Hallmark Pivots As Viewers Decline In Broadcast TV

Hallmark news and updates tease that the network will make a move in response to the lower viewership on broadcast television.

Hallmark is one of the networks that experienced a downturn in viewership in recent years. It’s because most viewers today now prefer video on demand instead of waiting for their show to air on normal broadcast TV.

Streaming platforms have been popular in recent years because, apart from being convenient, viewers can schedule their time to watch the episodes they want. It’s flexible for people who have busy schedules and don’t have the time to wait for their favorite show to air.

Hallmark Reported A Decline

In late 2022, it was reported that the network’s viewership was down by about forty percent compared to five years prior. In 2018, it was generally down by twenty percent. Although there are still a lot of viewers in broadcast television, the network can’t just ignore these declines.

But even though this is the case, the network still has a few successful broadcasts, such as the movies Three Wise Men and A Baby, Christmas at Castle Hart, and Christmas Under Wraps. These movies provided a couple of million viewers for the network.

Hallmark To Relaunch SVOD Services

Because of the reported declines, Hallmark is looking into relaunching their video-on-demand services. They already have an existing streaming service which is Hallmark Movies Now, which has partnerships with other platforms as well.

But this year, they negotiated with Peacock, a top video streaming service owned by NBCUniversal. The difference between this platform and other ones is that it is centered on fandom, according to Wonya Lucas, CEO of Hallmark Media.

The network made a few changes in the company as well as they pivot to relaunching their platform and their digital distribution. The network recently appointed Emily Powers as the EVP of streaming and digital platforms.

According to reports, she will be in charge of establishing the vision and roadmap for the relaunch of the network’s SVOD service. They also recently appointed Stefanie Nimick as SVP of Portfolio Distribution and Platform Marketing. Nimick will be responsible for content distribution to linear and digital partners.

All these strategic moves point to Hallmark going digital. And fans of their shows should be excited about this. According to Mark Lazarus, head of TV and Streaming for NBCUniversal, Wonya has successfully navigated the collaboration of distributing content on digital platforms and maintaining the traditional pay-TV deals. Mark Lazarus was behind the Peacock and Hallmark deal as well.

Be sure to catch up on everything happening with Hallmark right now. Come back here often for Hallmark news and updates.