Hallmark Media, the NFL, and Skydance Sports have announced that the Chicago Bears have been drafted for “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story,” the third film in the Holiday Touchdown franchise, set to premiere later this year during Hallmark Channel’s 17th annual Countdown to Christmas programming event.
This is the third installment in an NFL franchise that has become a fixture of Hallmark’s holiday lineup, but it’s not the only big Hallmark-meets-sports-and-spectacle story this year. Hallmark is also deep into its first-ever collaboration with Disney Parks, Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True, starring Lacey Chabert and filmed entirely at Walt Disney World, also premiering during this year’s Countdown to Christmas.
The announcement was made through a video featuring Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson and Tight End Colston Loveland. Production begins this summer and will film entirely on location in and around Chicago, with Hallmark promising the film will showcase iconic locations, beloved traditions, and the passion surrounding one of the NFL’s most storied franchises. The cast, which Hallmark is calling the “talent draft,” has not yet been announced.
This marks the third installment in the franchise, following 2024’s Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story and 2025’s Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story, both of which ranked among the top cable movies of their respective years in total viewers.
“After the tremendous success of our first two Holiday Touchdown movies, we knew we wanted to continue the tradition by partnering with another iconic NFL franchise and fan base,” said Darren Abbott, President of Hallmark Media. He pointed to the Bears’ rich history, passionate fan base, and culture extending well beyond the football field as reasons the team felt like the right fit for the franchise’s next chapter.
Chicago Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren called the partnership an opportunity to deepen the connection with the team’s fan base while expanding the Bears’ brand in a creative new way, adding that the team is energized to celebrate football, family, and the holiday season alongside Hallmark Media, Skydance Sports, and NFL Films.
Skydance Sports serves as executive producer on the film. Jessica Matthews, SVP of Film and TV at Skydance Sports, said the best sports stories live as much with the fans as the athletes, and called Chicago’s multi-generational devotion to the Bears a privilege to work with for another Holiday Touchdown installment.
For more on everything airing during Hallmark’s 17th annual Countdown to Christmas, visit our Hallmark Channel hub.
Stay with Fantasy Land News for continuing Hallmark coverage at fantasylandnews.com.
Hallmark Announces Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story for Countdown to Christmas 2026
