Holiday Touchdown: Why Hallmark’s Bills Movie Scores Big in Buffalo

By Madeline McGuire

It’s official: Hallmark finally came out with a Christmas movie about none other than the Buffalo Bills! Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story premiered on Saturday, November 22^nd at 8/7c on the Hallmark Channel, and Bills fans are ecstatic!

The movie stars Holland Roden (Teen Wolf) and Matthew Daddario (Shadowhunters, Why Women Kill) as two longtime Bills fans and neighbors who go on an adventure to discover the identity of a mysterious Christmastime gift-giver.

Like any Hallmark Christmas movie, it is corny at times and overdramatic in some ways. However, the Bills aspect is the only part we are concerned about in Bills country. The movie has a very sweet storyline and an incredible ode to our beautiful city.

Both Roden and Daddario have become enthusiastic fans of the Bills since signing onto the film. Daddario grew up in New York City and supported the Giants, but found the infectious enthusiasm of the Bills fanbase, known as the “Bills Mafia,” easy to get behind, especially as he is from New York himself. He even stated that he is “all in on the Bills.”

Roden, who is from Dallas, is a Cowboys fan, but became a devoted Bills fan because of the city’s spirit and the welcoming nature of the fanbase, which she describes as a “beautiful love letter to Buffalo.” Both actors spent time in Buffalo, filmed on location, and attended tailgating events to fully immerse themselves in the movie’s culture.

Buffalo Bills fans have mixed but generally positive reactions to Hallmark’s Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story, loving the local flavor, cameos from players like Dion Dawkins and Jim Kelly, and nostalgic nods to Buffalo, while acknowledging it’s cheesy and typical Hallmark fare. Some find it a heartwarming celebration of their team and city, while others find the plot weak or acting poorly, but still enjoy the Buffalo-centric details. My mother, for example, found it “okay” and lacking in acting. She also thought the storyline was a bit corny. However, she loved seeing both current and former Bills players, as she has been a fan of the team for about 55 years. She also commented on the fake snow, but of course, they couldn’t film in the winter when it came out in the winter. At least they filmed all of it here.

Personally, I loved the movie. It was so beautifully made, and I found the storyline very sweet. It was even better to see all the local landmarks, especially Highmark Stadium. Growing up a huge fan of Teen Wolf and Shadowhunters in middle school and high school, it was so lovely to see two of my favorite actors play the lead roles in this movie about Buffalo, let alone the Bills.

I spoke with Abigail Nashwinter, the owner of By Abigail Lee, a local Bills clothing and accessory brand, and asked her what she thought about the movie. As a Bills fan, she really did love the movie. She enjoyed seeing some of our most well-known spots in Western New York on the big screen. She definitely heard a lot of mixed reviews, but she personally thought the movie was adorable. She cried at the end, just like I did! She said, “I think in many ways it fully embodied what being a Bills fan is.” I love that line, and I agree entirely. The film really shows you what it’s genuinely like to be such a big Bills fan. As for the cheesiness, she definitely thought it was a little cheesy, but at the same time, many of the things they say are things we as Bills fans actually say every day! All of the “Go Bills” and “Where else would you rather be than right here right now?” All those little slogans. We say them all the time! Abigail also got to meet Holland, who, even after a long day of filming, was so full of energy. In fact, she even gave Holland a big, beautiful Zubaz bow from BAL, her brand, which appears in the movie!

Abigail’s favorite scene is the first scene, for two reasons: it takes place in Bar-Bill Tavern in East Aurora, and because Holland wears the bow in that scene! As she said, seeing her bow on the big screen was literally one of the best days ever. She had seen some teasers in the weeks leading up to the movie and got a quick sneak peek that it would be in there, but she didn’t realize it would be the whole first scene of the movie!

I think it’s a fantastic watch for any Bills fan, new or old. All of the Bills’ stuff, and even all of the Buffalo spots, were so amazing to see in a Hallmark movie, especially a Christmas one, as everyone loves watching them, whether that’s to make fun of the cheesiness or to actually enjoy it. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves the Bills! As Josh Allen said so wonderfully when winning MVP, “Be good. Do good. God bless. Go Bills!”