This week in movies, Hallmark and the NFL collide when the Hallmark Channel premieres “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story”, a new movie starring Lyndsy Fonseca, and Robert Buckley premiering on the Hallmark Channel on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
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Synopsis: 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.
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Who Stars in Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story:
Starring Lyndsy Fonseca, Robert Buckley, Marsha Mason, Barbara Alyn Woods and Khary Payton.
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PREMIERES Saturday October 17 8/7c
Starring Lyndsy Fonseca, Robert Buckley, Marsha Mason, Barbara Alyn Woods and Khary Payton Streaming Next Day on Hallmark+
The Bears are the third NFL franchise to partner with Hallmark for the holiday special. The Kansas City Chiefs were the first team to be featured in the Christmas special in 2024, “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story,” with coach Andy Reid, Donna Kelce — the mother of Jason and Travis Kelce — and other Chiefs players including Trey Smith, Mecole Hardman Jr. and more making appearances.
Last season, the Buffalo Bills were the featured franchise with “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story” with Damar Hamlin, Dion Dawkins, Reid Ferguson and more Bills players making cameos.
Catch up on things on film festivals in our Movies category, including movie spotlights, celebrity interviews, reviews, trailers, red carpet photos, and event highlights.
What Was Great
The movies is a must for any Bears fan with the references to the city with Darlene telling her love story. Marsha Mason is always a scene stealer as she tells her story. Her friends and long time fans are the Bears version of “80 for Brady” with 3 or 4 generations of fans represented.
Avery and Matt’s romance is formulaic Hallmark. The actors have chemistry but it hard to root for them only because nothing really happens — at all. There’s really no obstacle for them, you know they’re getting together at the end.
The movie is a true Chicago affair with plenty of Bears nostalgia including a tribute to the great Mike Ditka in the end credits and in a portrait on the wall at the local pub.
Que to Christmas as Chicago native Jennifer Hudson’s rendition of “Winter Wonderland” plays in the background. “This Christmas” by Donny Hathaway is also played.
The real life Bears family is also present, including moments of Soldier Field, Halas Hall. There are a number of cameos from real-life current and former Bears, Coach Ben Johnson, Colston Loveland, Dan Hampton, Mike Singletary, Charles “Peanut” Tillman, and Caleb Johnson, to name a few. Walter Payton’s son Jarrett serves as the game’s announcer.
There are plenty of Easter eggs to the City of Chicago and The Bears that I’m sure have been missed.
What Could Be Better
There were three love stories in this movie, Grandma Darlene and her late husband, Avery and Matt, and Avery’s mom Jody and her new husband Ron, four is you count The Bears and their fans.
The story with Avery and Matt was thin and is the weakest of the three when they could have had more focus.
Why it’s a must see
Bears fans and romance fan will love it as well.
8 out of 10
Check out a sneak peek below.
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