HALLMARK CHANNEL'S 2014 "COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS" IS OFF TO A STELLAR START WITH "ONE STARRY CHRISTMAS," NETWORK'S FIRST ORIGINAL FILM OF THE SEASON, AVERAGING 3.1 MILLION TOTAL VIEWERS AND A 2.9 HH RTG.

Marks Hallmark Channel's highest rated and most watched opening weekend original premiere in network history and #2 household-rated program of the day

Hallmark Channel's annual Countdown to Christmas campaign is off and running, with One Starry Christmas, the network's first original premiere of the season, averaging over 3.1 million total viewers and marking its highest-rated and most-watched opening weekend holiday debut of all time and top movie of 2014 to-date. In addition, the film scored a 2.9 HH rtg., making it the #1 cable movie of the week and the #2 cable program of the day, behind only sports.

In its November 1 8-10pm time period, One Starry Christmas took cable by storm, ranking as the #1 program (outside of sports) in key demo ratings, including HH (2.9); w18-49 (1.0); w25-54 (1.5); and total viewers (1.4). The movie was also #1 (excepting sports) in demo delivery among HH (2,499,000) and total viewers (3,088,000).

"Every year, new viewers find Countdown to Christmas and make Hallmark Channel's holiday programming a part of their holiday traditions," said Michelle Vicary, executive vice president, programming and network publicity, Crown Media Family Networks. "This past weekend's breakthrough performance clearly demonstrates the strength and momentum of the franchise and further underscores its value to our audience."

In One Starry Christmas, aspiring astronomy professor - and Christmas enthusiast - Holly (Sarah Carter) is crushed when her longtime boyfriend Adam (Paul Popowich) schedules a business trip and leaves her alone over the holidays. When she decides to surprise both Adam and her parents with a Christmas visit, however, fate - or perhaps the Christmas spirit - intervenes. Holly's bumpy holiday travel makes a turn onto the road to romance when she and her bus companion, Luke (Damon Runyan), forge an instant connection over their love of constellations and Christmas. In the spirit of the season, Holly invites Luke and his brother Bull (George Canyon) to join her family and Adam for Christmas, which instantly creates a competition between Luke and Adam for Holly's attention. As sparks fly like shooting stars between Holly and Luke, Holly must decide whether to play it safe and stay with Adam, or to thank her lucky stars for the Christmas gift of romance with Luke.

Source: The Nielsen Company, October 27 - November 2, 2014

ABOUT HALLMARK CHANNEL

Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality family entertainment available in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to a national audience of 85 million subscribers. Hallmark Channel is the nation's leading destination for quality family programming featuring an ambitious slate of original content, including movies; scripted series, such as Cedar Cove and When Calls the Heart; annual specials like Hero Dog Awards and Kitten Bowl; and a daily 2-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, including The 12 New Movies of Christmas. 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 Channel's sibling network, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, available in HD and SD, features a unique mix of content including original movies and acquired series that are dramatic in tone and focus on the lighter side of the mystery genre, as well as classic presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library.

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