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State of the Screens

How to Watch Christmas Specials and Movies on TV: 2019 Holiday Viewing Guide

By December 29, 2019No Comments

Boom: TV Guide has a breakdown of where to watch your favorite shows across 15 networks and streaming services!

Key details for Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas:
1) 
Hallmark started airing Christmas movies in 2002
2) They will make 103 movies this year, and 43 (41%) are about Christmas
3) The channel goes 24/7 Christmas between October and January
4) 72M people watched Christmas programming on the Hallmark Channel in 2018
5) The Hallmark Channel is #1 in both women (18-49) and (25-54) in Q4

No joke: The only thing that can get Granny Screens to clear old reruns of Matlock off of the DVR is Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas so these numbers are no surprise and why Santa Screens may be leaving this in her stocking!

Hallmark Christmas movies per year (YoY change):
1) 2009 – 8
2) 2010 – 12 (↑ 50%)
3) 2011 – 12 ( 0%)
4) 2012 – 12 ( 0%)
5) 2013 – 12 ( 0%)
6) 2014 – 18 ( 50%)
7) 2015 – 21 ( 17%)
8) 2016 – 28 ( 33%)
9) 2017 – 34 ( 21%)
10) 2018 – 37 ( 9%)
11) 2019 – 40 ( 8%)

Netflix Christmas movies per year (YoY change):
1) 2014 – 1
2) 2015 – ( 0%)
3) 2016 – ( 100%)
4) 2017 – ( 150%)
5) 2018 – 10 ( 100%)
6) 2019 – 17 ( 70%)

Video: Why Hallmark Bet Right on its ‘Countdown to Christmas’ Programming

More #1: This (Jewish) Couple Has Written 30 Christmas Movies — and They’re Not Alone

More #2: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Netflix and Disney Battle Hallmark for Christmas Viewers

More #3: War Over Christmas As Lifetime Trespasses On Hallmark Turf

Michael Beach

Michael Beach is the Chief Executive Officer of Cross Screen Media, a media analytics and software company that enables marketers to plan, activate, and measure CTV and linear TV at the local level. Michael is also the founder and editor of State of the Screens, a weekly newsletter focused on video advertising that is a must-read for thought leaders in the advertising industry. He has appeared in such publications as PBS Frontline, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Axios, CNBC and Bloomberg, and on NPR’s Planet Money podcast.