January 26, 2010 Hallmark Channel announces a multi-year strategic partnership with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc., to exclusively televise original episodes of the Emmy™ Award-winning, popular daytime home and lifestyle series “The Martha Stewart Show” on Hallmark Channel beginning September 2010.
January 5, 2010 Hallmark Channel, the leader in holiday programming with more than 450 hours of holiday-themed programs, delivers its highest-rated month in network history with a 1.5 HH Prime Time rating in December 2009, earning a #5 ranking among all ad-supported cable networks.
October 19, 2009 Hallmark Movie Channel secures distribution in the top 30 television markets throughout the United States. Hallmark Movie Channel, sibling network to Hallmark Channel, now has distribution to 25 million households. The growth represents an increase of more than 100 percent over one year ago, making it one of the fastest-growing emerging cable channels.
October 19, 2009 Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Cards jointly announces a special night of programming entitled “Movie Night with hoops&yoyo,” the first-ever synergistic creative on-air programming and marketing endeavor between the world-renowned card company and the Hallmark Channel cable television network.
October 6, 2009 Hallmark Channel announces the acquisition of exclusive cable rights to a package of eight star-studded ice skating specials from Disson Skating, the nation’s leading producer of nationally televised skating shows.
September 17, 2009 Hallmark Channel announces plans to present coverage of the country’s most popular New Year’s Day event, “The 121st Rose Parade,” on Friday, Jan. 1, 2010.
September 4, 2009 Hallmark Channel acquires the exclusive cable rights to “Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures” from Litton Entertainment.
June 15, 2009 Hallmark Channel introduces a new commercial format, “Fast Break,” featuring shorter commercial breaks exclusively sponsored by a single client.
June 1, 2009 William J. Abbott named President and Chief Executive Officer of Crown Media Holdings, Inc., owner and operator of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel.
February 14, 2009 Hallmark Channel’s original holiday movie, “The Christmas Choir,” wins the MOVIEGUIDE® Epiphany award for most inspiring TV program of 2008.
January 29, 2009 Hallmark Channel develops an online movie shop featuring DVD movies and movie-related products from its film library via the Amazon Associates Program.
January 28, 2009 Hallmark Channel adds more than 1,000 games to its consumer website through a new partnership with Big Fish Games and Videojax.
December 30, 2008 Hallmark Channel closes 2008 as its best year ever, ranking #8 in Prime Time for the full year.
December 10, 2008 Hallmark Channel becomes the first cable network to combine Nielsen’s TV, Retailer and product usage ratings via a licensing agreement of the NielsenConnections Brand Target Audience products.
December 3, 2008 Hallmark Channel and Google announce a strategic agreement to offer advertisers access to high-quality, family-friendly programming through the Google TV Ads program.
October 23, 2008 Hallmark Channel acquires the rights to 80 family-friendly movies from Twentieth Television, including a host of Academy® Award-winning films with timeless appeal across all generations.
October 7, 2008 Hallmark Channel and the Parents Television Council award Wal-Mart the second annual “The Crown Award” for responsible advertising.
September 25, 2008 Crown Media renews its distribution agreement with Charter Communications for Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel.
June 23, 2008 Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel today announced it has entered into a multi-year agreement with Cox Communications for the right to distribute the High Definition version of Hallmark Movie Channel.
May 20, 2008 Starcom and Hallmark Channel announces the first official deal of the ’08-’09 Upfront season. The multi-million dollar deal includes multiple clients across the agency and features a multi-platform promotion, “Every Day is a Holiday,” which includes on-air and online presence. This partnership allows the agency’s clients to choose a specific time of year important to their brands and products in order to break through the clutter with customized packages that include vignettes.
May 3, 2008 Hallmark Channel is awarded a CAMIE Awards for the network’s commitment to wholesome programming as well as its original movie, “The Note,” starring Genie Francis.
April 29, 2008 Crown Media renews its distribution agreement for Hallmark Channel with Cablevision Systems. Under the terms of the new deal, Cablevision Systems will also have the right to distribute both the Standard Definition and High Definition versions of Hallmark Movie Channel.
April 2, 2008 Hallmark Movie Channel in HD launches with a celebratory event in Peoria, Ill., to answer the age-old question, “Will it play in Peoria?”
March 26, 2008 Hallmark Channel acquires the rights to 99 family-friendly movies, as well as one of the most popular baby boomer series, “The Golden Girls,” from Disney-ABC Domestic Television. The movies will play on both Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel.
March 26, 2008 Hallmark Channel commissions a study from Millward Brown which reports that baby boomers are more engaged with linear television and less likely to change the channel or multi-task while watching television. The study also found that boomers have more spending power and 50% of boomers don’t stick to any one brand – good news for advertisers looking to attract new customers.
March 5, 2008 Crown Media renews its distribution agreement for Hallmark Channel with DIRECTV, Inc., for a multi-year term. DIRECTV currently distributes Hallmark Channel to nearly 15 million homes. Additionally, DIRECTV will have the right to distribute the Standard Definition and High Definition versions of Hallmark Movie Channel.
February 21, 2008 Crown Media renews its distribution agreement for Hallmark Channel with Time Warner Cable for a multi-year term. Under the new deal, Time Warner Cable, which provides Hallmark Channel to 12 million homes, will have the right to continue its distribution of Hallmark Channel as well as the opportunity for distribution of both the Standard Definition and High Definition versions of Hallmark Movie Channel.
January 15, 2008 Hallmark Channel and Limbo, the world’s largest mobile entertainment community, team up to create and launch the cable network’s first-ever mobile interactive initiative.
November 29, 2007 Crown Media, owner and operator of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel, renews its distribution agreement with Comcast Corporation, the nation’s largest cable distributor, for a multi-year term. Under the new deal, Comcast systems will have the right to distribute Hallmark Channel and both the standard and high definition versions of Hallmark Movie Channel.
November 28, 2007 Hallmark Channel completed a major deal with CBS Television Distribution to acquire several award-winning series, including the critically acclaimed “7th Heaven,” the ever popular “Cheers” and classic baby boomer favorite, “I Love Lucy,” along with additional episodes of “Matlock” and “Touched By An Angel.”
October 29, 2007 Hallmark Channel streams its award-winning original series, “Adoption,” on its website, www.hallmarkchannel.com, marking the first time the family-friendly network has scheduled a full-length program online. It also marks a shift in marketing strategy as the network, best known for its appeal and popularity with baby boomers, targets younger viewers.
August 28, 2007 Hallmark Channel is now available in 85 million homes, an increase of 9.894 million homes year-to-date making it the third-highest increase among all measured networks.
August 8, 2007 Crown Media announces it will launch Hallmark Movie Channel in HD in the first quarter of 2008. The high definition service is a response to the growing demand for family-friendly programming in a technologically advanced format.
May 29, 2007 Hallmark Channel acquires “Murder, She Wrote” series from NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution.
May 16, 2007 Hallmark Channel and the Parents Television Council award Procter & Gamble the first-ever “Crown Award” recognizing leadership, integrity and responsibility in advertising.
May 2, 2007 Crown Media renews multi-year distribution agreement with the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC).
May 1, 2007 Hallmark Channel surpasses the 80 million subscriber mark and is now available in over 82 million U.S. homes.
March 27, 2007 Hallmark Channel launches “Watch With Me,” a new national public affairs initiative aimed to stimulate family co-viewing and promote people to spend more time together. The multi-platform initiative will live on-air, on-line, in-schools and in-markets.
March 27, 2007 Hallmark Channel commissions a study from Yankelovich which reveals that 88% of respondents feel there has been a significant increase in the number of television shows with sexual, violent, crude or obscene content over the last five years and 68% of parents think that there are not enough shows for parents and children to watch together. As a result, more viewers are seeking programming to watch with others in their family.
March 8, 2007 Crown Media announces a multi-year agreement with EchoStar that provides for the continued distribution of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel on EchoStar’s DISH Network™. Beginning in April, Hallmark Channel will be distributed to more than 80 million subscribers.
March 1, 2007 Hallmark Channel introduces a new on-air look with the new tagline “Make Yourself at Home,” reinforcing the network’s reputation as a destination for high-quality, family programming where viewers can get comfortable and tune-in for great stories.
February 7, 2007 Crown Media Holdings, Inc. and Mediacom Communications Corporation renew a multi-year distribution agreement allowing Hallmark Channel to continue to be available to over one million Mediacom customers.
December 20, 2006 Hallmark Channel launches on Comcast Cable throughout the New England area and Boston.
December 2, 2006 The original holiday movie premiere “The Christmas Card” out delivers Penguins to score an overwhelming 4.2 HH rating, making it the network’s new highest-ever-rated telecast.
November 25, 2006 The U.S. television premiere of “March of the Penguins” ranks as the network’s highest-ever-rated telecast with a 4.1 HH rating.
October 5, 2006 Crown Media Holdings, Inc. agrees to sell the domestic rights to its film library to RHI Enterprises, LLC. The sale includes all rights in the United States to the over 600 award-winning television movies, mini-series and series in the Crown Media library.
October 4, 2006 Henry S. Schleiff named President and Chief Executive Officer of Crown Media Holdings, Inc., owner and operator of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel.
August 28, 2006 Hallmark Channel reaches 75 million subscribers.
August 5, 2006 Hallmark Channel celebrates its 5th anniversary and continues to rank as the most successful cable network launch in history.
June 5, 2006 Hallmark Channel announces its largest-ever movie acquisition from Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution. The 39-picture package features many award-winning titles, including the network television premiere of the Academy Award®-winning documentary “March of the Penguins,” “Troy,” “Miss Congeniality,” “The In-Laws,” “Hearts In Atlantis,” “Kangaroo Jack,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “New York Minute,” “Felicity: An American Girl Adventure” and “Samantha: An American Girl Holiday.”
October 17, 2005 Hallmark Channel reaches 70 million subscribers and continues to be the fastest-growing network since its launch (Aug ‘01-Aug ‘05). The channel’s distribution has grown by nearly 50 million subscribers, including both new launches and the conversion of part-time to full-time subscriber homes.
August 17, 2005 Hallmark Channel beats the broadcast networks to premiere the first-ever U.S. televised biopic of the late Pope John Paul II. The four-hour movie event, “A Man Who Became Pope,” scores the network’s highest-ever weekday Prime Time delivery (1,050,000) at the time of air.
August 1, 2005 Hallmark Channel’s Sponsorship Solutions Unit signs Kraft Foods as the exclusive sponsor of nine original movie entitlements during the 2005/2006 season, the most of any of the channel’s advertisers. Entitled movies feature a reduced commercial load (4 minutes down from 12) and have a higher length of tune than other original cable movies.
January 7, 2005 Hallmark Channel premieres first installment of the “Hallmark Channel Mystery Movie” franchises, one of the channel’s most ambitious original programming initiatives to date. The slate consists of three Mystery Movie franchises, “Mystery Woman,” starring Kellie Martin, “McBride,” starring John Larroquette and “Jane Doe,” starring Lea Thompson.
December 8, 2004 Hallmark Channel reaches 65 million subscribers.
December 2, 2004 Hallmark Channel ranks in the Top 10 for both Total Day and Prime Time for the first time in network history.
July 7, 2004 Hallmark Channel acquires “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
June 1, 2004 Hallmark Channel breaks the 60 million subscriber mark. With 1.7 million new subscribers, the network ranks #1 in pure month-to-month subscriber growth among all ad-supported cable networks.
January 20, 2004 Hallmark Channel launches its Sponsorship Solutions Unit, a new area within the National Advertising Sales department, which focuses on integrating advertisers’ brands with that of the network’s in its acclaimed original movies.
November 11, 2003 Crown Media announces the test launch of a second 24-hour network, Hallmark Movie Channel, a digital network which airs original Hallmark Channel movies, Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations and films from the Crown Media library.
November 5, 2003 Hallmark Channel secures key nationwide distribution agreement with Comcast. The network now has substantial carriage agreements with all major MSOs.
October 15, 2003 Hallmark Channel and Comcast reach large-scale carriage agreement that opens the door to additional distribution opportunities and launches throughout Comcast affiliates.
July 29, 2003 Hallmark Channel announces the acquisition of several renowned series, including “Matlock,” “Little House on the Prairie,” “The Lone Ranger” and M*A*S*H, television’s most-watched show of all time.
June 9, 2003 Hallmark Channel's parent, Crown Media Holdings, Inc., signs agreement with iN DEMAND under which Crown Media provides content for broadcast in high definition on iN DEMAND’s HD networks.
December 2, 2002 Hallmark Channel and Time Warner Cable complete a far-reaching agreement that markedly increases Time Warner Cable’s existing carriage commitment of the channel.
November 4, 2002 Hallmark Channel signs pivotal nationwide launch agreement with Adelphia Communications.
October 14, 2002 Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Gold Crown® stores partner for the “Hallmark Keepsake Sweepstakes,” launching the largest retail-basic cable marketing promotion ever.
September 1, 2002 Hallmark Channel and Cable ONE announce agreement to add channel to premium digital offerings in 25 markets.
August 19, 2002 Tom Berenger, Luke Perry and Burt Reynolds wrangle cattle through Times Square. The “Johnson County War” stunt marks the largest marketing campaign to date for a Hallmark Channel original movie.
August 5, 2002 Hallmark Channel celebrates its 1st anniversary and becomes the most successful launch in cable history adding over 14 million subscribers and making it the fastest-growing cable network in that time frame.
March 13, 2002 Hallmark Channel announces the production of 24 exclusive original movies from RHI Entertainment, LLC.
October 15, 2001 Hallmark Channel secures large-scale distribution agreement with Charter Communications.
August 5, 2001 Hallmark Channel launches; the network is repositioned on DirecTV resulting in an immediate increase of over 7 million subscribers.