HALLMARK CHANNEL ANNOUNCES 'AMERICA'S NIGHT OF HOPE,' ORIGINAL, ONE-HOUR SPECIAL HOSTED BY JOEL AND VICTORIA OSTEEN, PREMIERING SEPTEMBER 11

Sold-Out Event Taped at Detroit's Comerica Park

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, July 27 -- Hallmark Channel will partner with inspirational speakers and renowned thought leaders Joel and Victoria Osteen to produce and televise a one-hour original special, "America's Night of Hope," an evening of inspiration and celebration, which premieres on the network, Sunday, September 11, (10 p.m. ET/PT). Announcement of the new, original special was made to the semi-annual gathering of the Television Critics Association in Beverly Hills, CA.

Joel and Victoria Osteen, pastors of Lakewood Church, the nation's largest, welcome hundreds of thousands of people to stadiums and arenas nationwide 11 times each year for "Night of Hope" live programs. Each year they present one penultimate version of the program, "America's Night of Hope," to a city that is deemed to be particularly deserving of inspiration, celebration and motivation. Detroit, MI, is this year's "America's Night of Hope" location and the celebration will be recorded live from Comerica Park in Detroit, MI, on July 27. A one-hour edited version of the program will be presented on Hallmark Channel, marking the event's first-ever commitment to a program-length special by a major television network.

"Victoria and I chose to focus on Michigan, and Detroit in particular, because the area has been hit hard economically, folks are still struggling to recover," said Joel Osteen. "We really love the people here and believe everyone who attends will be uplifted and filled with the expectation that their best days are ahead.

"When you look at the recent tragic events in our world, and the things in life that divide us if we let them, there has never been a more important time to join together in search of peace and to feel joy in our hearts toward everyone," added Osteen.

Bill Abbott, President & CEO of Crown Media Family Networks, home of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, said "You think about 70,000 people crowding into an arena on the weekend, and it feels like you're going to a rock concert or a sporting event. "There is a reason why Joel Osteen is one of the most sought after thought leaders in the world. Joel and Victoria are voices for a new generation who draw millions to their universal messages about love and hope, a much-needed respite in today's troubled world."

In addition to positive messaging from Joel and Victoria Osteen, those attending the live event will hear inspirational stories of renewal and recovery from others, including Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan as he reveals the city's biggest needs and most outstanding triumphs. The one hour program also features behind the scenes moments for Joel and Victoria as they prepare for one of their biggest annual events. "America's Night of Hope" will also feature music, including a performance by band LYA led by Jonathan and Alexandra Osteen, and performances by Lakewood Church's dynamic band and worship team. Joel and Victoria Osteen are Executive Producers.

Activities surrounding 2016's "America's Night of Hope" in Detroit include partnership with Generation Hope Project(R), an outreach ministry that will reach into Detroit's local community with volunteers from across the region to bring hope through acts of kindness and compassion. In particular, ministry volunteers will be working with organizations such as Forgotten Harvest, S.A.Y. Detroit Play Center, and Habitat for Humanity Detroit on multiple volunteer projects and events over two days before the big event at Comerica Park.

ABOUT JOEL AND VICTORIA OSTEEN

Joel and Victoria Osteen are the pastors of Lakewood Church in Houston, TX. Lakewood is America's largest church with more than 50,000 weekly attendees and one of the nation's most diverse audiences. Joel's weekly television program reaches more than 13 million households each week in the U.S. and is seen by millions more in over 100 nations around the world. For more information, go to www.joelosteen.com.

ABOUT CROWN MEDIA FAMILY NETWORKS

Crown Media Family Networks is the umbrella unit subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, Inc., housing cable's leading family friendly networks, Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, as well as their corresponding digital extensions HallmarkChannel.com and HallmarkMoviesandMysteries.com. The company operates and distributes both channels in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) with Hallmark Channel available to 90 million subscribers and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries in 66 million homes in the United States. Hallmark Channel features an ambitious slate of original content, including movies; scripted series, such as "When Calls the Heart" and "Good Witch"; annual specials like "Hero Dog Awards" and "Kitten Bowl"; world premieres of Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations, and a daily two-hour lifestyle show, "Home & Family." Hallmark Channel is also home to annual holiday franchise, "Countdown to Christmas," featuring a lineup of 24/7 holiday programming. Rounding out the networks' lineup are television's most beloved sitcoms and series, including "The Golden Girls," "The Middle," "Little House on the Prairie" and "Frasier." Hallmark Movies & Mysteries is a 24-hour digital cable network featuring a unique mix of original movies and acquired series focused on the lighter side of the suspense and mystery genres. The network also features its own annual holiday programming franchise, the "Most Wonderful Movies of Christmas," as well as presentations from the award-winning Hallmark Hall of Fame library. Hallmark Channel on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat