Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story Cast and Premiere Date
Quick answer: Lyndsy Fonseca and Robert Buckley star in Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story, which premieres Saturday, Oct. 17, at 8/7c on Hallmark Channel. Marsha Mason, Barbara Alyn Woods and Khary Payton co-star, and Hallmark says it streams on Hallmark+ the next day.
It's the third movie in Hallmark's NFL series and the second night of Countdown to Christmas 2026. Here's who plays whom, which Bears show up as themselves, where in Chicago it was shot and every airing Hallmark has posted so far.
Who stars in Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story?
Five actors are billed on Hallmark's cast page. Character names below come from that page and the network's own synopsis.
| Actor | Role | You may know them from |
|---|---|---|
| Lyndsy Fonseca | Avery Clark, a freelance reporter | Nikita, Agent Carter, How I Met Your Mother |
| Robert Buckley | Matt, a Chicago firefighter | One Tree Hill, iZombie, Hallmark's Chesapeake Shores |
| Marsha Mason | Darlene Donnelly, Matt's grandmother | The Goodbye Girl; four Best Actress Oscar nominations |
| Barbara Alyn Woods | Jody, Avery's mom | One Tree Hill; Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show |
| Khary Payton | Ron, Avery's new stepdad | The Walking Dead (King Ezekiel); the voice of Cyborg |
One small thing fans of a certain CW drama will catch: Buckley and Woods both have One Tree Hill on their résumés. Here she plays the mother of the woman he falls for.
Which Bears are in it?
Hallmark's own season preview lists head coach Ben Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams and tight ends Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland among the featured cameos. Three former Bears are on that list too: Mike Singletary, Charles "Peanut" Tillman and Dan Hampton. So are Connie Payton, the widow of Walter Payton, and the team mascot, Staley Da Bear. The Chicago Sun-Times and NBC Chicago had reported Johnson, Kmet and Loveland on Aug. 6.
The non-football cameos are Tamera Mowry-Housley, Marilu Henner, Jake Connelly and Dyon "Mojo" Brooks. Mowry-Housley has her own Countdown movie this year, Mistletoe and Mimosas, on Nov. 15.
What is Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story about?
Avery Clark is a freelance reporter who rarely stays in one place. She's back in Chicago for Christmas with her mother and a stepfather she's still getting to know, and she picks up an assignment while she's there: a profile of Darlene Donnelly, a Bears superfan about to attend her 500th game.
The problem is that Avery doesn't know football, or much about the city. Darlene nudges her grandson Matt, a firefighter who has cheered for the team his whole life, into showing the reporter around. Game-day rituals follow. You can guess the rest, and we won't spell out the ending.
Where was Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story filmed?
In Chicago, in July. NBC Chicago and the Chicago Sun-Times each reported the production shooting around the city that month, and both named Soldier Field as a location. The Sun-Times described the movie as filmed entirely in Chicago.
That means the winter you see on screen went up in midsummer. NBC Chicago's report from one set had artificial snow on the ground and background actors in heavy coats. Local outlets mentioned a few other spots as well; we're only listing what two of them agree on.
When does Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story air again, and where can you stream it?
| Date | ET/PT | Central | Airing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 17 | 8 p.m. | 7 p.m. | Premiere |
| Sun., Oct. 18 | 6 p.m. | 5 p.m. | Encore |
| Wed., Oct. 21 | 8 p.m. | 7 p.m. | Encore |
| Sun., Oct. 25 | 10 p.m. | 9 p.m. | Encore |
| Thu., Oct. 29 | 6 p.m. | 5 p.m. | Encore |
Those showtimes are from Hallmark Channel's page for the movie, checked Sept. 30 at 10:34 p.m. ET. Hallmark's day-by-day online schedule runs through Oct. 24 right now, so the last two dates could still move.
Streaming: Hallmark lists it as coming to Hallmark+ the next day, which is Sunday, Oct. 18. Hallmark+ is on demand only. For the 8 p.m. broadcast you need Hallmark Channel through cable, satellite or a live TV streaming package.
Can you catch up on the first two Holiday Touchdown movies?
Yes, and soon. Hallmark's schedule has both earlier films back on the air before the Bears one arrives.
| Movie | First aired | Next airings (ET/PT) |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story | 2024 | Fri., Oct. 2, 6 p.m. · Sat., Oct. 17, 2 p.m. |
| Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story | 2025 | Fri., Oct. 2, 8 p.m. · Sat., Oct. 17, 10 p.m. |
So premiere day is a triple-header of sorts: Chiefs in the afternoon, Bears at 8, Bills right after.
FAQ
What time does Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story start?
8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, 7 p.m. Central, on Saturday, Oct. 17. It runs in Hallmark's usual two-hour slot.
Do you need to watch the Chiefs and Bills movies first?
No. Each one has a different team, a different cast and its own story. More 2026 titles are in our cast and filming locations section as they get closer.
Sources
- Hallmark Channel: Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story (showtimes, synopsis) and its cast page
- Hallmark Channel: Countdown to Christmas 2026 preview (featured cameos)
- Hallmark Channel schedule (Oct. 2 and Oct. 17–21 grids)
- Chicago Sun-Times: Bears coach and players to appear in Hallmark movie
- NBC Chicago: which Bears appear and its July filming report
- TVLine: 2026 Hallmark Christmas movie schedule
- Premiere listing cross-checked with TVmaze.