UNWRAP THE HOLIDAYS EARLY THIS YEAR WITH HALLMARK CHANNEL’S COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS, BEGINNING OCTOBER 22 ONLY ON W NETWORK

UNWRAP THE HOLIDAYS EARLY THIS YEAR WITH
HALLMARK CHANNEL’S COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS, BEGINNING OCTOBER 22 ONLY ON W NETWORK

Canada’s Christmas Network Presents Its Biggest Celebration Ever with 41 Festive New Premieres

Beloved Hallmark Channel Fan Favourites Candace Cameron Bure, Lacey Chabert, Holly Robinson Peete, Danica McKellar, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Janel Parrish, Robert Buckley, Jonathan Bennett, Ryan Paevey and More, Star in This Year’s Coveted Movie Lineup

Stream All Hallmark Channel Movies Live and On Demand with STACKTV and the Global TV App

W Network’s Movie Date Welcomes New Hosts HGTV Canada’s Sarah Keenleyside, Food Network Canada’s Noah Cappe, and Big Brother Canada alum Brittnee Blair

W Network and Warner Music Canada Partner to Launch Countdown to Christmas Playlists Available November 1 on Music Streaming Services

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For Immediate Release

TORONTO, October 14, 2021 – This year, Corus Entertainment’s W Network is delivering more holiday cheer than ever before with Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas. Beginning October 22, nearly two weeks earlier than previous years, W Network will magically transform into Canada’s holiday headquarters featuring 41 all-new exclusive premieres and back-to-back movies every day until New Year’s Day. With premieres every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and a joyous schedule of titles featuring everything from a time travel tale to the unbreakable bond between two sisters, and inspiring stories of families finding hope after loss, there’s something ‘yule’ love all season long.

“Reigning as the most watched holiday programming event, Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas on W Network is a firmly established annual tradition in Canadian homes, and we are delighted to be a part of how families and friends celebrate the season,” said Daniel Eves, Senior Vice President, Broadcast Networks, Corus Entertainment. “Fans eagerly await the debut of this flagship movie lineup and after a whirlwind year we are embracing the holiday spirit earlier than ever with the uplifting stories and endearing characters of Hallmark Channel’s original movies.”

It goes without sleigh-ing that W Network is Canada’s official home for the holidays. Since its debut in 2018, Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas has helped W Network remain the #1 specialty network overall with key women demos during the event*. In addition, last year it landed #1 with adults 25-54 too** while also coming in as the #1 network with multiple female demos on weekends beating all specialty and conventional stations.***

Throughout Hallmark Channel’s Countdown to Christmas and beyond, viewers can look forward to new W Network’s Movie Date segments featuring new hosts, HGTV Canada’s Sarah Keenleyside, Food Network Canada’s Noah Cappe, and Big Brother Canada alum Brittnee Blair, as they join the network to serve up segments in the holiday decor, design, food and lifestyle space. Welcoming guest experts in every episode, W Network’s Movie Date will celebrate the very best of the season while acting as the perfect complement to the upcoming holiday slate and continuing to serve as an extension of W Network content year-round.

New this year, W Network and Warner Music Canada will have everyone rocking around the Christmas tree with the perfect holiday music playlist. Available everywhere you stream music beginning November 1,  Topsify Canada’s “Countdown to Christmas” will feature an essential mix of brand new and timeless holiday hits – from artists including Michael Bublé, Kelly Clarkson, Dan + Shay, Rob Thomas, Brett Eldredge, Sia, and many more! In addition, Topsify will simultaneously launch the perfect Country companion, “Complete Country presents Countdown To Christmas,” featuring all the biggest names in Country Music. What better way to celebrate the holidays than to bring the joy of the holiday movie season together with greatest hits of Christmas music!

W Network presents its initial list of very merry movie premieres below. Additional titles and the full slate of 41 exclusive premieres will be announced soon. As always, the enchanting movie lineup proudly features homegrown Canadian productions including You, Me & the Christmas Trees (Front Street), The Christmas Contest (Muse), Christmas at Castle Hart (Leif Bristow), and more. Viewers can also stream all 2021 premieres and over 100 past holiday favourites live and on demand on STACKTV and the Global TV App.

• You, Me & The Christmas Trees, starring Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years), Benjamin Ayres (Suits), Jason Hervey (The Wonder Years)
• Boyfriends of Christmas Past, starring Catherine Haena Kim (FBI), Raymond Ablack (Ginny & Georgia), Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (Kim’s Convenience)
• The Santa Stakeout, starring Tamera Mowry-Housley (The Real, Sister, Sister), Paul Campbell (Battlestar Galactica), Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix)
• Christmas in Harmony, starring Ashleigh Murray (Riverdale),  Luke James  (Little,  Star),  Loretta  Devine (Queen Bees, Family Reunion), Michelle  Williams (Destiny’s  Child, The  Masked Singer), Basil Wallace (Blood Diamond)
• Coyote Creek Christmas, starring Janel Parrish (Right in Front of Me), Ryan Paevey (A Little Daytime Drama)
• Christmas Sail, starring Katee Sackhoff (The Mandalorian), Patrick  Sabongui (Firefly  Lane),  Terry O’Quinn (Lost)
• Open by Christmas, starring Alison Sweeney (Days of our Lives), Erica Durance (Smallville),  Brennan Elliott (Christmas in Vienna)
• Next Stop, Christmas, starring Lyndsy Fonseca (How I Met Your Mother), Chandler  Massey  (Days of our Lives), Lea Thompson (Back to the Future), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future)
• A Christmas Treasure, starring Jordin Sparks (Sparkle, American Idol), Michael Xavier (Christmas  Comes Twice, Beware of the Midwife)
• Christmas at Castle Hart, starring Lacey Chabert (Sweet Carolina), Stuart Townsend (Salem)
• The Christmas Contest (wt), starring Candace Cameron Bure (Fuller House), John Brotherton  (Fuller House), Barbara Niven (Chesapeake Shores)
• The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls (wt), starring Robert Buckley (Chesapeake  Shores), Ana Ayora (In the Dark), Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls), with Sharon Lawrence (NYPD   Blue), Treat Williams (Chesapeake Shores) and Brad Harder (Aurora Teagarden Mysteries)
• The Nine Kittens of Christmas, starring Brandon Routh (The Rookie), Kimberley Sustad (Christmas by Starlight), Gregory Harrison (Chesapeake Shores)
• Sister Swap: A Hometown Holiday and Sister Swap: Christmas in the City starring Kimberly Williams-Paisley (Darrow Mysteries, Father of the Bride), Ashley Williams (Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater, The Jim Gaffigan Show), Mark Deklin (Grace and Frankie, Designated Survivor), Keith Robinson (Saints & Sinners, A Christmas Love Story), Susan Yeagley (Mike  Tyson Mysteries, Parks and Recreation) and Kevin Nealon (Man with a Plan, Weeds)
• The Christmas Promise, starring Torrey DeVitto (Chicago Med), Dylan Bruce (Orphan Black), Patrick Duffy (Dallas)
• Debbie Macomber’s A Mrs. Miracle Christmas, starring Kaitlin Doubleday (Love on Iceland), Steve Lund (Baby, It’s Cold Inside), Caroline Rhea (Sabrina the Teenage Witch)
• Small Town Christmas, starring Ashley Newbrough (Love Under the Stars), Kristoffer Polaha (Hearts of Christmas)
• Swept Up by Christmas, starring Lindy Booth (The Librarians), Justin Bruening (Sweet Magnolias)

For the most up-to-date schedule and for more information about this year’s movies, visit wnetwork.com.

W Network is available on National Free Preview from November 1 to December 13. Please check local listings for additional information.

W Network can be streamed on the Global TV App, available now on iOS, Android, Chromecast and at watch.globaltv.com, and via STACKTV, available on Amazon Prime Video Channels. The network is also available through all major TV distributors, including: Shaw, Shaw Direct, Rogers, Bell, Videotron, Telus, Cogeco, Eastlink and SaskTel.

Source: Numeris PPM Data, Total Canada, AMA(000) *CTC’20: (Nov 1, 2020 – Jan 1, 2021), CTC’19 (Nov 1, 2019 – Jan 1, 2020), CTC’18 (Nov 1, 2018 – Jan 1, 2019), F18+, F25-54, F18-49, F18-34, M-SU 2a-2a, CDN SPEC COM ENG **CTC’20: (Nov 1, 2020 – Jan 1, 2021) A25-54, M-SU 2a-2a, CDN SPEC COM ENG ***CTC’20: (Nov 1, 2020 – Jan 1, 2021), F18-34, F18-49, F25-54, Sa-Su 2a-2a, CDN CONV COM ENG + SPEC

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SOCIAL MEDIA:
For more information, please visit wnetwork.com
W Network on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

W Network is a Corus Entertainment Network.

About Corus Entertainment
Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) is a leading media and content company that develops and delivers high quality brands and content across platforms for audiences around the world.  Engaging audiences since 1999, the company’s portfolio of multimedia offerings encompass 33 specialty television services, 39 radio stations, 15 conventional television stations, a suite of digital and streaming assets, animation software, technology and media services. Corus is an internationally renowned content creator and distributor through Nelvana, a world class animation studio expert in all formats and Corus Studios, a globally recognized producer of hit scripted and unscripted content. The company also owns innovative full-service social digital agency so.da, lifestyle entertainment company Kin Canada, leading 2D animation software supplier Toon Boom and children’s book publishing house, Kids Can Press. Corus’ roster of premium brands includes Global Television, W Network, HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, HISTORY®, Showcase, Adult Swim, National Geographic, Disney Channel Canada, YTV, Global News, Globalnews.ca, Q107, Country 105, and CFOX, along with broadly distributed Canadian streaming platforms STACKTV, Nick+, the Global TV App and Curiouscast. For more information visit www.corusent.com.

About Hallmark Channel
Hallmark Channel, owned by Hallmark Cards, Inc., is Crown Media Family Networks’ flagship 24-hour cable television network.  As the country’s leading destination for quality family entertainment, Hallmark Channel delivers on the 100-year legacy of the Hallmark brand.  The network features an ambitious lineup of original content, including movies; scripted primetime series; annual pet specials including, “Kitten Bowl” and “American Rescue Dog Show”; and a daily, two-hour lifestyle show, “Home & Family.”  Additionally, Hallmark Channel is the exclusive home to world premiere presentations of the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame franchise.  Dedicated to helping viewers celebrate life’s special moments, Hallmark Channel also offers annual holiday programming franchises including “Countdown to Christmas” and many other seasonal offerings. Rounding out the network’s diverse slate are some of television’s most beloved comedies and series, including “The Golden Girls” and “Frasier.”

For more information, please visit www.crownmediapress.com

To visit the network website, please visit www.hallmarkchannel.com

Hallmark Channel on Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube

 

For media inquiries, please contact:

Brittany Bell, Publicity Coordinator
Corus Entertainment
416.479.3384
brittany.bell@corusent.com

April Lim, Senior Publicist
Corus Entertainment
416.860.4216
april.lim@corusent.com