Hallmark Media will refresh its subscription video-on-demand presence with the September launch of Hallmark Plus, the programmer said Thursday during its Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour session. 

The service, replacing Hallmark Movies Now, will cost $7.99 per month and feature a blend of entertainment and exclusive retail and product benefits, Hallmark Media said. Hallmark Plus will show the company’s first holiday-themed limited series, Holidazed and Mistletoe Murders, as well as scripted series The Chicken Sisters. 

Hallmark Plus will also feature reality competition series Finding Mr. Christmas, as well as new unscripted shows as Celebrations with Lacey Chabert, Ready, Set. Glow!, Small Town Setup and Home Where the Heart Is.  

On the retail side, subscribers will get such perks as a $5 Hallmark Gold Crown Store coupon, free unlimited eCards, rewards for shopping and surprise gifts, according to Hallmark. 

“Hallmark Plus marks a seminal moment for Hallmark,” Hallmark president and CEO Mike Perry said in a statement. “By intertwining new, rich content experiences with tangible rewards and premium Hallmark gifts, we are delivering a unique, new program that reflects our commitment to spreading joy through our deeply beloved brand touchpoints.”

Live sports programming continues to deliver huge ratings for TNT and ESPN as both networks dominated last week’s primetime cable ratings chart.

TNT averaged 3.2 million viewers for the week of May 13-19 to top all cable networks for the fourth straight week, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News. The network was bolstered by its May 19 coverage of the Minnesota Timberwolves-Denver Nuggets Game 7 NBA Western Conference semifinals telecast, which averaged 7.5 million viewers.

NBA and NHL playoffs-fueled ESPN finished second for the week with 2.2 million viewers, followed by Fox News' 1.9 million viewers and MSNBC’s 1.1 million watchers.

HGTV pulled into fifth place with 647,000 viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel (637,000 viewers), INSP (606,000), TBS (525,000), USA Network (522,000) and History (512,000).

Fox News posted its 19th straight win on the total day chart with 1.2 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (831,000), TNT (797,000), ESPN (771,000) and CNN (471,000), according to Nielsen. 

Amid a stormy media environment that has many cable networks rethinking their future, Hallmark Channel is sticking with what has been a successful formula as the upfront market approaches.

“We rely on and lean into this brand and the fans that come with it,” Ed Georger, executive VP of ad sales and digital media for Hallmark Media, told Broadcasting+Cable.

Advertisers rely on the brand also, particularly in the fourth quarter, when Hallmark’s popular holiday programming kicks in.

In an election year, when campaigns will spend billions to reach voters in November, Hallmark will not accept political ads on any of its platforms, Georger said.

While many other cable networks are cutting back on their original, scripted programming, marketers can count on Hallmark delivering.

“Good quality storytelling still matters,” Georger said, noting that like last year, Hallmark plans to make about 100 movies — including 40 original Christmas films — and return three original scripted series, including When Calls the Heart, which is launching Season 11 over the weekend. 

“How many scripted series in television are on season 11?“ Georger asked. “That consistency delivering on the brand promise through emotional content, positive content, is what we stay true to. I think that also differentiates us in the marketplace.” 

In conversations with Hallmark, many clients have expressed concerns about the ability to find mass reach and scale, Georger said.

Hallmark has not been immune from cord-cutting and the shift to streaming. Total viewership was down 10% in 2023. Most other entertainment networks on cable saw bigger losses, and Hallmark finished the year as the No. 3 cable entertainment network, behind HGTV and TNT.

Hallmark was the top cable entertainment network among adults 25 to 54.

“There are still a few places that can draw consistently large audiences, and I would argue that’s sports, news and Hallmark,” Georger said.

Advertisers are also worried that as more transactions are automated and programmatic, brand safety suffers.

“Letting algorithms choose where your ads are going to run, you’re going to give up some of that brand security, so we position ourselves as an alternative to that,” he said.

Hallmark works with clients to dial up the contextual relevance of their ads, Georger said, particularly when it comes to putting seasonal ads in Hallmark’s seasonal programming.

“The relevant content makes our platform effective,” he said.

That’s not just at Christmas time. Home Depot is promoting its spring cleanup products in Hallmark’s current spring programming. Soon it will be barbecue season and summer vacation.

“I think those things help differentiate us in the marketplace and solve for some of the challenges that advertisers have as they lean into other methods of transacting, whether that’s programmatic or other automated processes,” Georger said.

Hallmark last year started working with EDO, which measures campaign results and found that commercials appearing during Hallmark movie premieres and new series episodes are 52% more likely to engage viewers than during the average Hallmark program.

Most of Georger’s attention goes to Hallmark Media’s main network, Hallmark Channel. Two other channels have recently been rebranded as Hallmark Mysteries and Hallmark Family. The company also has a subscription service and free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels.

Last year Hallmark hired Emily Powers from BritBox as executive VP of streaming and digital platforms. She’s working on a digital strategy that will future-proof the brand and keep it relevant.

Eyes on the KPIs

In this upfront season, Hallmark is sitting down in one-on-one meetings with clients, and listening to them, finding out what’s important to them and what KPIs (key performance indicators) they’re trying to deliver, Georger said.

Hallmark is not immune to the trend of media buyers and advertisers looking to shift cable ad dollars to streaming as consumers change their viewing habits.

“Certainly there are some pressures on the industry,” Georger said. “While there are a lot of options out there, there is something to be said about transparency and reliability.”

That includes working with a familiar ad-sales team. Georger has been with Hallmark for 25 years and most of his senior sales management team have also been there for a long time.

“It’s a nimble group,“ he said. ”Doing upfront or any business with Hallmark is pretty narrowly defined versus what you might have to navigate in dealing with one of these larger media companies. There’s something to be said for that, too.”

Hallmark is capping that off by inviting clients to a series of high-end experiences, such as classes, cocktails and dinners.

“That’s just a way for us to build relationships and connect with our clients,“ Georger said. “But it also makes the point that experiencing this brand is what our viewers do.”

Hallmark Channel has greenlit a third season of its time-traveling drama series The Way Home.

The series, which will return in 2025, follows three generations of women who travel back and forth in time in an effort to find out more about their ancestors while connecting with each other in the present. The series stars Andie MacDowell, along with Chyler Leigh, Evan Williams and Sadie Laflamme-Snow. 

The second season of The Way Home is the most watched program on entertainment cable among households, total viewers and women on a Nielsen Live-Plus 3-day basis since its debut this past January, according to Hallmark. The season finale airs on March 31. 

“Once again, our cast, writers and entire crew have used their impressive talents to create a story that is just as compelling and addictive as the first season,” Hallmark Media executive VP Lisa Hamilton Daly said in a statement. “We’re grateful to the fans who are so passionate about the series and can’t wait for them to see what – and when – is ahead for season three.”

Also: Hallmark Media’s Lisa Hamilton Daly on Hallmark Mystery Rebrand, Upcoming Hallmark Channel Content (Video)

Hallmark Media today (March 6) rebrands its Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel to Hallmark Mystery to better reflect its commitment to the mystery movie genre. 

The Hallmark Mystery channel plans to launch several new mystery series in 2024, including its first historical mystery, Gilded Newport Mysteries: Murder at the Breakers. Hallmark Media executive VP of programming Lisa Hamilton Daly said Hallmark Mystery's new brand and on-air look will help the network continue to stand out from the clutter of mystery-themed programming currently in the television marketplace. 

“There is a lot of fun, mystery programming out there, but I feel ours has a special look and feel that appeals to our viewers,” Daly said. “The rebranding of the channel calls attention to that focus.”

Click on the video below to hear more of the interview with Lisa Hamilton Daly.

Fox News Channel’s coverage of the South Carolina Primary helped the news network complete a sweep of the primetime and total day charts for the month of February.

Fox News averaged 2.1 million viewers in primetime for the week of February 19-25 for its sixth straight win, topping second place TNT, which averaged 1.6 million viewers for the week, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News. 

Fox News was paced by its February 24 South Carolina Primary coverage, along with its February 20 Town Hall event featuring Laura Ingraham and former President Trump, which averaged 3.3 million viewers.  

MSNBC finished third for the week with 1.4 million viewers, followed by ESPN with 861,000 viewers, and HGTV, which pulled in 791,000 viewers. 

TBS was sixth with 735,000 viewers, followed by History (718,000 viewers), CNN (677,000), Hallmark Channel (613,000) and INSP (611,000).

Fox News held on to first place on the total day chart with 1.3 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (949,000 viewers), CNN (549,000), ESPN (460,000) and TNT (434,000), said Nielsen. 

Fox News was the most-watched cable network in primetime and total day for the first full week of February as it continues to pile up ratings victories in 2024. 

The cable news network averaged 2 million viewers for the week of February 5-11 for its fourth straight win on the chart, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News. MSNBC was a distant second with 1.3 million viewers, followed by HGTV’s 749,000 viewers, History’s 731,000 viewers, and ESPN’s 670,000 watchers.

TBS finished sixth with 645,000 viewers, followed by INSP (626,000), TNT (596,000), Hallmark Channel (571,000) and USA Network (569,000). 

On a total day basis, Fox News averaged 1.3 million viewers for the week, blowing away competition from MSNBC (846,000 viewers), CNN (462,000), ESPN (455,000), and HGTV (433,000), reported Nielsen. 

Fox News continued its strong 2023 ratings run, finishing at the top of both the primetime and total day charts for third straight week.

Fox News averaged 2 million viewers in primetime for the week of January 29 to February 4, besting MSNBC’s 1.2 million viewers and ESPN’s 1 million watchers, according to Nielsen numbers provided by Fox News. The cable news network has won the primetime crown in three of the first five weeks of 2024.

HGTV finished fourth with 853,000 viewers followed by History with 765,000. TBS was sixth with 754,000, followed by Hallmark Channel (681,000), Discovery Channel (642,000), USA Network (622,000) and INSP (617,000).

On a total day basis, Fox News averaged 1.3 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (794,000 viewers), ESPN (547,000), HGTV (445,000) and CNN (434,000), said Nielsen. 

Nielsen and Hallmark Media said they have agreed to a multi-year extension of their agreement, under which Nielsen provides audience measurement and analytics for Hallmark three linear networks and its streaming services.

“Our renewal extends our partnership with Nielsen to continue to utilize their authoritative suite of services to provide analytics and insights for our company,” Hallmark Media’s senior VP of revenue and strategic research, Tom Ziangas, said. “As viewing patterns continue to evolve and fractionalize across the industry, this partnership will allow us to understand the interaction of our widely beloved brand of content across platforms and meet the needs of our advertisers and viewers alike.” 

Nielsen, which has long dominated the TV measurement business, is facing challenges from rivals using big data from set-top boxes and smart TVs to measure viewing. Securing a renewal from Hallmark is a sign Nielsen maintains a firm grip on the industry, despite complaints.

Perhaps coincidentally, Nielsen noted that Hallmark Channel was the top-rated entertainment cable network for 2023 and in the fourth quarter of 2023, when advertisers clamor for Hallmark’s holiday-themed programming. 

“We are excited to continue our longstanding relationship with Hallmark as their provider of audience measurement, and deliver the data and insights to help power their strategic growth initiatives and showcase their unique value proposition to advertisers,” Nielsen chief revenue officer Amilcar Perez said. “Nielsen is at the forefront of providing the most comprehensive view of consumer behavior across both linear and streaming today.”

The CW has acquired the Western series Ride, with Nancy Travis in the lead role. The show debuts Monday, January 22. There are 10 episodes. 

Ride was a Hallmark Channel original that debuted in March and was canceled. 

The CW calls Ride “a multigenerational family drama that follows the lives of the McMurrays, a tight-knit family that embarks on a journey of self-discovery on the heels of a tragic loss as they uncover a twisted web of secrets that threatens to tear the family and their Colorado town apart.”

The family runs a rodeo dynasty. 

Travis plays the matriarch, Isabel. Her credits include The Kominsky Method and Last Man Standing. Beau Mirchoff, Tiera Skovbye and Sara Garcia are also in the cast. 

The CW is getting creative in filling out its schedule with production hampered by the strikes in Hollywood. 

Ride is co-produced by Blink49 Studios and Seven24 Films, in partnership with Bell Media for CTV Drama Channel in Canada. The original script came from Rebecca Boss and Chris Masi, who are executive producers alongside Sherri Cooper-Landsman and Alex Zarowny. John Morayniss, Carolyn Newman and Virginia Rankin executive produce for Blink49 Studios; Greg Gugliotta and F.J. Denny do so for Nitelite Entertainment; Elana Barry and Josh Adler executive produce for Circle of Confusion; and Jordy Randall and Tom Cox do so for Seven24 Films. Paolo Barzman is director and executive producer. 

BET Plus leads the list of networks and streaming services delivering holiday TV movie cheer to viewers during the 12 days before Christmas as programmers tie a bow around a robust lineup of original holiday programming that launched in October. 

BET Plus over the next two weeks will distribute the final three movies of its slate of 12 original holiday films and specials that featured several high-profile celebrities and producers, including Jasmine Guy, Tamar Braxton, Vivica A. Fox, Debbie Allen, Tichina Arnold, Jackee Harry, and Michael Colyar, according to BET Plus officials. 

BET Plus VP of content programming, strategy and original movies Marvin Neil said holiday programming has become a yearly staple for the four-year-old African American-targeted streaming service as it looks to offer more family fare.

“The holiday season is about families and togetherness, and I feel like that’s an opportunity that’s been taken up by major networks for decades,” Neil said. “The problem is major networks weren’t really showcasing the black holiday experience the way we felt we deserved, so we were very intentional about really targeting the holiday season as a moment to tell relatable stories for our viewers and for a broader audience.” 

Neil said the appeal of original holiday content attracted actors, directors and writers of color to the streaming service. On the docket for BET Plus holiday films premiering through Christmas are films starring actress/producer Robin Givens (Christmas Rescue); musicians MC Lyte and Tank (Favorite Son Christmas); and actress/singer Kandi Burruss (Whatever It Takes).

Holiday Movie Sampler

A partial list of remaining holiday-themed movies debuting on linear networks and streaming services, along with their premiere dates:

December 14

• Heaven Down Here (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
• Christmas Rescue (BET Plus)
• Favorite Son Christmas (BET Plus)

December 15

• The Secret Gift of Christmas (Hallmark Channel)

December 16

• Designing Christmas With You (Great American Family)
• Sealed With a List (Hallmark Channel)
• The Holiday Proposal Plan (Lifetime)
• The Christmas Detective (OWN)
• A Christmas Intern (Lifetime)

December 17

• Dial S for Santa (UPtv)
• Merry Magic Christmas (Lifetime)
• 12 Games of Christmas (Great American Family)
• Friends and Family Christmas (Hallmark Channel)

December 21

• Miracle in Bethlehem, PA (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)
• Whatever It Takes (BET Plus)
• The Christmas Break (Fox)

December 23

• A Royal Christmas Holiday (Great American Family)
• Mom’s Christmas Boyfriend (Lifetime)
• Christmas Revisited (OWN)

December 24

• A Christmas Letter (UPtv)

Fox News Channel looks to end the year on a high note after posting its second straight weekly sweep of the primetime and total-day ratings charts.

The news network averaged 1.8 million viewers during the week of December 4-10, besting ESPN’s 1.5 million viewers, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News. The news network was paced by its December 5 Hannity Town Hall special featuring former President Donald Trump, which drew more than 3 million viewers, according to Nielsen. 

MSNBC finished third with 1.2 million viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel’s 1.1 million viewers and TNT’s 816,000 watchers.

History was sixth with 701,000 viewers, followed by Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (687,000 viewers), HGTV (665,000), USA Network (627,000) and INSP (579,000).

Fox News averaged 1.1 million viewers on a 24-hour basis, beating out MSNBC (779,000 viewers), ESPN (666,000), Hallmark Channel (664,000) and CNN (427,000), according to Nielsen. 

Fox News’ Ron DeSantis-Gavin Newsom political debate helped the news network retake the top spot on both the primetime and total day charts.

Fox News averaged 1.9 million viewers during the week of November 27 to December 3, surpassing last week’s chart leader ESPN’s 1.7 million viewers, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News. The news network's November 30 DeSantis vs. Newsom: The Great Red vs. Blue State Debate special averaged 5.4 million viewers across its live airing and repeat telecast to pace its ratings performance.

Hallmark Channel finished in third place with 1.2 million viewers, followed by MSNBC’s 1.1 million viewers and History’s 714,000 watchers. HGTV was sixth with 765,000 viewers followed by USA Network (671,000 viewers), Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (644,000), TNT (595,000) and Discovery Channel (569,000.)

On a total day basis, Fox News topped all networks for the 10th time in the last 11 weeks with 1.1 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (772,000), ESPN (709,000), Hallmark Channel (702,000) and CNN (448,000), according to Nielsen.  

 Major League Baseball’s League Championship Series proved to be a major hit for TBS and FS1 as both networks finished at the top of last week’s primetime charts.

TBS averaged 2.9 million viewers for the week of October 16 to October 22 to top all cable networks, followed by FS1, which averaged 2.2 million viewers, according to Nielsen numbers provided by Fox News. 

Both networks were bolstered by their respective coverage of baseball's playoffs games. TBS was led by its October 20 coverage of the Philadelphia Phillies-Arizona Diamondbacks National League Championship series, which drew 5.39 million viewers, while FS1’s October 22 Texas Rangers-Houston Astros American League Championship telecast drew 4.76 million viewers.

Also: MLB Hopes Diamondbacks-Phillies Game 7 Will Spark World Series Ratings Rally

Fox News finished third with 2 million viewers, followed by ESPN with 1.8 million viewers and MSNBC with 1.2 million watchers. Hallmark Channel was sixth with 917,000 viewers, followed by HGTV (814,000 viewers), CNN (687,000), INSP (601,000) and TLC (565,000). 

Fox News finished first on the total day chart for the fifth straight week, followed by MSNBC (918,000 viewers), TBS (732,000), ESPN (666,000) and CNN (631,000).

three Fox News extended its hot summer ratings performance into August with a sweep of both the primetime and total day charts. 

Fox News averaged 1.8 million viewers in primetime during the week of July 31 to August 6 to top all cable networks for the sixth straight week, according to Nielsen figures supplied by Fox News. MSNBC finished second with 1.5 million viewers, followed by HGTV’s 768,000 viewers and Hallmark Channel’s 724,000 watchers.

INSP was the fifth most-watched network for the week with 719,000 viewers, followed by CNN (710,000 viewers), History (676,000), USA Network (651,000), TLC (627,000) and Food Network (528,000).

The August 5 arraignment of Donald Trump in Washington D.C. federal court helped three cable news networks top the total day charts last week. Fox News led all networks with 1.1 million viewers, followed by MSNBC with 966,000 viewers and CNN with 547,000 watchers. HGTV (427,000 viewers) and Hallmark Channel (426,000) rounded out the top five most-watched networks on a 24-hour basis, according to Nielsen.  

Wonya Lucas, who joined Hallmark Media as president and CEO in 2020 at a time when the programmer needed an uplift, is leaving at the end of the year but will remain on the board of directors, the company said today. Hallmark Companies CEO Mike Perry, to whom she reported, will assume her responsibilities.

A savvy marketing and operations executive who rose through roles at CNN, Discovery, The Weather Channel and TV One, Lucas joined privately owned Hallmark about six months after the departure of longtime CEO Bill Abbott. Abbott left after backlash over the channel declining to broadcast a commercial that included two women kissing at their wedding. Perry apologized on Hallmark’s behalf (and later ran the commercial) but set out to find a leader at the channel who could repair any damage that might have been done to the Hallmark brand.

Perry said in an interview Monday that when he and Lucas set priorities, “first on the list was really about broadening the content and the stories that we tell here, and making sure that we did that in a more diverse and inclusive way.” He said, “I think both of us feel very good about that.”

Other goals were to build a strong management team at the channel and develop “new commercial pathways’ beyond linear TV, and inroads have been there made via deals with Peacock, Hulu and YouTube TV, with the Hallmark Movies Now streaming service and with ad-supported video-on-demand and FAST channel launches, he said. 

"To her credit, it's like check, check, check and check on all the things that we wanted to do," Perry said. 

Lucas said she knew from the outset there was content potential in various Hallmark brands, including Mahogany, the African-American-targeted card line, and the faith-based DaySpring brand. 

But on the storytelling side, she wanted to expand the definition of love stories to include familial love, love of community and celebrating different religions. She also wanted to “open up the aperture” in terms of diverse characters. “Diversity beyond ethnicity and race” was important, she said, and credited programming chief Lisa Hamilton Daly for progress there. Notable there were Holly Robinson Peete’s 2021 holiday movie, Our Christmas Journey, inspired by her real-life experiences as a mother to an autistic son; the 2022 film Color My World with Love, centered on a love story between two individuals with Down syndrome; and The Christmas House and The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls, which earned GLAAD Media Award nominations. Hallmark also began dubbing content into Spanish last year and secured carriage for it on Canela TV and Peacock, with more distribution coming this year, channel officials said.

Lucas said she was proud of new series launches, the inter-generational The Way Home ("one of my favorite series of all time") and Western-themed Ride, and respectful wind-downs of older series Chesapeake Shores and Good Witch. Unfinished business includes finding the best approach to a subscription streaming service, but she has confidence in Emily Powers, hired this year as executive VP of streaming and digital platforms.  

She cited efforts to put women behind the camera at the female-focused network, especially the Make Her Mark initiative, partnering with Ashley Williams to recruit, coach and guide female directors. “I know what it's like to have doors shut in my face, and to be able to help women who have a vision and who have the passion, and have the skillset, you know, what greater joy is that?” she said.

Lucas, who had the unique honor last year of going into both the Cable Hall of Fame and the Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, also credited members of the Hallmark Media senior team, including content distribution chief Judi Lopez, who negotiated a branded hub for Hallmark fare on NBCUniversal-owned Peacock, and executive VP of content strategy and research Robin Thomas, along with ad sales EVP Ed Georger. who preceded her at the channel. 

Lucas, whose father, Bill, was the first African-American general manager of a Major League Baseball team and whose mother, Rubye, was on the Turner Broadcasting board, lives in Atlanta and wants to spend more time on the East Coast (Hallmark Media is based in California). She also wants to do more board work when she leaves her CEO job.

“It’s been three great years,” she said.

Fox News Channel closed out July on a roll, sweeping the month’s cable primetime and total-day ratings charts. 

The cable news network averaged 1.8 million viewers in primetime for the week of July 24 to July 31, beating out second place MSNBC's 1.2 million viewers and marking its fifth straight win on the chart, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News.

Hallmark Channel rode its “Christmas in July” slate of holiday films to a third-place finish with 836,000 watchers, followed by Discovery Channel with 828,000 viewers, and INSP with 756,000 viewers.

History pulled into sixth place with 702,000 viewers, followed by HGTV and TLC in a tie for seventh with 648,000 viewers, USA Network (626,000 viewers) and ESPN (599,000).

Fox News continued its dominance of the total day charts, notching its 30th straight win with an average of 1.1 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (760,000 viewers), Hallmark Channel (476,000), CNN (431,000) and INSP (415,000).  

Fox News Channel’s new primetime programming lineup helped the network remain at the top of both the cable primetime and total day charts last week.

Fox News averaged 1.8 million viewers in primetime during the week of July 17 to July 23 to top all cable networks for the fourth consecutive week, according to Nielsen numbers supplied by Fox News. The network was led by the July 17 launch of its revamped 8 pm to 11 pm lineup, featuring shows  Jesse Watters Primetime, Hannity, and Gutfeld!. Adding in its 7 p.m. series The Ingraham Angle and its 11 p.m. show Fox News @ Night with Trace Gallagher, Fox News averaged 2.1 million viewers for its 7 pm to 11 p.m. lineup, besting competing cable networks CNN and MSNBC in total viewers.

MSNBC finished second in primetime with 1.2 million viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel with 739,000 viewers, INSP with 711,000 viewers, and HGTV with 671,000 watchers.

Rounding out the top 10 most-watched networks in primetime were History (660,000 viewers), TLC (631,000), USA Network (608,000), Discovery Channel (567,000), and TBS (553,000).

On a 24-hour basis, Fox News extended its winning streak to 29 weeks with an average of 1.1 million viewers. MSNBC was a distant second with 779,000 viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel (475,000), USA Network (441,000), and CNN (426,000). 

Fox News held off ESPN to win its third straight weekly primetime cable ratings crown. 

Fox News averaged 1.4 million viewers during the week of July 10 to July 16 to top all cable networks, according to Nielsen ratings supplied by Fox News. ESPN, bolstered by its July 10 MLB Home Run Derby coverage, finished second with 1.2 million viewers, followed by MSNBC with 1.1 million watchers.

INSP was fourth for the week with 788,000 viewers, while Hallmark Channel finished fifth with 724,000 viewers. HGTV (710,000 viewers), History (704,000), TLC (674,000), Discovery Channel (643,000), and USA Network (632,000) rounded out the top 10 most-watched cable networks in primetime.

Fox News increased its winning streak on the total day chart to 28 weeks, averaging 1 million viewers to top MSNBC (730,000), ESPN (630,000), Hallmark Channel (442,000) and CNN (411,000), according to Nielsen.

Hallmark Channel is taking the holiday season to the high seas by christening a Christmas Cruise.

Those on board will be able to take photos with stars from Hallmark films, taste Hallmark Channel wine, decorate cookies, take part in a Christmas tree lighting and watch an exclusive premiere of Countdown to Christmas. There will also be an ugly holiday sweater contest.

The ship, the Norwegian Gem, leaves from Miami on Nov. 5, 2024, docks in Nassau and returns to Miami Nov. 9. Cabins range from $950 to $4.500 for double occupancy.

“We hear time and time again that people want to immerse themselves in the world of Hallmark Channel Christmas movies and this venture is sure to bring our brand to life in a new, captivating way,” said Hallmark Media’s VP of Consumer Products, Natalie Vandergast. “We are delighted to count down to Christmas 2024 aboard an adventure that will allow our stars and enthusiastic fanbase alike to create everlasting memories together at sea.”

Hallmark is producing the cruise with Sixthman, which creates immersive festivals.

“From sugar plums to reindeers, ornaments to caroling and so much more. Loyal fans will celebrate timeless Hallmark Channel Christmas traditions and create new ones with their families, a ship full of Hallmarkies, and Hallmark Channel’s holiday stars,” said Jeff Cuellar, VP of events, marketing & community at Sixthman. “Leave your puffy jacket and grab your Christmas spirit and passion for Hallmark Channel Christmas movies as we set sail on the most heartwarming, holly jolly experience on the high seas.”

Fans can sign up for pre-sales immediately. Cabins will go on sale to the general pubic on July 21.

MSNBC and Fox News last week ended TNT’s seven-week run at the top spot of the cable primetime chart, while also finishing in the top two spots on the total day chart.

MSNBC and Fox News both averaged 1.5 million viewers for the week of June 5 to June 11 to top all cable networks, according to Nielsen figures supplied by Fox News. In fact, according to TV Newser's A.J. Katz, MSNBC edged out Fox News, averaging 1,520,857 primetime viewers to 1,504,429 for Fox News, ending a 120-week win streak for Fox News. ESPN finished third on the chart with 1 million viewers, followed by TNT’s 923,000 viewers and INSP’s 795,000 watchers.

Rounding out the most-watched networks in primetime for the week were HGTV (764,000 viewers), History (704,000), CNN (677,000), Hallmark Channel (654,000) and USA Network (646,000).

On a 24-hour basis, Fox News led all networks for the 23rd consecutive week with 1 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (932,000 viewers), CNN (491,000), ESPN (444,000) and HGTV (406,000), according to Nielsen.  

Fox News remained the most watched network in primetime and total day last week despite competition from the start of the National Basketball Association playoffs. 

Fox News averaged 2.1 million viewers in primetime for the week of April 10-April 16 for its third straight win in the category, according to Nielsen. The NBA's post-season play-in tournament boosted TNT to second place with 1.5 million viewers and ESPN to fourth place with 1.1 million watchers. MSNBC finished third with 1.2 million viewers.

HGTV finished fifth with 963,000 viewers, followed by INSP (728,000 viewers), History (717,000), Hallmark Channel (696,000), USA Network (570,000) and Food Network (564,000).

Fox News dominated the total day charts for the 14th consecutive week, averaging 1.3 million viewers and topping MSNBC (798,000 viewers), ESPN (606,000), TNT (550,000) and CNN (449,000), reported Nielsen. 

Also: Fox News Admits Making False Claims As It Settles Dominion Systems Lawsuit

Hallmark Channel said it will bring back its original drama series The Way Home, starring Andie MacDowell, for a second season.

The series follows three generations of estranged women brought together to find their footing as they embark on an enlightening and surprising journey that none of them could have imagined, the network said. 

The Way Home launched in January and has ranked as the top program on Sundays among total viewers and women 18-54, according to Nielsen figures provided by Hallmark.

“The press and our audience have enthusiastically embraced The Way Home from the first episode, making the decision to renew the series an easy one,” Hallmark Media executive VP of programming Lisa Hamilton Daly said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to be able to continue the journey of the Landry family and can’t wait for fans to see what’s next.”

Along with MacDowell, the series stars Chyler Leigh, Evan Williams, Sadie Laflamme-Snow, Alex Hook, Al Mukadam, Jefferson Brown and David Webster. 

The Way Home renewal comes on the heels of last month's renewal of Hallmark drama series When Calls The Heart for an 11th season. 

The Way Home is executive produced by MacDowell and Leigh along with Heather Conkie, Alexandra Clarke, Fernando Szew, Hannah Pillemer, Larry Grimaldi, Ani Kevork, Arnie Zipursky, Marly Reed, Suzanne Berger and Lauren MacKinlay. ■ 

ESPN barely fought off Fox News for top honors in primetime as the pro and college football season comes to a close.

ESPN averaged 2.7 million viewers in primetime during the week of January 2 to January 8, topping Fox News’ 2 million viewers, according to Nielsen. ESPN was led by the 9.1 million viewers that tuned into its January 2 Buffalo Bills-Cincinnati Bengals Monday Night Football telecast, a game that ended in the first quarter after Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field. 

MSNBC finished third with 1.3 million viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel with 982,000 and CNN at 918,000 watchers. 

HGTV finished sixth with 826,000 viewers, followed by History (763,000 viewers), TBS (727,000), TLC (677,000) and INSP (676,000).

Fox News regained the top spot in total day -- a week after having its 51-week winning streak broken by ESPN -- with an average of 1.4 million viewers. ESPN (1.1 million viewers), MSNBC (950,000), CNN (740,000) and Hallmark Channel (505,000) followed close behind, reported Nielsen. ■

ESPN kicked off 2023 in grand style, topping both the primetime and the total-day charts.

The sports network, led by its New Year’s Eve College Football Playoff semifinals doubleheader coverage, averaged 7.7 million viewers in primetime during the week of December 26 to January 1, according to Nielsen. ESPN’s December 31 Georgia-Ohio State Peach Bowl telecast drew more than 22 million viewers, while its TCU-Michigan Fiesta Bowl telecast averaged more than 21 million viewers, said Nielsen.

Fox News Channel finished second in primetime with 1.3 million viewers, followed by Paramount Network’s 1.1 million viewers, Hallmark Channel’s 1 million viewers and HGTV’s 832,000 watchers.

MSNBC was sixth with 831,000 viewers, followed by TBS and TLC (tied with 737,000 viewers), INSP (696,000) and CNN (688,000).

ESPN averaged 2.9 million viewers on a total day basis to top all networks, ending Fox News’s winning streak at 51 weeks. The news network finished second with 1 million viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel (662,000 viewers), MSNBC (632,000) and CNN (558,000), Nielsen reported. ■

NFL football telecasts helped land both ESPN and the NFL Network among the top three most watched cable networks in primetime last week.

ESPN averaged 2 million viewers in primetime during the week of December 12 to December 18 to top all networks, according to Nielsen. The network was fueled by the 10 million viewers who tuned into its December 12 New England Patriots-Arizona Cardinals Monday Night Football telecast.

NFL Network, which offered three NFL games on December 17 — including a primetime matchup between the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills that drew more than 11 million viewers — finished third for the week with an average of 1.7 million viewers. 

Fox News, which tied ESPN for first place last week, finished in second place with 1.9 million viewers, with Hallmark Channel pulling into fourth place with 1.1 million viewers and MSNBC finishing fifth with 1 million watchers.

Paramount Network was sixth with 963,000 viewers, followed by TLC (876,000 viewers), History (738,000), HGTV (729,000), and Food Network (672,000).

Fox News topped the total day chart for the 50th consecutive week with an average of 1.3 million viewers, easily beating ESPN (800,000 viewers), NFL Network (752,000), Hallmark Channel (715,000), and MSNBC (700,000), according to Nielsen.■  

As the television industry continues to deck the halls with more than 130 original holiday-themed films, this year’s slate has more of a diverse and inclusive feel as people of color continue to influence holiday images and storylines on the screen and behind the camera. 

An unprecedented number of this season’s holiday films have persons of color in leading roles or as executive producers, eager to reach audiences who over the years have felt underserved or unseen in movies from this genre, according to industry observers.

Paramount’s BET Plus and VH1, for example, will offer 14 original Christmas-
themed films featuring predominantly African-American casts, up from 11 a year ago. Lifetime will deliver 15 holiday originals featuring actors of color in starring roles.

Hallmark Channel, Netflix, UPtv and Great American Family also are featuring movies with inclusive casts and high-profile talent to help ring in the holidays. Entertainers of color such as Rita Moreno (Lifetime's Santa Bootcamp), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Netflix’s Christmas With You), Gladys Knight (Great American Family’s Someday at Christmas), Mario Lopez (Lifetime's Stepping Into the Holidays) and Loretta Devine (VH1’s All I Didn’t Want for Christmas) are starring in holiday-themed films through the end of December.

Just as impressive, celebrities such as Jamie Foxx (VH1’s Hip Hop Family Christmas Wedding), Toni Braxton (Lifetime’s A Christmas Spark), Robin Givens (BET Plus’s The Christmas Clapback) and Idris Elba (VH1’s A New Diva’s Christmas Carol) have taken the directorial and executive producer reins in an effort to deliver more authentic holiday stories. 

The holiday programming genre needs to make more room for unique portrayals of how people of color (who are major consumers of entertainment) experience the festive season in order to remain viable and attractive to an increasingly diverse population, network executives said.

Authentic, Inclusive Fare

“I think it’s important for us to maintain authenticity and inclusiveness when focusing on the holidays,” Lifetime executive VP of movie, limited series and original movie acquisitions Tanya Lopez said. “Just looking at an image and saying, ‘that person is my skin color,’ is not enough.”

Of Lifetime’s 26 new original holiday movies, 60% feature a person of color either in front of or behind the camera. Lopez said the network’s holiday films over the years have consistently featured inclusive casts, and this year the network offered more films with directors of color.  

Lifetime’s lineup of holiday films directed and executive-produced by people of color includes A New Orleans Noel, executive-produced by actress Keshia Knight Pulliam, and Kirk Franklin’s The Night Before Christmas, executive-produced by the gospel songwriter. 

“It’s been part of our DNA for so long that we haven’t seen it as a big pivot at all,” Lopez said. “We want to show as many holiday family traditions, no matter what that looks like.”

Holiday stories told from a different perspective give viewers a glimpse of life that doesn’t revolve around the tropes typically associated with seasonal films, said Knight Pulliam, who played Rudy Huxtable in the 1980s sitcom The Cosby Show. A New Orleans Noel, starring Tim Reid and Patti LaBelle, showcases some of the holiday traditions of African-American families in the Crescent City.  

“Oftentimes [traditional holiday] movies won’t culturally reflect who we are as African-American people, and we have a culture that’s all our own and specific to us,” Knight Pulliam said during a virtual press event for the movie before it premiered on December 3. “Seeing that … opens up windows to people to show what’s possible and opens up windows to empower people. When you start from a real and authentic place, you can’t go wrong.”  

Hallmark Channel’s Christmas at the Golden Dragon — in which a beloved Chinese restaurant closes on Christmas Eve, forcing patrons and workers to reevaluate the importance of family and friends around the holidays — showcases the holiday season from the perspective of its Taiwanese writer/producer Emily Ting. Ting said the story is based on her family’s desire to experience a traditional Christmas after coming to the U.S. from Taiwan. 

“I had such high expectations only to realize that, sometimes, eating Chinese takeout with your family on Christmas is all you need to celebrate the holidays,” Ting said.

Hallmark executive VP of programming Lisa Hamilton Daly said movies like Christmas at the Golden Dragon and the Asian-American themed A Big Fat Family Christmas help the network attract a more diverse audience by allowing storytellers to tell stories that are familiar to one segment of the audience while exposing different traditions to others. Also on Hallmark’s holiday movie list is The Holiday Stocking, produced by Hallmark’s African-American targeted Mahogany content production brand.

Holidays Are for Everyone

“On the most basic level, the holiday season is for everybody,” Daly said. “We really want to make sure that we are including the broadest range of holiday traditions and people that we can. As we get better at this, we’re seeing bigger and broader audiences.”  

UP Entertainment VP of content strategy and acquisition Hector
Campos said that the network has seen an early ratings bump for UPtv’s lineup of 17 original Christmas-themed films — seven of which feature diverse lead characters. 

“It’s important to us that our audience sees themselves reflected authentically on the screen, and we have actors from all backgrounds in starring roles,” Campos said. “Through our second week of Christmas premieres the response from viewers so far has been great.”

TV analyst Marc Berman said the popularity of holiday-themed movies is only enhanced by providing original movies targeting diverse groups, which has the benefit of delivering new viewers and advertisers.

“We live in a diversified world, and as a distributor you need to show the world as it is,” Berman said. “There’s been a lot of discussion about the lack of diversity in media, and these outlets are beginning to understand that if they don’t represent the world as it is, their brands are going to ultimately pay the price. Advertisers realize that they have to represent brands that represent the world, and I think these outlets realize that, whether it’s scripted dramas or holiday movies.” ■

Fox News and ESPN tied for first on last week’s primetime chart during the first full week of December.

Fox News and ESPN each averaged 2.1 million viewers during the week of December 5 to December 11, according to Nielsen. ESPN was paced by its December 5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers-New Orleans Saints Monday Night Football telecast, which averaged more than 11 million viewers, while Fox News benefited from its coverage of the December 6 Georgia Senate runoff election.

MSNBC finished in third place with 1.4 million viewers, while Hallmark Channel pulled into fourth with 1.3 million viewers and Paramount Network finished fifth with 866,000 viewers. 

HGTV was sixth with 750,000 viewers, followed by History (739,000), TLC (738,000), CNN (701,000) and INSP (671,000), said the network. 

Fox News easily topped the total day charts with 1.4 million viewers for its 49th straight weekly win. MSNBC (842,000 viewers), Hallmark Channel (746,000), ESPN (712,000) and CNN (551,000) rounded out the top five most-watched networks on a 24-hour basis, reported Nielsen. ■  

B+C has partnered with always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company iSpot.tv to bring you a weekly chart we call Promo Mojo: exclusive data showing TV’s most-promoted programming ranked by ad impressions. Our data covers the seven-day period through December 11.

Fox’s FIFA World Cup Qatar is No. 1 for the third week in a row.

The rest of the ranking is dominated by seasonal fare and specials: Hallmark Movies & Mysteries celebrates The Gift of Peace in second place and Hallmark Channel promotes Christmas Class Reunion in third, while CBS gives some love to its Ghosts “Ghostmas” special in fourth place and Disney-owned ABC engages in some synergy by promoting Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration in fifth.

Notably, The Gift of Peace scores the highest iSpot Attention Index (111) in the ranking, meaning viewers were on average highly likely to watch its promos all the way through (vs. interrupting viewing by changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV).

1) FIFA World Cup Qatar, Fox

• Impressions: 324,444,398
• Interruption Rate: 1.05%
• Attention Index: 88 (12% more interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 94%, Local 5%, VOD/OTT 1%
• In-network Value: $5,650,935
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $0.00

2) The Gift of Peace, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

• Impressions: 258,821,003
• Interruption Rate: 3.03%
• Attention Index: 111 (11% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 100%, Local 0%, VOD/OTT 0%
• In-network Value: $1,481,517
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $0.00

3) Christmas Class Reunion, Hallmark Channel

• Impressions: 243,939,442
• Interruption Rate: 3.70%
• Attention Index: 83 (17% more interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 100%, Local 0%, VOD/OTT 0%
• In-network Value: $1,496,740
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $0.00

4) Ghosts “Ghostmas” special, CBS

• Impressions: 226,926,540
• Interruption Rate: 1.13%
• Attention Index: 78 (22% more interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 94%, Local 4%, VOD/OTT 2%
• In-network Value: $3,069,995
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $0.00

5) Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration, ABC

• Impressions: 189,710,059
• Interruption Rate: 1.61%
• Attention Index: 91 (9% more interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 91%, Local 8%, VOD/OTT 1%
• In-network Value: $1,457,336
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $0.00

* Data provided by iSpot.tv, TV Ad Measurement for Disruptive Brands *

For more information about Promo Mojo — including the chart positions of promos beyond the top five — contact mediapartnerships@ispot.tv.

Impressions: The total impressions within all U.S. households including National Linear (Live & Time-shifted), VOD plus OTT, and Local.

Attention Score: Measures the propensity of consumers to interrupt an ad play on TV. The higher the score, the more complete views. Actions that interrupt an ad play include changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV.

Attention Index: Represents the Attention of a specific creative or program placement vs. the average in its respective industry. The average is represented by a score of 100, and the total index range is from 0 through 200. For example, an attention index of 125 means that there are 25% fewer interrupted ad plays compared to the average.

Impression Types: Impression types tracked include National (Live + Time-shifted), Local, VOD & OTT. See below for further details.

In-Network Value: Estimated media value of in-network promos.

Out-of-Network Spend: The estimated amount spent on TV airing time for this promo's spots during a given date range.

National: Live: A national promo which was viewed during live linear television broadcast or same day, via DVR or on-demand.

Local: A promo that was aired during a local ad break slot.

VOD: This includes promos that run in on-demand content past three days (i.e. do not contain the linear promo load).

OTT: On-demand streaming content (i.e. Hulu, Roku, Fire TV Stick, Chromecast). ■

ESPN continued its strong fall season ratings run, topping the primetime ratings chart for the third consecutive week.

The sports network averaged 2.3 million viewers during the week of November 28 to December 4 to beat out second-place Fox News Channel, which averaged 1.9 million viewers for the week, according to Nielsen.

Hallmark Channel continued to ride its "Countdown to Christmas" slate of holiday films to a strong ratings performance, finishing third with 1.3 million viewers, followed by MSNBC's 1.2 million viewers and HGTV's 799,000 watchers.

Also: Cable Nets, Streamers Ramp Up Holiday Films Lineup Leading Into Christmas

Rounding out the top 10 most-watched networks in primetime were Paramount Network (793,000 viewers), TLC (773,000), History (761,000), USA Network (680,000) and Food Network (673,000).

Fox News topped the total day charts with an average of 1.3 million viewers — its 48th consecutive win in the category — followed by ESPN (770,000 viewers), MSNBC (751,000), Hallmark Channel (731,000) and CNN (495,000), reported Nielsen. ■ 

B+C has partnered with always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company iSpot.tv to bring you a weekly chart we call Promo Mojo: exclusive data showing TV’s most-promoted programming ranked by ad impressions. Our data covers the seven-day period through December 4.

Fox’s FIFA World Cup Qatar is No. 1 for the second week in a row.

The rest of the ranking is dominated by holiday movies: CBS promotes Fit for Christmas in second place, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries hypes The Holiday Stocking in third, Freeform celebrates its 25 Days of Christmas programming block in fourth, and Hallmark Channel gives some love to A Fabled Holiday in fifth.

Notably, Fit for Christmas scores the highest iSpot Attention Index (123) in the ranking, meaning viewers were on average highly likely to watch its promos all the way through (vs. interrupting viewing by changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV).

1) FIFA World Cup Qatar, Fox

• Impressions: 423,251,902
• Interruption Rate: 1.88%
• Attention Index: 82 (18% more interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 93%, Local 5%, VOD/OTT 2%
• In-network Value: $5,684,621
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $82,697

2) Fit for Christmas, CBS

• Impressions: 292,681,785
• Interruption Rate: 0.64%
• Attention Index: 123 (23% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 97%, Local 2%, VOD/OTT 1%
• In-network Value: $2,741,242
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $0.00

3) The Holiday Stocking, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

• Impressions: 268,977,343
• Interruption Rate: 3.76%
• Attention Index: 92 (8% more interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 100%, Local 0%, VOD/OTT 0%
• In-network Value: $1,628,490
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $0.00

4) 25 Days of Christmas, Freeform

• Impressions: 251,998,579
• Interruption Rate: 1.25%
• Attention Index: 110 (10% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 96%, Local 3%, VOD/OTT 1%
• In-network Value: $1,123,991
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $213,869

5) A Fabled Holiday, Hallmark Channel

• Impressions: 236,670,171
• Interruption Rate: 2.95%
• Attention Index: 109 (9% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 100%, Local 0%, VOD/OTT 0%
• In-network Value: $1,459,077
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $129,788

* Data provided by iSpot.tv, TV Ad Measurement for Disruptive Brands *

For more information about Promo Mojo — including the chart positions of promos beyond the top five — contact mediapartnerships@ispot.tv.

Impressions: The total impressions within all U.S. households including National Linear (Live & Time-shifted), VOD plus OTT, and Local.

Attention Score: Measures the propensity of consumers to interrupt an ad play on TV. The higher the score, the more complete views. Actions that interrupt an ad play include changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV.

Attention Index: Represents the Attention of a specific creative or program placement vs. the average in its respective industry. The average is represented by a score of 100, and the total index range is from 0 through 200. For example, an attention index of 125 means that there are 25% fewer interrupted ad plays compared to the average.

Impression Types: Impression types tracked include National (Live + Time-shifted), Local, VOD & OTT. See below for further details.

In-Network Value: Estimated media value of in-network promos.

Out-of-Network Spend: The estimated amount spent on TV airing time for this promo's spots during a given date range.

National: Live: A national promo which was viewed during live linear television broadcast or same day, via DVR or on-demand.

Local: A promo that was aired during a local ad break slot.

VOD: This includes promos that run in on-demand content past three days (i.e. do not contain the linear promo load).

OTT: On-demand streaming content (i.e. Hulu, Roku, Fire TV Stick, Chromecast). ■

Cable networks and streaming services are entering the last phase of its nearly three-month run of original holiday films, with more than 50 movies scheduled to debut over the next 25 days from such cable services as Lifetime, Hallmark Channel, VH1, Great American Family and UPtv as well as streaming services BET Plus, HBO Max and Shudder.

Below is a partial list of remaining holiday-themed movies debuting on cable and streaming services, along with their premiere dates.

December 1 

Rolling into Christmas (BET Plus)

Serving Up the Holidays (Lifetime)

A Hollywood Christmas (HBO Max)

December 2 

Christmas with the Campbells (AMC Plus)

A Big Fat Family Christmas (Hallmark Channel)

Cloudy With a Chance of Christmas (Lifetime)

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (Netflix)

Christmas in the Wilds (Uptv)

December 3

Christmas on Candy Cane Lane (Great American Family)

A Fabled Holiday (Hallmark Channel)

A New Orleans Noel (Lifetime)

The Great Holiday Bake War (OWN)

The Holiday Stocking (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)

Christmas on the Slopes (UpTV)

December 4

B&B Merry (Great American Family)

Undercover Holiday (Hallmark Channel)

Merry Textmas (Lifetime)

Christmas on the Rocks (UPtv)

December 8

A Miracle Before Christmas (BET Plus)

Scentsational Christmas (Lifetime)

December 9

Aisle Be Home For Christmas (Great American Family)

The Most Colorful Time of the Year (Hallmark Channel)

A Recipe for Joy (Lifetime)

Something From Tiffany’s (Prime Video)

Christmas Bloody Christmas (Shudder)

December 10

Kirk Franklin’s The Night Before Christmas (Lifetime)

A Prince For the Holidays (Great American Family)

Christmas Class Reunion (Hallmark Channel)

The Gift of Peace (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)

A Christmas Fumble (OWN)

A Royal Christmas Match (UPtv)

December 11

The Holiday Sitter (Hallmark Channel) 

Single and Ready To Jingle (Lifetime)

Santa’s Got Style (UPtv)

A Christmas Prayer (TV One)

December 12

A Nashville Country Christmas (Paramount Network)

December 15

A Blackjack Christmas (BET Plus)

Record Breaking Christmas (Lifetime)

December 16

Holiday Heritage (Hallmark Channel)

A Christmas to Treasure (Lifetime)

The Apology (Shudder)

December 17

A Brush With Christmas Romance (Great American Family)

Five More Minutes: Moments Like These (Hallmark Movies & Mysteries)

The Holiday Dating Guide (Lifetime)

Sappy Holiday (UPtv)

December 18

The Art of Christmas (Great American Family)

Hanukkah on Rye (Hallmark Channel)

Wrapped Up in Love (Lifetime)

A Vintage Christmas (UPtv)

December 19

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (Hallmark Channel)

December 21

Fuhgeddabout Christmas (VH1)

December 22

A Christmas Gift (BET Plus)

December 24

The Snowball Effect (UPtv)

December 25

Christmas in Wolf Creek (UPtv)

Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas original holiday movies lineup delivered a big primetime ratings performance for the network during the Thanksgiving holiday week.

Hallmark Channel averaged 1.7 million viewers in primetime on the strength of seven holiday film premieres during the week of November 21 to November 27, finishing only behind ESPN’s 3 million viewers, according to Nielsen. The sports network notched its second-straight primetime win behind its Monday Night Football and college football game telecasts.

Also: Hallmark Channel's ‘Three Wise Men and a Baby’ Holiday Movie Delivers Ratings Gift

Fox News finished third for the week with 1.6 million viewers, followed by Paramount Network, which averaged 1.1 million viewers. MSNBC pulled into the fifth spot with 791,000 viewers, followed by HGTV’s 702,000 watchers.

TLC finished seventh with 699,000 viewers, followed by Food Network (695,000 viewers), History (658,000) and INSP (657,000).

Fox News held on to the top spot on the total day chart for the 47th consecutive week with an average of 1.2 million viewers, followed by ESPN (1 million viewers), Hallmark Channel (878,000), World Cup-infused FS1 (589,000) and MSNBC (556,000), according to Nielsen. ■

B+C has partnered with always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company iSpot.tv to bring you a weekly chart we call Promo Mojo: exclusive data showing TV’s most-promoted programming ranked by ad impressions. Our data covers the seven-day period through November 27.

Fox’s FIFA World Cup Qatar is No. 1. The network also takes second place to hype upcoming celebrity reality competition Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test and fourth for College Football.

Rounding out the ranking are two cable networks: Hallmark Channel, which promotes A Holiday Spectacular in third, and Paramount Network, which gives some love to the fifth season of Yellowstone in fifth place.

Notably, Yellowstone scores the highest iSpot Attention Index (134) in the ranking, meaning viewers were on average highly likely to watch its promos all the way through (vs. interrupting viewing by changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV).

1) 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, Fox

• Impressions: 711,074,303
• Interruption Rate: 1.14%
• Attention Index: 96 (4% more interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 97%, Local 2%, VOD/OTT 1%
• In-network Value: $12,816,591
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $0.00

2) Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, Fox

• Impressions: 346,434,858
• Interruption Rate: 1.59%
• Attention Index: 81 (19% more interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 95%, Local 3%, VOD/OTT 2%
• In-network Value: $7,390,402
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $0.00

3) A Holiday Spectacular, Hallmark Channel

• Impressions: 343,634,890
• Interruption Rate: 2.46%
• Attention Index: 123 (23% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 99%, Local 1%, VOD/OTT 0%
• In-network Value: $1,702,623
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $764,094

4) College Football, Fox

• Impressions: 324,941,177
• Interruption Rate: 0.74%
• Attention Index: 92 (8% more interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 97%, Local 2%, VOD/OTT 1%
• In-network Value: $4,316,707
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $50,686

5) Yellowstone, Paramount Network

• Impressions: 291,139,420
• Interruption Rate: 2.26%
• Attention Index: 134 (34% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 92%, Local 4%, VOD/OTT 4%
• In-network Value: $1,166,466
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $0.00

* Data provided by iSpot.tv, TV Ad Measurement for Disruptive Brands *

For more information about Promo Mojo — including the chart positions of promos beyond the top five — contact mediapartnerships@ispot.tv.

Impressions: The total impressions within all U.S. households including National Linear (Live & Time-shifted), VOD plus OTT, and Local.

Attention Score: Measures the propensity of consumers to interrupt an ad play on TV. The higher the score, the more complete views. Actions that interrupt an ad play include changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV.

Attention Index: Represents the Attention of a specific creative or program placement vs. the average in its respective industry. The average is represented by a score of 100, and the total index range is from 0 through 200. For example, an attention index of 125 means that there are 25% fewer interrupted ad plays compared to the average.

Impression Types: Impression types tracked include National (Live + Time-shifted), Local, VOD & OTT. See below for further details.

In-Network Value: Estimated media value of in-network promos.

Out-of-Network Spend: The estimated amount spent on TV airing time for this promo's spots during a given date range.

National: Live: A national promo which was viewed during live linear television broadcast or same day, via DVR or on-demand.

Local: A promo that was aired during a local ad break slot.

VOD: This includes promos that run in on-demand content past three days (i.e. do not contain the linear promo load).

OTT: On-demand streaming content (i.e. Hulu, Roku, Fire TV Stick, Chromecast). ■

B+C has partnered with always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company iSpot.tv to bring you a weekly chart we call Promo Mojo: exclusive data showing TV's most-promoted programming ranked by ad impressions. Our data covers the seven-day period through November 20.

ABC's telecast of the American Music Awards is No. 1. The network is joined by fellow traditional broadcaster Fox, which generates excitement for 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar in fourth place.

Rounding out the ranking are two cable networks: Paramount Network, which gives some love to the fifth season of Yellowstone in second place, and Hallmark Channel, which promotes two original TV movies: Three Wise Men and a Baby in third and Inventing the Christmas Prince in fifth.

Notably, Yellowstone scores the highest iSpot Attention Index (119) in the ranking, meaning viewers were on average highly likely to watch its promos all the way through (vs. interrupting viewing by changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV).

1) 2022 American Music Awards, ABC

• Impressions: 322,011,482
• Interruption Rate: 1.11%
• Attention Index: 107 (7% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 97%, Local 3%, VOD/OTT 0%
• In-network Value: $2,927,608
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $289,857

2) Yellowstone, Paramount Network

• Impressions: 312,808,370
• Interruption Rate: 2.37%
• Attention Index: 119 (19% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 92%, Local 4%, VOD/OTT 4%
• In-network Value: $1,060,514
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $457,049

3) Three Wise Men and a Baby, Hallmark Channel

• Impressions: 309,313,504
• Interruption Rate: 2.66%
• Attention Index: 114 (14% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 99%, Local 1%, VOD/OTT 0%
• In-network Value: $1,661,031
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $381,573

4) 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, Fox

• Impressions: 278,117,859
• Interruption Rate: 1.86%
• Attention Index: 80 (20% more interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 93%, Local 5%, VOD/OTT 2%
• In-network Value: $5,595,264
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $44,126

5) Inventing the Christmas Prince, Hallmark Channel

• Impressions: 244,918,741
• Interruption Rate: 3.69%
• Attention Index: 87 (13% more interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 100%, Local 0%, VOD/OTT 0%
• In-network Value: $1,383,703
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $0.00

* Data provided by iSpot.tv, TV Ad Measurement for Disruptive Brands *

For more information about Promo Mojo — including the chart positions of promos beyond the top five — contact mediapartnerships@ispot.tv.

Impressions: The total impressions within all U.S. households including National Linear (Live & Time-shifted), VOD plus OTT, and Local.

Attention Score: Measures the propensity of consumers to interrupt an ad play on TV. The higher the score, the more complete views. Actions that interrupt an ad play include changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV.

Attention Index: Represents the Attention of a specific creative or program placement vs. the average in its respective industry. The average is represented by a score of 100, and the total index range is from 0 through 200. For example, an attention index of 125 means that there are 25% fewer interrupted ad plays compared to the average.

Impression Types: Impression types tracked include National (Live + Time-shifted), Local, VOD & OTT. See below for further details.

In-Network Value: Estimated media value of in-network promos.

Out-of-Network Spend: The estimated amount spent on TV airing time for this promo's spots during a given date range.

National: Live: A national promo which was viewed during live linear television broadcast or same day, via DVR or on-demand.

Local: A promo that was aired during a local ad break slot.

VOD: This includes promos that run in on-demand content past three days (i.e. do not contain the linear promo load).

OTT: On-demand streaming content (i.e. Hulu, Roku, Fire TV Stick, Chromecast). ■

Hallmark Channel’s original holiday film Three Wise Men and a Baby delivered the biggest audience of the year for a cable original movie in its November 19 premiere, according to network officials.

The film, which follows three bickering brothers who find themselves caring for a baby anonymously left in their care, averaged 3.6 million viewers according to Nielsen ratings provided by Hallmark. The film stars Andrew Walker, Tyler Hynes and Paul Campbell. 

Three Wise Men and a Baby -- which also features Margaret Colin who starred in the 1987 Three Men and a Baby theatrical film -- is the most-watched entry of Hallmark’s Countdown for Christmas offering of 40 original holiday films which debuted in late October. 

Also: Weekly Cable Ratings: ESPN Returns to Top Spot in Primetime

The films have helped Hallmark Channel finish among the top five most-watched networks for the month of November, according to Nielsen.■

With the Midterm elections now over, ESPN has replaced Fox News at the top of the primetime charts.  

The sports network averaged 3.5 million viewers in primetime during the week of November 11 to November 20 for its third win in the last four weeks, according to Nielsen. Fox News finished in second place with 2.3 million viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel and MSNBC, which tied for third at 1.3 million viewers. CNN and Paramount Network tied for fifth with 877,000 watchers.

History (790,000 viewers), TLC (750,000), TBS (730,000) and Food Network (692,000) rounded out the top 10 most watched shows in primetime.

Fox News topped the total day chart for the 46th consecutive week with 1.5 million viewers, followed by ESPN (1 million viewers), MSNBC (818,000), Hallmark Channel (747,000) and CNN (625,000), according to Nielsen.■  

Hallmark Media is making a selection of its holiday movies available in Spanish via free streaming service Canela.TV. 

The programmer inked a deal back in October to distribute its movies in Spanish via the streaming platform.

“As Hispanic families gather for the holidays, these Hallmark holiday movies on Canela.TV will surely add to the joy of the season,” Canela.TV CEO Isabel Rafferty Zavala said.

In addition to the U.S., the New York-based Canela.TV, which reaches upwards of 50 million unique users across more than 180 Spanish-language websites, is also available in Mexico and Colombia.

Among the titles available in the deal are Christmas Made to Order (Navidad a la Medida), Open by Christmas (La Tarjeta de Navidad) and  Jingle Bell Bride (La Novia de Navidad).

Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries blanket (cocoa optional) the holiday season from Halloween to New Year’s Day with nonstop holiday movies. ▪️

At a handful of Hilton's this holiday season, it will be all about the Hallmark.

The Hallmark Channel began its ratings juggernaut "Countdown to Christmas" movie marathon this year even before Halloween and Hilton wants some of that holiday magic to rub off on travelers as it competes with Airbnb and other services offering homes as alternatives to hotels.

"When you feel like coming home for the holidays," Hilton said in announcing the partnership, "it matters where you stay," the tagline it has been using on ads suggesting the potential "nightmares" of staying in someone else's house.

To help sell the hominess of Hilton, the company has set up Hallmark Movie themed suites at three hotels--the "Cozy Christmas" Suite in Chicago, the "SoCal Christmas" suite in San Diego and the "Glam Christmas" Suite in Las Vegas.

Also:  Peacock Streams Hallmark Channels

Hallmark helped Hilton decorate the suites including everything from a custom-crocheted Christmas Tree and a gingerbread hotel against a Chicago skyline to a snow cone machine in the SoCal Christmas suite to a tinsel-bedecked ceiling and a wall of sequined "holiday trees" in Vegas.

There will even be a Christmas tree lighting at 8 p.m. every night in each suite, which will also be fitted out with a collection of old and new Hallmark Movies, plus popcorn and movie snacks. 

“Our goal during the holidays is to provide ways for people to enjoy the ultimate, most sensationally memorable Christmas experience, and this collaboration truly delivers,” said Hallmark chief marketing officer Lara Richardson.

Hallmark Channel will add to its original scripted series lineup with the January 15 launch of The Way Home.

The series follows the lives of three generations of estranged women who look to find their footing as a family, embarking on an enlightening and surprising journey that none of them could have imagined, according to network officials.

The series stars Andie MacDowell, Chyler Leigh, Evan Williams and Sadie Laflamme-Snow, along with Alex Hook, Al Mukadam, Jefferson Brown, David Webster, and Siddarth Sharma.

The Way Home is executive produced by MacDowell and Leigh along with Marly Reed, Arnie Zipursky, Lauren MacKinlay, Larry Grimaldi, Hannah Pillemer, Fernando Szew, Heather Conkie, Alexandra Clarke.■

B+C has partnered with always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company iSpot.tv to bring you a weekly chart we call Promo Mojo: exclusive data showing TV’s most-promoted programming ranked by ad impressions. Our data covers the seven-day period through November 13.

Paramount Network’s hit drama Yellowstone, now in its fifth season, is No. 1 for a second week in a row.

Paramount Network is joined by its cable peer Hallmark Channel, which gives some love to its original movie The Royal Nanny — part of its “Countdown to Christmas” programming block — in second place, plus Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, which celebrates its original movie Our Italian Christmas Memories in fifth.

The rest of the ranking is filled out by two traditional broadcasters: Fox, which generates excitement for 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar in third, and ABC, which hypes the 2022 CMA Awards in fourth.

Notably, Yellowstone scores the highest iSpot Attention Index (122) in the ranking, meaning viewers were on average highly likely to watch its promos all the way through (vs. interrupting viewing by changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV).

1) Yellowstone, Paramount Network

• Impressions: 921,972,277
• Interruption Rate: 1.83%
• Attention Index: 122 (22% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 95%, Local 3%, VOD/OTT 2%
• In-network Value: $2,971,549
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $8,316,356

2) The Royal Nanny, Hallmark Channel

• Impressions: 302,875,967
• Interruption Rate: 3.50%
• Attention Index: 96 (4% more interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 100%, Local 0%, VOD/OTT 0%
• In-network Value: $1,693,915
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $328,976

3) 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, Fox

• Impressions: 295,844,334
• Interruption Rate: 1.11%
• Attention Index: 79 (21% more interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 94%, Local 5%, VOD/OTT 1%
• In-network Value: $4,454,229
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $0.00

4) 2022 CMA Awards, ABC

• Impressions: 279,265,509
• Interruption Rate: 1.57%
• Attention Index: 86 (14% more interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 95%, Local 4%, VOD/OTT 1%
• In-network Value: $1,387,390
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $848,329

5) Our Italian Christmas Memories, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries

• Impressions: 223,364,239
• Interruption Rate: 3.29%
• Attention Index: 107 (7% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 100%, Local 0%, VOD/OTT 0%
• In-network Value: $1,234,453
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $0.00

* Data provided by iSpot.tv, TV Ad Measurement for Disruptive Brands *

For more information about Promo Mojo — including the chart positions of promos beyond the top five — contact mediapartnerships@ispot.tv.

Impressions: The total impressions within all U.S. households including National Linear (Live & Time-shifted), VOD plus OTT, and Local.

Attention Score: Measures the propensity of consumers to interrupt an ad play on TV. The higher the score, the more complete views. Actions that interrupt an ad play include changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV.

Attention Index: Represents the Attention of a specific creative or program placement vs. the average in its respective industry. The average is represented by a score of 100, and the total index range is from 0 through 200. For example, an attention index of 125 means that there are 25% fewer interrupted ad plays compared to the average.

Impression Types: Impression types tracked include National (Live + Time-shifted), Local, VOD & OTT. See below for further details.

In-Network Value: Estimated media value of in-network promos.

Out-of-Network Spend: The estimated amount spent on TV airing time for this promo's spots during a given date range.

National: Live: A national promo which was viewed during live linear television broadcast or same day, via DVR or on-demand.

Local: A promo that was aired during a local ad break slot.

VOD: This includes promos that run in on-demand content past three days (i.e. do not contain the linear promo load).

OTT: On-demand streaming content (i.e. Hulu, Roku, Fire TV Stick, Chromecast). ■

The midterm elections proved to be a ratings boondoggle for Fox News, which swept both the primetime and total day charts last week.

Fox News averaged 3.2 million viewers for the week of November 7 to November 13, stopping ESPN’s two-week winning streak, according to Nielsen. Fox News drew the most viewers across 13 networks providing election day coverage on November 8, drawing 7.4 million total viewers in primetime, reported Nielsen.

ESPN finished second for the week with 2.2 million views, followed by MSNBC with 1.7 million viewers.

Paramount Network -- bolstered by the more than 8 million viewers who tuned into the November 13 fifth season debut of its original drama series Yellowstone -- finished fourth for the week with 1.4 million viewers, while Hallmark Channel rode its holiday-themed programming to a fifth place tie with CNN with 1.2 million watchers.

Also: 'Yellowstone' Season 5 Has Year's Biggest Scripted Premiere with 12.1 Million L+SD Viewers

HGTV finished seventh with 737,000 viewers, followed by TLC (713,000 viewers), Food Network (681,000) and TBS (661,000).

Fox News extended its total day streak to 45 weeks with an average of 1.9 million viewers, followed by MSNBC (986,000 viewers), ESPN (818,000) CNN (767,000) and Hallmark Channel (670,000), said Nielsen.■  

B+C has partnered with always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company iSpot.tv to bring you a weekly chart we call Promo Mojo: exclusive data showing TV's most-promoted programming ranked by ad impressions. Our data covers the seven-day period through November 6.

Paramount Network's hit drama Yellowstone — which kicks off its fifth season on November 13 — is No. 1.

Paramount Network is joined by its cable peer Hallmark Channel, which gives some love to Lights, Camera, Christmas — part of its "Countdown to Christmas" programming block — in fourth.

The rest of the ranking is filled out by traditional broadcasters: NBC, which promotes sitcoms Lopez vs. Lopez and Young Rock in second place; ABC, which hypes the 2022 CMA Awards in third; and Fox, which generates excitement for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar in fifth.

Notably, Yellowstone scores the highest iSpot Attention Index (125) in the ranking, meaning viewers were on average highly likely to watch its promos all the way through (vs. interrupting viewing by changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV).

1) Yellowstone, Paramount Network

• Impressions: 420,459,267
• Interruption Rate: 2.22%
• Attention Index: 125 (25% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 95%, Local 2%, VOD/OTT 3%
• In-network Value: $3,610,513
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $1,717,912

2) Lopez vs. Lopez | Young Rock, NBC

• Impressions: 418,700,041
• Interruption Rate: 1.41%
• Attention Index: 106 (6% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 96%, Local 3%, VOD/OTT 1%
• In-network Value: $2,113,371
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $2,241,089

3) 2022 CMA Awards, ABC

• Impressions: 334,159,081
• Interruption Rate: 1.45%
• Attention Index: 101 (1% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 95%, Local 4%, VOD/OTT 1%
• In-network Value: $3,659,306
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $594,015

4) Lights, Camera, Christmas, Hallmark Channel

• Impressions: 270,119,127
• Interruption Rate: 3.34%
• Attention Index: 98 (2% more interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 100%, Local 0%, VOD/OTT 0%
• In-network Value: $1,585,193
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $292,801

5) 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, Fox

• Impressions: 268,074,668
• Interruption Rate: 1.71%
• Attention Index: 91 (9% more interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 92%, Local 7%, VOD/OTT 1%
• In-network Value: $4,932,642
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $0.00

* Data provided by iSpot.tv, TV Ad Measurement for Disruptive Brands *

For more information about Promo Mojo — including the chart positions of promos beyond the top five — contact mediapartnerships@ispot.tv.

Impressions: The total impressions within all U.S. households including National Linear (Live & Time-shifted), VOD plus OTT, and Local.

Attention Score: Measures the propensity of consumers to interrupt an ad play on TV. The higher the score, the more complete views. Actions that interrupt an ad play include changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV.

Attention Index: Represents the Attention of a specific creative or program placement vs. the average in its respective industry. The average is represented by a score of 100, and the total index range is from 0 through 200. For example, an attention index of 125 means that there are 25% fewer interrupted ad plays compared to the average.

Impression Types: Impression types tracked include National (Live + Time-shifted), Local, VOD & OTT. See below for further details.

In-Network Value: Estimated media value of in-network promos.

Out-of-Network Spend: The estimated amount spent on TV airing time for this promo's spots during a given date range.

National: Live: A national promo which was viewed during live linear television broadcast or same day, via DVR or on-demand.

Local: A promo that was aired during a local ad break slot.

VOD: This includes promos that run in on-demand content past three days (i.e. do not contain the linear promo load).

OTT: On-demand streaming content (i.e. Hulu, Roku, Fire TV Stick, Chromecast). ■

ESPN rolled to its second-straight weekly primetime ratings win and Fox News Channel continued its dominance of the total-day charts during the first week of November.

ESPN averaged 3.1 million viewers in primetime during the week of October 31 to November 6, according to Nielsen. The sports network was bolstered in part by its November 5 Alabama-LSU college football telecast, which averaged 7.6 million viewers, the network's most-watched regular season game since 2016.

Fox News finished second with 2.4 million viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel with 1.1 million viewers and MSNBC with 1 million viewers. TLC finished fifth with 755,000 viewers, followed by HGTV (719,000), TBS (619,000), INSP (605,000), Food Network (566,000), and USA Network (557,000).

On the total-day front, Fox News averaged 1.6 million viewers for its 44th consecutive win, followed by ESPN (966,000), MSNBC (676,000), Hallmark Channel (665,000) and CNN (431,000), Nielsen said. ■  

B+C has partnered with always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company iSpot.tv to bring you a weekly chart we call Promo Mojo: exclusive data showing TV's most-promoted programming ranked by ad impressions. Our data covers the seven-day period through October 30.

Hallmark Channel's new original movie Jolly Good Christmas -- part of the network's "Countdown to Christmas" programming block -- is No. 1.

Paramount Network takes second place to promote the upcoming fifth season of Yellowstone. Traditional broadcast networks round out the ranking, with Fox hyping the eighth season of The Masked Singer in third, NBC giving some love to sitcoms Lopez vs. Lopez and Young Rock in fourth, and CBS promoting a new episode of Ghosts in fifth.

Notably, Jolly Good Christmas scores the highest iSpot Attention Index (116) in the ranking, meaning viewers were on average highly likely to watch its promos all the way through (vs. interrupting viewing by changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV).

1) Jolly Good Christmas, Hallmark Channel

• Impressions: 235,963,613
• Interruption Rate: 3.07%
• Attention Index: 116 (16% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 98%, Local 1%, VOD/OTT 1%
• In-network Value: $1,409,044
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $166,272

2) Yellowstone, Paramount Network

• Impressions: 234,159,300
• Interruption Rate: 2.61%
• Attention Index: 101 (1% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 95%, Local 2%, VOD/OTT 3%
• In-network Value: $1,258,907
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $37,976

3) The Masked Singer, Fox

• Impressions: 220,615,381
• Interruption Rate: 0.70%
• Attention Index: 92 (8% more interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 90%, Local 8%, VOD/OTT 2%
• In-network Value: $2,105,653
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $574,990

4) Lopez vs. Lopez | Young Rock, NBC

• Impressions: 211,554,360
• Interruption Rate: 1.58%
• Attention Index: 113 (13% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 94%, Local 5%, VOD/OTT 1%
• In-network Value: $1,835,002
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $617,674

5) Ghosts, CBS

• Impressions: 206,847,088
• Interruption Rate: 1.40%
• Attention Index: 102 (2% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 93%, Local 4%, VOD/OTT 3%
• In-network Value: $2,132,490
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $0.00

* Data provided by iSpot.tv, TV Ad Measurement for Disruptive Brands *

For more information about Promo Mojo — including the chart positions of promos beyond the top five — contact mediapartnerships@ispot.tv.

Impressions: The total impressions within all U.S. households including National Linear (Live & Time-shifted), VOD plus OTT, and Local.

Attention Score: Measures the propensity of consumers to interrupt an ad play on TV. The higher the score, the more complete views. Actions that interrupt an ad play include changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV.

Attention Index: Represents the Attention of a specific creative or program placement vs. the average in its respective industry. The average is represented by a score of 100, and the total index range is from 0 through 200. For example, an attention index of 125 means that there are 25% fewer interrupted ad plays compared to the average.

Impression Types: Impression types tracked include National (Live + Time-shifted), Local, VOD & OTT. See below for further details.

In-Network Value: Estimated media value of in-network promos.

Out-of-Network Spend: The estimated amount spent on TV airing time for this promo's spots during a given date range.

National: Live: A national promo which was viewed during live linear television broadcast or same day, via DVR or on-demand.

Local: A promo that was aired during a local ad break slot.

VOD: This includes promos that run in on-demand content past three days (i.e. do not contain the linear promo load).

OTT: On-demand streaming content (i.e. Hulu, Roku, Fire TV Stick, Chromecast). ■

NBCUniversal's Peacock announced an unusual deal with Hallmark Media under which Peacock will stream Hallmark’s linear channels and offer its content on demand.

Beginning Wednesday, Peacock’s homepage will include a dedicated hub where viewers can find Hallmark’s offerings.

The hub will feature live simulcasts of Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama, making Peacock into a mini multichannel video programming distributor.

"As we continue to make Peacock a premium streaming destination, Hallmark is exactly the type of brand we want to align with," Kelly Campbell, NBCUniversal president of Peacock, and direct-to-consumer, said. "Through this groundbreaking partnership, we're giving Hallmark viewers a unique viewing experience while continuing to grow our audience, boosting engagement across both brands."

In addition to the live Hallmark channels, Peacock subscribers have on-demand live and next-day access to Hallmark movies and series, including When Calls the Heart.

Classic Hallmark holiday movies will also be available via Peacock.

NBCUniversal said Peacock now has about 15 million subscribers. In the third quarter, the service lost $614 million on revenue of $5.6 million. NBCU has been moving next-day availability of programming from NBC and the company's cable channels, including Bravo, to Peacock this year with the expiration of a distribution agreement with Hulu. NBCU owns a minority stake in Hulu, which is controlled by The Walt Disney Co.

As an independent, Hallmark faces headwinds in streaming. The Hallmark Channels are already available to stream over outlets including YouTube TV and FrndlyTV. Frndly TV also offers its subscribers Hallmark's VOD service Hallmark Movies Now as an add-on.

Hallmark also launched an AVOD channel on Xumo in 2020.

"We're proud to enter this partnership with Peacock and bring our widely beloved Hallmark content to their subscribers," Hallmark Media president and CEO Wonya Lucas said. "The opportunity to provide our devoted fanbase access to all three of Hallmark’s linear networks will allow our audience to continue to grow and connect in meaningful ways." ■

Programmers, streamers and even smart TV brands are leaning into the fall season in a big way. From myriad made-for-TV movies and Vizio's launch of its free-to-view "Fall Fest," to Peacock's "Halloween Horror" and Hulu's "Huluween" in-app destinations, it seems like this year there's more fall-related stuff popping up on screens than ever.

When it comes to live, linear TV, Hallmark Channel has a lock on love during the season's festivities. Its "Fall into Love" programming block kicked off August 6 with 11 new movie premieres over the following months, nearly double its autumn offering last year (six) and more than triple its 2019 premieres during the same period.

Looking at viewership data from Vizio's Inscape, 22 of Hallmark's 50 most-watched shows and movies are fall-themed, led by Dating the Delaneys, its third premiere of "Fall into Love," which captured 1.50% of all live, linear minutes watched on the network from August 1 through October 20. And if you remove syndicated reruns, Delaneys was the No. 1 program by watch-time for the channel this fall. That's up a notch from last year's most-watched fall title, Roadhouse Romance, which captured 1.48% of minutes watched during the same period.

On the advertising side of things, estimated TV ad spend on Hallmark Channel is up nearly 8% year-over-year since August 1, per iSpot.tv, and most-seen advertisers include Nutrisystem (1.44% impressions SOV), GOLO (1.21%) and Instacart (1.14%). While Nutrisystem and GOLO did advertise on Hallmark last fall, they've dramatically upped airings from a couple hundred each in 2021 to over 1,000 this year. Instacart, Knix, Indeed and Choice Hotels are four brands that did not advertise on Hallmark during fall 2021 but did run ads this year.

But of course it can't all be about harvest romances -- it is spooky season, after all. Inscape examined the horror genre across live, linear TV to reveal the most-watched horror movies so far this season: Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Jaws, House of Wax and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.

At the network level, AMC is dominating the scares, capturing over 54% of all horror minutes watched since September 1, up from 41% during the same period in 2021. Syfy takes second, with 10.5% of watch-time for horror content.

Diving deeper into AMC, airings of the original Halloween have captured 2.83% of all minutes watched on the network since September 1, second only to The Walking Dead.

Subway (1.68%), Progressive (1.61%) and Burger King (1.32%) are the top three brands by TV ad impressions SOV this fall on AMC, and each have invested more heavily this year than last, leading to notable share of voice increases compared to 2021. Looking at new advertisers this year, Instacart and Nutrafol were two of the most-seen that did not air ads in the same time period in 2021.

And finally, we can’t have Halloween without fresh baking competitions over on Food Network. The cooking destination has upped its fall fare: In 2021, five of its top 50 most-watched shows were Halloween- or autumn-themed. This year there are seven in the top 50, led by Halloween Baking Championship, which has snagged 10.87% of all live-linear minutes watched on the network September 1 through October 20, per Inscape -- up from 8.96% in the same period last year.

Halloween Wars, another seasonal competition, has received 7.77% of Food Network watch-time (up from 7% in 2021), and Halloween Cookie Challenge, the network’s latest themed offering, has 1.80% of minutes watched.

According to iSpot, top brands by TV ad impressions SOV on Food Network this fall include Kohl's (0.98%), Progressive (0.87%) and Target (0.87%). Of those three, Progressive ran about 100 more airings this year than last. New advertisers this year that didn't run ads last fall include Bank of America Credit Card, King's Hawaiian, Rubbermaid, Lavazza and Visible. ■

Cable networks airing live sports programming scored big ratings returns last week, led by baseball playoffs-infused TBS.

TBS, bolstered by its coverage of Major League Baseball’s American League Championship Series between the Houston Astros and New York Yankees, averaged 2.9 million viewers during the week of October 17 to October 23 to top all cable networks, according to Nielsen. ESPN, which continued to draw big audiences to Monday Night Football, finished second for the week with 2.7 million viewers.

FS1, which aired the National League Championship Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres, pulled into fourth place in primetime with 1.6 million viewers, and in sixth place on the total day chart with 484,000 viewers.

Fox News finished third in primetime for the week with 2.3 million viewers, while MSNBC rounded out the top five most watched networks with 1.1 million viewers.

TNT was sixth with 1 million viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel (982,000 viewers), HGTV (833,000), TLC (741,000) and INSP (635,000).

Fox News Channel remained atop the total-day charts for the 42nd week, fighting off challengers TBS (892,000 viewers), ESPN (888,000), MSNBC (719,000) and Hallmark Channel (549,000), Nielsen reported. ■  

B+C has partnered with always-on TV ad measurement and attribution company iSpot.tv to bring you a weekly chart we call Promo Mojo: exclusive data showing TV's most-promoted programming ranked by ad impressions. Our data covers the seven-day period through October 23.

Hallmark Channel's new original movie We Wish You a Married Christmas — part of the network's "Countdown to Christmas" programming block — is No. 1. Last week's chart-topper, ABC's new drama Alaska Daily, takes second place.

Cable networks have the edge in the ranking, with Hallmark Channel joined by TBS, which gives some love to MLB Postseason 2022 in third place, and Paramount Network, which promotes the upcoming fifth season of Yellowstone in fourth.

Rounding out the ranking is CBS, which hypes new drama Fire Country in fifth.

Notably, Yellowstone scores the highest iSpot Attention Index (124) in the ranking, meaning viewers were on average highly likely to watch its promos all the way through (vs. interrupting viewing by changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV).

1) We Wish You a Married Christmas, Hallmark Channel

• Impressions: 208,797,532
• Interruption Rate: 3.05%
• Attention Index: 103 (3% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 99%, Local 1%, VOD/OTT 0%
• In-network Value: $1,235,945
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $84,786

2) Alaska Daily, ABC

• Impressions: 205,041,409
• Interruption Rate: 1.40%
• Attention Index: 102 (2% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 93%, Local 5%, VOD/OTT 2%
• In-network Value: $1,296,057
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $521,071

3) MLB Postseason 2022, TBS

• Impressions: 175,407,279
• Interruption Rate: 1.16%
• Attention Index: 116 (16% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 99%, Local 0%, VOD/OTT 1%
• In-network Value: $858,618
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $344,720

4) Yellowstone, Paramount Network

• Impressions: 172,606,328
• Interruption Rate: 2.79%
• Attention Index: 124 (24% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 95%, Local 2%, VOD/OTT 3%
• In-network Value: $1,040,108
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $0.00

5) Fire Country, CBS

• Impressions: 147,603,879
• Interruption Rate: 1.35%
• Attention Index: 109 (9% fewer interruptions than avg.)
• Imp. Types: National 91%, Local 6%, VOD/OTT 3%
• In-network Value: $1,502,592
• Out-of-network Est. Spend: $131,227

* Data provided by iSpot.tv, TV Ad Measurement for Disruptive Brands *

For more information about Promo Mojo — including the chart positions of promos beyond the top five — contact mediapartnerships@ispot.tv.

Impressions: The total impressions within all U.S. households including National Linear (Live & Time-shifted), VOD plus OTT, and Local.

Attention Score: Measures the propensity of consumers to interrupt an ad play on TV. The higher the score, the more complete views. Actions that interrupt an ad play include changing the channel, pulling up the guide, fast-forwarding or turning off the TV.

Attention Index: Represents the Attention of a specific creative or program placement vs. the average in its respective industry. The average is represented by a score of 100, and the total index range is from 0 through 200. For example, an attention index of 125 means that there are 25% fewer interrupted ad plays compared to the average.

Impression Types: Impression types tracked include National (Live + Time-shifted), Local, VOD & OTT. See below for further details.

In-Network Value: Estimated media value of in-network promos.

Out-of-Network Spend: The estimated amount spent on TV airing time for this promo's spots during a given date range.

National: Live: A national promo which was viewed during live linear television broadcast or same day, via DVR or on-demand.

Local: A promo that was aired during a local ad break slot.

VOD: This includes promos that run in on-demand content past three days (i.e. do not contain the linear promo load).

OTT: On-demand streaming content (i.e. Hulu, Roku, Fire TV Stick, Chromecast). ■

Live sports programming continued to propel cable network ratings in primetime as ESPN and TBS topped last week's ratings chart.

ESPN — bolstered by its Monday Night Football and weekend college football telecasts — won its second-straight primetime weekly title, averaging 3 million viewers during the week of October 10-16, according to Nielsen. Coverage of Major League Baseball’s postseason American League Division Series helped TBS finish second in primetime with 2.4 million viewers, while the two National League Division Series led FS1 to a fourth-place finish with 1.3 million viewers.

Cable news networks Fox News Channel (2.1 million viewers) and MSNBC (1.3 million) took third and fifth place, respectively.

HGTV finished sixth with 808,000 viewers, followed by Hallmark Channel (780,000 viewers), TLC (673,000), TNT (656,000) and CNN (649,000).

Fox News (1.4 million viewers) held off a strong charge from ESPN (896,000) and TBS (848,000) to top the total day chart for the 41st consecutive week. MSNBC (843,000) and FS1 (562,000) rounded out the top five most-watched networks in the category for the week, according to Nielsen. ■