and everything that they represent. So I think I would call myself a Chiefs fan.” However, King made it very clear she still holds space for Hall of Famer Peyton Manning first.

While her son may not appear in the film, Donna Kelce makes a wonderful cameo in Holiday Touchdown. “She’s like a unicorn, like she’s everywhere and everything all at once. I imagine my mother in this circumstance, and I can’t even picture what that would be like,” Hynes said. “Somehow she’s managed to take on this life that she’s been sort of catapulted in. I had conversations with her a bit about that and how that must feel, and what that’s like. What a rare and incredible human being, and she’s so good in the movie,” he said. King said, “She’s so charming and humble and so down to earth and just so chill. Just so easy to work with.”

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Now, with Chiefs Mania being all about the romance between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, Tyler Hynes joked that Patrick Mahomes is also in there with his bromance. As far as the Taylor and Travis love, Hynes said, “It’s really, really lovely. It’s nice to have something so positive. I feel like it’s, it’s like this thing that we all want to peek into. But it feels kind of private. Despite being on this stage, which I think is kind of fun and romantic. Hunter King is most certainly a Swiftie. She even shared her incredible full circle moment through her love of Taylor Swift. “I was at Arrowhead Stadium for the Eras Tour, almost one year to the date when we started filming,” she said. “But how could you not be a Taylor Swift fan?”

A New Holiday Tradition Has Been Passed On
Image via Hallmark Channel

The Higman family reflects many other fanatical sports families with their superstitions, especially revolving around the film’s magical Kansas City Chiefs hat that must be worn every Christmas game the Chiefs play. And like the Higman’s holiday traditions, Tyler Hynes has a holiday tradition. He even passed one to his co-star as we spoke: Tyler’s boot shot! He said, ​​​​​​”I have glass, it’s like a small, little shot glass and shaped like Santa’s boot. I started it a while ago, and it’s now kind of been something amongst my friends and family, and the folks who seem to watch these movies seem to like it as well. That’s become my tradition, and it feels the right amount of random.” He continued by saying, “It feels like a good tradition needs to be a little bit like, ‘What? What is that? Why?’ And I feel like that falls into that category. It’s a glass shaped like a boot.”

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In the film, the Higmans celebrate Christmas Eve Eve Eve, where all attendees are responsible for bringing delectable dessert. If the stars of Holiday Touchdown had to bring a sweet treat to the Higmans, what would they bring? Despite being a huge fan of Food Network shows, Hunter King revealed she is not a chef, but her fiancé is. Even then, she’s got a friend who would help her out. “If this is not cheating, my friend David makes the best cinnamon rolls. So I might just, like, re-plate them and act like I made them.” When I pointed out that you could always go to the supermarket, Tyler Hynes, in the spirit of Christmas, responded, “This feels like a naughty thing to do.”

Hynes and King Know Why Hallmark Fans Love Hallmark Holiday Movies

Like football fans love their teams, Hallmark fans love their holiday movies.This is not King nor Hynes’ first foray into the world of Hallmark holiday hits. Being part of the Hallmark family has a special place in their hearts. King said of Hallmark, “They really know how to celebrate Christmas and the holidays and just make everyone feel included and special.” She said, “They really put their values at the forefront of all of their holiday movies. It’s all about family and relationships and tradition and love and everything that adds meaning to someone’s life. And you really feel that when you get to do a holiday movie with them. Then knowing that you’re spreading that kind of joy to the people watching, it just makes you feel all warm and cozy inside. So I love it.” Hynes pointed out, “It is a unique thing to be to have a job that seems to be centered around this kind of pursuit. I can’t think of a more fortunate thing to spend your peripheral or sometimes right in the middle of this holiday is like a gift. Who doesn’t want more Christmas?”

Both King and Hynes know there is a special audience who seek out the special movies that Hallmark continues to make. They come because they make you feel good. They come to have a happy ending. And, as Tyler Hynes put it, “They feel open because they know that going into one of these movies, what we make, they have an expectation. And they feel safe within that expectation. I think it allows them to engage with it in a way that nothing else can really do because the brand is so strong and so specific. It allows them to be in their lives in some of the most vulnerable moments, and some of the most joyous moments, and some of the most sort of multi-generational moments. There’s a lot of power in knowing what you’re getting, and that interaction being filled with the sort of authenticity that I think people are looking for these days.”

So why Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story now? Hunter King said, “We always need more joy in the world. With everything going on, we just always need more joy. And this movie really gives you everything that you would want from Hallmark. It takes the Hallmark universe, the Chiefs Kingdom, and merges them into this beautiful marriage, and just gives you everything that Hallmarkies would love, Chiefs fans would love. And if you’re not a Chiefs fan, you’ll still love this movie. If you like romcoms, you’re gonna love this movie. It’s gonna be a holiday classic. I’m saying it right now. I’m calling it.” She’s right. It’s a classic! As Tyler put it, these two brands, Hallmark and the Kansas City Chiefs, have had a meet-cute in their own love story that has already made Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story the anticipated holiday movie event of the season.

Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story Release Date November 30, 2024 Writers Julie Sherman Wolfe Directors John Putch Producers Dustin Rikert Character(s) Alana Higman , Derrick , Uncredited Expand

Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story premieres November 30th on Hallmark Channel as part of the network’s 15th annual Countdown to Christmas.

Stream on Hallmark+