Hallmark’s annual Countdown to Christmas movie marathon has once again proved a ratings boon for the company, with Hallmark Christmas movies topping the ratings for eight straight weeks.
Christmas programming on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries attracted more than 36.5 million unduplicated viewers, according to numbers released by Nielsen.
In addition to producing the most-watched cable movie of the year — Three Wise Men and a Baby — Hallmark also delivered two of the top three most-watched entertainment cable programs of the week with The Most Colorful Time of the Year and Christmas Class Reunion, which premiered on December 9 and December 10.
Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas
Hallmark’s annual Christmas movie marathon got its start in 2009. The original lineup was hosted by Hoops and Yoyo, two popular figures from Hallmark greeting cards. The event grew in popularity so much over the years that the network began airing Christmas movies in the final week of October and continuing up through New Year’s Day.
The movies themselves were so successful that they have spawned countless imitations, with every network from CBS to HGTV coming out with their own holiday-themed movies.
Countdown to Christmas 2021
Last year’s Countdown to Christmas proved no exception in terms of popularity. More than 2 million viewers tuned in to watch its film premieres each weekend, according to Nielsen ratings.
“I’m incredibly proud of our programming team for their hard work and dedication to portraying holiday moments that reflect unique storylines and backgrounds and are filled with positivity, warmth, and connection,” said Wonya Lucas, president & CEO of Hallmark Media, which was known as Crown Media Family Networks at the time. “We look forward to sharing the joy of Hallmark holiday magic with our viewers all season long.”
Popular movies
So far, Hallmark’s Three Wise Men and a Baby has been the most popular of all its seasonal offerings. According to the ratings, it was ad-supported cable’s most-watched movie of the year to date among homes, viewers, women 18+, persons 18+, women 25-54, and women 18-34. It averaged 2.9 million homes, 411,000 women 25-54, and 3.6 million total viewers, according to Nielsen.
