Hallmark’s first look at A Bills Love Story serves as Damar Hamlin’s acting debut — one that rom-com and sports fans alike are cheering about.
“Hallmark Channel and the NFL are back on the field with a new holiday matchup,” the voiceover teases in the official trailer for Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story, which dropped on Sunday, September 7.
After stars Holland Roden and Matthew Daddario yell, “Go Bills!” in support of the New York-based NFL franchise, Hamlin, 27, pops into frame. The Bills safety winks and nods to the camera before fans learn more about the movie’s story line.
“Every year like clockwork, someone sends me an ornament,” Joe Pantoliano’s Uncle Tommy says, showing off a Bills-themed ornament.
Bills’ VP of Stadium Development Gabe DeLuca (Daddario) then tells his love interest, pediatric doctor Morgan Quinn (Roden), he wanted to “find the mystery sender.”
Together they vow to give Uncle Tommy “a Christmas he’ll never forget.”
“Two lifelong friends search for a secret Santa,” the voiceover teases. “But what they uncover, changes the game.”
Hallmark Debuts 1st Teaser for ‘A Bills Love Story’: Watch
As it becomes clear that Gabe and Morgan have feelings for each other, Santa tells the Bills VP, “You should just tell her how you feel.”
“Is it that obvious?” Gabe asks, to which offensive lineman Dion Dawkins chimes in, “Who can’t see it?”
Hamlin then pops back into frame, adding, “So obvious!”
Hallmark announced its latest Holiday Touchdown movie in March following the success of 2024’s Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.
The first film focused on Kansas City Chiefs superfans and one’s love story and came after Taylor Swift caused a stir over her real-life romance with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Swift and Kelce, 35, announced their engagement last month.
The Bills-centered movie, meanwhile, comes on the heels of real-life Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s relationship with actress Hailee Steinfeld. The couple tied the knot in May. (Hallmark has not specified if the film is inspired by Allen and Steinfeld, but A Chiefs Love Story made multiple nods to Swift and Kelce.)
Hallmark Teams Up With Buffalo Bills for New ‘Holiday Touchdown’ Movie
The network previously revealed that Bills head coach Sean McDermott, running back Ray Davis, long snapper Reid Ferguson, defensive tackle DeWayne Carter, tight end Dawson Knox and wide receiver Joshua Palmer would be making cameos alongside Hamlin and Hawkins.
While fans are excited to see any Bills player crossover to Hallmark, the cameo by Hamlin is extra special after his near-death experience in January 2023. The football player suffered cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football game that caused him to collapse.
Hamlin was hospitalized but has since made his way back to the field as part of the Bills lineup.
“It’s been such a long journey and a long process,” Hamlin exclusively told Us Weekly in September 2024. “I think it’s hard to describe what it took to get myself back to this point.”
Time will tell whether Hamlin and his teammates’ movie cameos will create more Bills Mafia members. However, they have a new fan in Hallmark star Roden, 38.
“I say I, potentially, wasn’t the biggest football fan prior to this movie, but I am absolutely — for life — the biggest Bills fan now,” Roden told Decider at San Diego Comic Con in July. “They converted this theater girl overnight with the kindness that they show.”
Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story premieres on Hallmark Channel Saturday, November 22, at 8 p.m. ET.
