HALLMARK CHANNEL�S PREMIERE OF �A BOYFRIEND FOR CHRISTMAS�
SCORES A 2.7 HH RATING
Johnson & Johnson�s Tylenol Brand is Exclusive Sponsor of Network�s
Third Sponsorship Solutions Unit Success
Entitlement Includes Reduced Commercial Load of Four National Minutes Per Hour
Hallmark Channel�s Original Movie, �A Boyfriend for Christmas,� has proven to be a gift no
one will return this Christmas. The Nov. 27 premiere of the original movie generated the largest
audience in the network�s history. The premiere was the highest rated ad-supported cable movie
for the day among households and ranked third in the time period (among the 54 ad-supported
cable networks) for household impressions. More than 1.75 million households and 3.5 million
unduplicated viewers tuned in to the two-hour �Tylenol Exclusive Event,� whose 2.7 household
rating was the second highest in the 9-11 p.m. time period among 54 ad-supported cable
networks. The original movie also ranked #1 in the time period with Adults 25-54 Rating and
Women 25-54 Rating. Among all networks and all original movies this year, �A Boyfriend for
Christmas� was the #1 ad-supported movie for length of tune among Adults 25-54 (42.8 minutes
without changing the channel over an average of 24.4 minutes for the average original movie on
cable in 2004).
In addition to reaching the largest audience in Hallmark Channel�s history, the entitlement
included a reduced commercial load of four national minutes per hour in keeping with the clutterbusting
objectives of the network�s Sponsorship Solutions Unit, which negotiated the sponsorship.
�I am delighted to say that our Sponsorship Solutions Unit has scored another huge win for
a client,� said Bill Abbott, Hallmark Channel�s Executive Vice President, National Advertising Sales.
�The Unit�s mandate is to develop ways to create greater impact for clients, and in this case the
objective was accomplished through an exclusive entitlement and reduced commercial load. When
the size of the audience is added to this mix, it results in a very powerful vehicle.�
�A Boyfriend for Christmas� was one of 11 Thanksgiving weekend movies aired by
Hallmark Channel that generated a 1.0 or higher household rating, helping propel the network to a
total day household rating of 0.6 for November, the highest in the network�s history.
In �A Boyfriend for Christmas,� a cynical young woman forgets the plea she made to Santa
Claus 20 years before and finally gets her holiday wish. Holly Grant (Kelli Williams, �The Practice�)
plays a child advocate who learned a long time ago not to rely on Santa Claus leaving Mr. Right in
her Christmas stocking. But hard-working Holly is in for a surprise when a handsome man arrives
on her doorstep with a twinkle in his eye and Yuletide tree in tow. Patrick Muldoon (�Melrose
Place�) stars as Ryan Hayes, a successful attorney in cahoots with Santa � and in love with Holly.
Charles Durning (�Death and Texas�) stars as Kris Kringle himself, who fulfills his promise to Holly
for a beau wrapped in a bow.
Hallmark Channel is a 24-hour basic cable channel that provides high-quality entertainment
programming to a national audience of just under 65 million subscribers. The program service is
distributed through nearly 4,500 cable systems and communities and direct-to-home satellite
services across the country. Crown Media Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRWN) owns and operates
Hallmark Channel, which, in addition to the U.S., is distributed worldwide to more than 122
countries. The combined channels reach more than 116 million subscribers globally. In January
2004, Crown launched its first digital service, the Hallmark Movie Channel, which is its second 24-
hour linear channel. Through its subsidiary, Crown Media Distribution, LLC, Crown also distributes
award-winning titles from the Hallmark Entertainment collection for exhibition in a variety of
television media including Video-on-Demand and High Definition Television.
- HALLMARK CHANNEL -
For more information visit hallmarkchannel.com or hallmarkmoviechannel.com.
|