HALLMARK CHANNEL WRAPS UP COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS' 12 ORIGINAL HOLIDAY PREMIERES WITH THE TWO FINAL DEBUTS PROPELLING THE NETWORK TO RANK #1 AMONG W25-54 RATING FOR THE 6th STRAIGHT WEEK

The "12 New Movies of Christmas" Catapulted Hallmark Channel to Become the Most-Watched Cable Network Among Households and Women 25-54 over 7 Weekends

Programming Extravaganza Has Reached 56 Million Unduplicated Viewers To-Date

Rounding out this year's new Countdown to Christmas original holiday premieres, Best Christmas Party Ever and The Christmas Parade boosted Hallmark Channel to become the highest rated network on cable among W25-54 for the 6th consecutive week. Reaching 56 million unduplicated viewers, "The 12 New Movies of Christmas" made the network the most watched on cable among households and women 25-54 for 7 weekends. The films capped off this year's original premieres as the highest-rated cable movies of the week, a distinction the network has claimed for 7 consecutive weeks, since Countdown to Christmas kicked off on October 31st.

The December 13th premiere of Best Christmas Party Ever earned a 3.1 HH rating and averaged 3.4 million total viewers and reached 5.4 million unduplicated viewers. In its 8-10pm time period, the program scored the #1 spot among HH (3.1) and total viewer (1.6) rating, as well as HH (2,651,000) and total viewer (3,420,000) delivery. The premiere helped boost the network to be the #1 rated cable network in prime time and total day among HH rating, as well as the #1 rated cable network for total day among W25-54. Among HH ratings, the film was also the top program on cable for the day.

Drawing over 3.5 million total viewers and reaching 5.2 million unduplicated viewers, the Sunday, December 14th premiere of The Christmas Parade earned a 3.1 HH rating and was the #1 program of the day among HH rating. The film placed #1 among HH (3.1), W25-54 (1.5), and total viewers (1.6) rating in its 8-10pm time period. The film premiere delivered #1 among HHs (2,664,000) and total viewers (3,502,000). Among HH ratings, the premiere catapulted the network to be the #1 rated cable network in both primetime and total day.

The "12 New Movies of Christmas" premieres averaged a 3.4 HH rating and reached 24 million unduplicated viewers. Of this season's original debuts, 7 ranked as the #1 program of the day:

· One Starry Christmas on November 1st

· The Nine Lives of Christmas on November 8th

· Northpole on November 15th

· A Royal Christmas on November 22nd

· Debbie Macomber's Mr. Miracle on December 6th

· Best Christmas Party Ever on December 13th

· The Christmas Parade on December 14th

In addition, the premiere of Christmas Under Wraps, marked the network's highest-rated and most-watched telecast in history, scoring a 5.0 HH rating, averaging 5.7 million total viewers, and reaching 7.2 million unduplicated viewers - Hallmark Channel's largest unduplicated audience in network history.

In Best Christmas Party Ever, young party planner Jennie Stanton (Torrey DeVitto) learns that her boss, Petra (Linda Thorson), will be retiring after Christmas and hopes she will be left in charge of Petra's Parties, New York's premiere event planning service. Jennie's hopes fade when Petra's charming and handsome nephew, Nick (Steve Lund), arrives on the scene and Petra announces that he will take over the business. When an opportunity to plan a toy store's Christmas Eve party arises, Jennie runs with it, arranging a warm and traditional affair in the same vein as the Christmas parties that inspired her as a child. As Christmas Eve approaches, will Jennie open her heart to find love for the holiday?

In The Christmas Parade, Hailee Anderson (AnnaLynne McCord), a well-known entertainment reporter for a network morning show, is humiliated when her oft-absent investment banker fiancé, Jason (Drew Scott) is revealed to be linked to a Beverly Hills socialite coming her way to the Big Apple. Hailee takes off in her car to find peace, abandoning a Christmas special she is due to host for her producer. After running over a small town judge's Christmas display, she instead finds herself stuck in the town of Carver Bend with a $100 fine and sentenced to 25 hours of community service. While there, she's befriended by Beck Thomas (Jefferson Brown), a budding artist. He asks for her help to save the local community art center he runs for the town's kids, by helping them build their float for the annual Christmas Parade - the winner will receive enough money to save the center from a pending sale. Short on Christmas spirit, due to an experience in her past, Hailee has to find a way to inspire both the kids and Beck - as well as herself - to bring back the spirit of what Christmas is all about, love.

Source: The Nielsen Company, October 31st - December 14, 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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