The Chicago Bears and Hallmark Channel are excited for the upcoming premiere of Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story, premiering Saturday, Oct. 17, at 8/7c on Hallmark Channel as part of the network's 17th annual Countdown to Christmas programming event. The film will stream the next day, Sunday, Oct. 18, on Hallmark+.
Fans who miss Saturday's premiere can catch additional airings Sunday, Oct. 18, at 6/5c; Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 8/7c; and Sunday, Oct. 25, at 10/9c on Hallmark Channel, or visit here for additional encore airings.
Filmed in and around Chicago, the movie features appearances from Bears head coach Ben Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams, tight ends Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland, and Bears legends Mike Singletary, Charles "Peanut" Tillman and Dan Hampton. Their appearances bring a Bears presence to the latest installment of Hallmark Channel's Holiday Touchdown franchise.
Appearances by current and former Bears complement a cast led by Lyndsy Fonseca, Robert Buckley, four-time Academy Award nominee and two-time Golden Globe winner Marsha Mason, Barbara Alyn Woods and Khary Payton.
As part of the excitement leading up to Saturday's premiere, the Bears and Hallmark celebrated premiere week on Tuesday, Oct. 13, with a private screening of the film at the Gorton Center in Lake Forest, Ill. Bears players, coaches, front office staff, cast members and VIP guests attended the screening.
Bears President & CEO Kevin Warren and Hallmark Media President Darren Abbott delivered opening remarks ahead of the screening. Warren highlighted the themes at the center of the collaboration between the Bears, Hallmark and Skydance Sports.
"One of the things I'll say about this incredible partnership between the Chicago Bears and Hallmark and Skydance [Sports] is this is about family," said Warren. "It's about faith. It's about football. It's about positive energy. It's about Christmas. And it's about the importance of making sure that we take advantage of each and every day with a heart of gratitude."
Earlier that same day, representatives from the Bears, Bears Care, the teams's charitable arm, and Hallmark visited Chicago Fire Department Truck 47 at 6030 N. Clark St. to support first responders and the family of Firefighter/EMT Michael "Mickey" Altman, who passed away in March from injuries sustained while fighting a Rogers Park apartment building fire. Altman, a fourth-generation Chicago firefighter and soon-to-be father of two, was 27 years old.
With lead actor Buckley portraying a firefighter in the film and Hallmark seeking an opportunity to support local first responders during premiere week, the Bears connected Hallmark with Altman's firehouse. Cast members and other Hallmark stars spent time with Altman's family, fellow firefighters and their families during the visit, which also included a donation from Hallmark to the Michael "Mickey" Altman Memorial being built at the firehouse. For more on the visit and how the Bears and Hallmark supported the Altman family and Chicago's first responder community, visit here.
Premiere week continued Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Halas Hall with a Women in Entertainment panel powered by the Bears Women's ERG and a screening of the film for Bears staff. The panel featured a conversation on career experiences and perspectives from women working across the entertainment industry.
The collaboration also extends beyond the screen through Bears Care. Earlier this year, Bears Care and Hallmark hosted an auction for featured walk-on roles in the film. Winners Carrie May-Borich and Phillip Salamone will be watching Saturday night's premiere closely, along with longtime Bears Season Ticket Holders, Bears Care donors and Hallmark Channel fans Julia and Ken Wegner. Proceeds from the initiative support Bears Care's continued efforts to improve the quality of life for people throughout the Chicagoland community.
The film continues the collaboration between Hallmark Media and the NFL, with the Bears becoming the latest team featured in the holiday movie franchise. Skydance Sports serves as Executive Producer of the film.
