Chicago Bears headline new Hallmark holiday film set to begin production this summer
The Chicago Bears will become the focus of an upcoming Hallmark Channel holiday movie titled “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story,” with production scheduled to start during the summer months. The announcement follows similar projects featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, marking the latest collaboration between the network and NFL franchises. The film will air on cable television, continuing Hallmark’s tradition of sports-themed romantic movies set during the festive season.
The concept joins a growing portfolio of NFL-branded entertainment content designed to blend football culture with the network’s signature romantic storylines. Production teams have confirmed the project will shoot in Chicago, utilizing iconic locations throughout the city to establish authentic local atmosphere for viewers.
Creative treatment proposes Chicago-centered romance plot
A detailed storyline concept envisions the film opening with aerial shots of Chicago set to the song “25 or 6 to 4” by the band Chicago, establishing the metropolitan setting. The proposed narrative centers on Chandra Ditka, a high-powered advertising executive who considers football barbaric and prioritizes her career above leisure activities. Her father, Richard “Dick” Ditka, regularly invites her to attend Bears games, but she consistently declines due to work commitments focused on developing advertising campaigns.
The plot develops when Chandra meets Brad Bearman while waiting in line at an Italian beef sandwich shop, a daily routine for the protagonist. Their connection forms over shared preferences for how they order their Italian beef sandwiches, specifically dry with gravy on the side and both sweet and hot peppers. The pair agrees to meet again, setting the romantic storyline in motion against the backdrop of Chicago’s culinary traditions.
Game day complications drive narrative tension
Brad invites Chandra to a Bears versus Packers game after their initial date at the city’s famous bean sculpture proves disappointing. Despite her lack of interest in football, she accepts to avoid offending her new romantic interest. Before the game, she consults her quirky friend Janice during a shopping sequence on Michigan Avenue, trying on various jersey and hat combinations until finding appropriate game day attire.
- Chandra purchases a DJ Moore jersey on sale, raising Brad’s suspicions about her authentic fandom
- She discovers her father sitting in the same row at Soldier Field, forcing her to use disguises
- Brad’s backstory reveals his parents were killed by a mugger wearing a Packers hat, echoing Batman’s origin
- The couple bonds during the game despite Brad’s confrontations with opposing fans
During the game, Chandra attempts to hide from her father by wearing various disguises each time he leaves his seat, including borrowing a mustache from someone dressed as Bill Swerski from the famous “Super Fans” sketch. She balances watching the game with answering work emails about a new advertising campaign for a product called DUDE Wipes For Her, while Brad expresses intense rivalry emotions toward the Packers throughout the experience.
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Family reconciliation amid romantic development
The narrative reaches a turning point when Chandra’s father discovers her presence at the game following a go-ahead field goal he missed while away from his seat. She apologizes profusely for attending the game with a date instead of accepting his previous invitations. Her father responds pragmatically, noting she’s in her early forties and “time ain’t slowin’ down,” making it more sensible for her to attend with a potential romantic partner.
He further reveals he actually prefers attending games alone because the extra seat allows him to stretch out without someone talking in his ear constantly. This honest exchange resolves the familial tension, with Chandra offering to purchase Bears merchandise from Amazon as a Christmas gift instead of forcing game attendance together. The resolution demonstrates the film’s balance between romantic development and family relationships.
Resolution establishes ongoing relationship commitment
The couple decides to continue attending Bears games together as their relationship flourishes, with one caveat regarding the team’s planned relocation to Indiana, which they consider too far to drive. Their final scene depicts them leaving the stadium for late-night deep-dish pizza, despite Brad’s personal preference for tavern-style pizza, illustrating the compromises necessary in developing relationships. The film concludes with either “The End” or “The End?” to suggest potential sequel possibilities for viewers.
The creative treatment emphasizes Chicago cultural touchstones including iconic food traditions, local music references, and authentic neighborhood locations. Hallmark Channel has not yet announced casting decisions or specific premiere dates for the holiday season broadcast schedule, though production timelines suggest a potential December 2026 release window to coincide with the network’s annual Christmas movie programming block.
