HALLMARK CHANNEL'S "COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS" STEALS THE SHOW BECOMING THE MOST WATCHED AND HIGHEST RATED NETWORK OF THE WEEKEND AMONG HH'S

The Saturday, November 15 premiere of Northpole averaged 4 million total viewers and reached 5.9 million unduplicated viewers

The Sunday, November 16 premiere of Angels and Ornaments claimed 3.3 million total viewers and reached 5.1 million unduplicated viewers

Hallmark Channel's annual Countdown to Christmas campaign continues to bring joy to the world, with the November 15 and November 16 original holiday premieres of Northpole and Angels and Ornaments catapulting the network to be the #1 most watched and highest-rated among HH's for the weekend. In addition, the network rated #1 among W25-54 for its second consecutive week. The debuts of Northpole and Angels and Ornaments also became the #1 and #2 movies of the week, respectively, among HH ratings and delivery.

Northpole, produced in partnership with Hallmark Cards and a Countdown to Christmas tent pole, averaged 4 million total viewers and a 3.5 HH rtg, while also reaching 5.9 million unduplicated viewers. Additionally, the movie was the top program for the day on cable among HH ratings, as well as the network's most watched and highest-rated original film of 2014 to-date among HH's, W25-54, A25-54, and total viewers. In its November 15th 8-10pm time period, Northpole ranked as the #1-rated movie among HH (3.5) and Total Viewers (1.9). The film also placed #2 in key demo delivery among HH (2,975,000), W25-54 (844,000), and total viewers (4,007,000).

Angels and Ornaments followed suit, averaging 3.3 million total viewers and a 3.0 HH rating and reaching 5.1 unduplicated viewers. In addition, the movie was the #2 rated and most watched cable program in its time period among HH and total viewers.

Viewers continue to flock to Countdown to Christmas, with Hallmark Channel's programming extravaganza reaching over 33.1 million total viewers in just two weeks and registering growth of 7% among W25-54 delivery and 4% among A25-54, compared to the same period last year. Since their kick offs, Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries' The Most Wonderful Movies of Christmas, combined, have reached over 38.9 million total viewers.

In Northpole, Santa (Robert Wagner) and Mrs. Claus' (Jill St. John) magical home, Northpole, has grown into a vast city powered by the magic of holiday happiness around the world. Yet the city is in trouble, as people everywhere are too busy to enjoy festive time together. One of these stressed-out souls is Chelsea (Tiffani Thiessen), a single mom who is trying to get noticed at her new reporting job while helping her ten-year-old son Kevin (Max Charles) adjust to a new school. When he starts talking about real elves and actual sleigh rides, she worries that his imagination has gotten out of control. With a little added help from Kevin's charming teacher Ryan (Josh Hopkins), a mysterious elf, Clementine (Bailee Madison), and a gospel singer named Josephine (Candice Glover), Chelsea may learn that even chasing down the facts can lead to holiday magic.

In Angels and Ornaments, Corrine (Jessalyn Gilsig) happily prepares for her favorite holiday - Christmas - even though she is still upset from a recent breakup. A gifted musician, Corrine auditions for a solo in a community Christmas concert and plays Christmas carols on the piano to patrons of the music store where she works with childhood friend Dave (Graham Abbey). Her holiday season gets an unexpected dose of romance, when Harold (Sergio Di Zio), a mysterious new coworker, tries to form a love connection between Corrine and Dave. With Harold's help, Corrine begins to view Dave in a new light, though she questions Harold's intense interest in her love life. Unbeknownst to Corrine, Harold is on a Christmas Eve deadline from a higher power to fulfill this holiday fairytale! As the clock ticks down to Harold's fairytale mission deadline, Corrine must decide if she will open up to Christmas love.

Source: The Nielsen Company, November 10 - November 16, 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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