A Chiefs Christmas: A Hallmark RomCom And Some True Crime

After three Super Bowls in the last five years (including the last two in a row) — plus one high-profile celebrity romance — the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs are a red-hot media property … and not just for the team’s red and gold uniforms.

The team and its fans (a k a Chiefs Kingdom) take center stage in two very different TV events this holiday season.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on which side of this particular issue one falls), neither involves the sometimes controversial love match of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his billionaire-singing-star girlfriend, Taylor Swift.

(For the record, I’m fine with it.)

Chiefs Crime on Prime

First up, on Nov. 29, a teaser for the documentary ChiefsAholic: A Wolf in Chiefs Clothing ran during the 3 p.m. ET Black Friday matchup featuring the defending NFL champion Chiefs and the struggling Las Vegas Raiders, which streams on Prime Video.

Here it is:

The doc premieres on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, and here’s how Prime Video describes it:

ChiefsAholic: A Wolf in Chief’s Clothing is a true-crime documentary that follows the harrowing story of Kansas City Chiefs superfan and serial bank robber Xaviar Babudar—famously known as “ChiefsAholic.”

Recognized for his distinctive wolf costume and boisterous social media antics, Babudar rose to fame as one of Kansas City’s most fervent fans.

However, a secret life came to light when he was arrested in Bixby, Oklahoma, unraveling a series of unsolved bank robberies committed across the Midwest.

Through interviews granted by Babudar himself, ChiefsAholic: A Wolf in Chiefs Clothing explores critical moments in the events surrounding Babudar’s initial arrest, and offers a firsthand perspective on his subsequent journey.

Hallmark Launches a Chiefs Holiday Touchdown

In a somewhat more traditional Christmas vein, Hallmark has partnered with the Chiefs for a new twinkly romcom called Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, premiering Nov. 30.

But First, Some History

Back in January, the Chiefs celebrated a 9th consecutive time playing in the postseason with a fake trailer for a Hallmark-ish film called Falling for Football.

It even stars Hallmark regular Tyler Hynes (2023’s Three Wise Men and a Baby, and its new sequel, Three Wise Men and a Boy), and features several Chiefs-related cameos, including Travis Kelce’s mom, Donna.

Honestly, I was kind of hoping Hallmark would actually make some version of this. But alas, the network went in a different direction.

A Hallmark Hometown Celebration

So, what is Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story? Shot entirely in and around Kansas City, Missouri — also home to the Hallmark corporate offices (how long before some bright bulb realized that?) — it also ties into the Chiefs’ Christmas Day game on Netflix, against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Written by Hallmark veteran Julie Sherman Wolfe, the film is a collaboration among the Chiefs, Hallmark and Skydance Sports, a division of Skydance Media (which has announced plans to merge with Paramount, which also owns CBS, which also airs NFL games. Isn’t that neat?)

In what may or may not be a coincidence, Hynes also stars in Holiday Touchdown, as the improbable new hire as head of fan engagement for the Chiefs.

I say improbable, because the character is a soccer fan, and doesn’t appear to know much about team history, both of which would seem to disqualify him for the gig. But hey …

Anyway, he meets KC superfan Alana (Hunter King), but keeps his job under wraps. The secret comes out, though, when he must evaluate how Alana’s Chiefs-loving family stacks up against the other contenders for “Fan of the Year.”

There’s barbecue and other local flavor — most notably the iconic GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium — and some more Chiefs cameos, including, again, Mama Kelce, and Coach Andy Reid

The plot revolves around romance (obviously), a possibly magical hat, and a little Santa action.

Also starring are Ed Begley Jr., Mary Beth McDonough, Richard Riehle, Diedrich Bader and Christine Ebersole … plus a random appearance by ex-presidential daughter Jenna Bush Hager.

Other than believing in the power of the hat, and wondering about whether one is getting a sign about something, there isn’t any faith content. After all, this is a Hallmark Christmas movie.

Why the Chiefs, Why Christmas, Why Now?

Writer Wolfe is actually a fan of the San Francisco 49ers, who lost to the Chiefs in the last Super Bowl (the Niners are NFC West division rivals of my Seattle Seahawks, so I still get a warm fuzzy from that one).

This past summer, at the biannual TV Critics Association Press Tour, Wolfe was asked whether the Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift romance inspired the idea. She referenced an ESPN piece she did last Christmas, and here is is.

My worlds have officially collided. Thrilled to represent my @49ers and @hallmarkchannel on this morning’s @ESPNNFL piece — what a week it’s been! pic.twitter.com/EiJPNQUkGz

— Julie Sherman Wolfe (@shermwolfe) December 24, 2023

At TCA, she said:

I’ll start with the Taylor and Travis thing. The love story itself was an inspiration for the ESPN piece that we did at Christmas, because the season had so much to do with this romance and love and so many ups and downs, like any season, but this one in particular.

As far as informing the movie goes, it’s … that was sort of a jumping-off point. And then the short that the Chiefs produced for the playoffs was kind of the next part.

A short time after the Super Bowl, Samantha DiPippo, Senior Vice President of Programming for Hallmark Media, gave Wolfe a call.

Wolfe said:

I was still in mourning. And she said, “OK, are you sitting down?” And I said, “Yes.” And she told me all about the movie. And you know what? Honestly, I feel so strongly about the passion that fans have for the game of football, and I think it transcends a particular team.

So, I was able to sort of separate my own personal angst from that and write a movie that, if you didn’t know I was a 49er fan, you would think that I was a Chiefs fan. Because that’s just my job.

And, I feel really strongly about the traditions and the family and the love and the passion that fans have. And that’s what this movie really focuses on.

And the 49er part, you know, I actually have a lot of respect for the Chiefs organization, especially after doing my research. But that doesn’t mean that I still wouldn’t like a rematch.

With 49er QB Brock Purdy nursing a shoulder injury, good luck with that … (cough) Anyway, back to Hallmark.

What Did Falling for Football Have to Do With It?

As for the effect of Falling for Football, another TCA panelist, Chiefs VP and Chief Marketing Officer Laura Krug, answered my question about this with:

Falling for Football [is an] ode to what Hallmark does so well. And we thought, what better way of doing that than to get Tyler and some of the other famous Hallmark stars who were so gracious to do this with us.

And when we launched it on our social channels, my biggest thing was waiting and hoping that Hallmark was going to respond on social, because I hoped that they saw it as an ode and not as anything else.

And so, when they did and that — then speed up to this conversation, it was one part of I think a much bigger puzzle in making this partnership and movie come to life.

I then asked Hynes how the Chiefs landed him for the role in the fake trailer, and he said, “They asked.”

He’d also just visited Hallmark HQ in Kansas City, and was impressed by the Chiefs Kingdom culture, saying:

And I just couldn’t help but see such a very strong parallel between the two brands. And there’s an earnestness to both of them, there’s an authenticity, there’s a sort of tightknit, passionate fandom around both.

Then, of course, I had to say to Wolfe: “And as a Seahawks fan, I just have to say to Julie, it’s all love. Go Hawks.”

She gave a gracious smile, and Hynes echoed, “Go Hawks.”

I like this guy.

Here’s a peek at the film: