Topline
The Hallmark Channel’s annual Countdown to Christmas programming slate has already been watched by 12 million unique viewers as of Thursday—two days before Halloween—as the network doubles down on its holiday content with a schedule that includes 40% more new Christmas films than last year.
Actress Janel Parrish stars in “Forgotten Holiday” on the Hallmark Channel.
Key Facts
Countdown to Christmas, which marks Hallmark’s switch to 24/7 holiday movies and festive specials, started Oct. 16 with the premiere of “‘Tis the Season for Setups,” a classic romantic comedy set at a ski resort.
Five other brand-new holiday films have come out since, including “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story” with cameos from NFL names like Bears head coach Ben Johnson, quarterback Caleb Williams, tight end Colston Loveland, former star Mike Singletary, and Connie Payton, wife of the late Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton.’
Five of the new movies have already broken into the 200 most-watched cable programs of their respective weeks, beating college football games and some episodes of popular Fox News programs like “Hannity.”
“Forgotten Holiday,” which premiered Oct. 24 and starred Hallmark staple actress Janel Parrish, is the most popular so far and was watched by 1.5 million live viewers, on par with the Houston Cougars vs. Utah Utes football game on ESPN.
The 12 million viewer figure represents more than 30% of the 38 million viewers reached during the full 70 days of Countdown to Christmas last year (not including Hallmark+ streaming viewership), the network said, citing Nielsen data.
The network will release 34 original holiday movies this year—10 more than in 2025.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
The next new originals. Hallmark debuts new holiday films every weekend from the start of “Countdown to Christmas” through Dec. 20, and Thanksgiving weekend usually delivers the strongest viewership.
Key background
Christmas programming from Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas, along with Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, account for one-third of the company’s annual ad revenue, according to AdWeek, estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Business Insider estimated in 2017 that, on average, Hallmark holiday movies only cost about $2 million (equal to about $2.75 million today) to produce and take three weeks to shoot, significantly less than what some companies spend on one episode of a TV show. The production budget for “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” for instance, is estimated around $5 million to $6 million per episode. Hallmark has leaned into mainstream partnerships this season with “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story,” and “Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True,” which was filmed on-site in Florida . The network has also rolled out movie-inspired lifestyle merchandise that spans branded loungewear, cozy throw blankets and high-profile tie-ins like its “Holiday Ever After” Disney collection—complete with Spirit Jerseys and Vera Bradley bags.
TANGENT
The “Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story” movie was the least-viewed of any Hallmark/NFL crossover yet—and the only one to not release on the popular Thanksgiving weekend. The Chicago Bears-centric film, which premiered Oct. 17, drew 1.2 million live viewers compared to 1.5 million who tuned into “Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story” last year and 2.8 million who watched the premiere of “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story” in 2024.
further reading
Hallmark Christmas Season Starts Friday: A Guide To All 34 New Movies
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
