Which channel or streaming service do viewers think of first when it comes to getting their Christmas and Hanukkah movie fix? The answer is Hallmark, according to a new Whip Media survey based on responses from 3,214 U.S.-based respondents conducted from Nov. 9-10, 2022.
Hallmark makes a lot of sense, considering the cable network has made the holidays a season-of-emphasis — and things haven’t slowed down this year. Hallmark is putting out 40 new movies this holiday season and even has a fresh “holiday hub” on Peacock for quick access. (You can get a good look at the holiday movie slate — including Hallmark’s bevy of flicks — by clicking here.)
Netflix grabbed the silver medal behind Hallmark when it came to being top-of-mind for holiday movies. The service has enjoyed success with the recent release of “Falling for Christmas,” its new holiday romcom starring Lindsay Lohan. The movie has been one of the most streamed movies in the U.S. since it was released on Nov. 10.
Moving along, Lifetime was the third channel most associated with holiday movies, per Whip Media’s survey, followed by Disney+ and Hulu.
There were a few other interesting takeaways from the survey. For example, only 53% of respondents said they prioritize watching holiday content to some degree in December — which seems a bit lower than one might expect for the season.
Still, when viewers do turn to watching holiday movies, there’s a heavy dose of nostalgia involved. Less than one out of five respondents (17%) said they only focus on new holiday releases, compared to 74% of respondents who said they like to mix in old made-for-TV holiday movies alongside new movies.
The survey also looked at the best ways channels and services spread the word about their holiday flicks. Platform recommendations were an effective tool here, with 51% of respondents saying they watched a movie because it was suggested to them — the second most-frequent response behind viewers seeing a trailer for a movie.
Another interesting facet of the survey was what viewers care about the most in their holiday movies. In particular, the premise or storyline of a movie was slightly more important than its cast to most respondents (68% for premise, compared to 61% for cast). The third most important factor in watching a holiday movie was simply having access to the network or platform.
Sean Burch is a marketing insights analyst at Whip Media, a WrapPRO partner. Click here for more from Whip Media.
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A “tough” situation. Paul Greene and Candace Cameron Bure have starred in several Hallmark movies before each making the move to Great American Family ahead of her controversial remarks about “traditional marriage.” “It's tough. This time, it feels like no matter what I say, somebody's gonna get hurt,” Greene, 48, exclusively told Us Weekly on Thursday, December 15, referring to the Full House alum’s November WSJ. Magazine interview about GAF focusing on films depicting “traditional marriage” stories. “I think Dave Chappelle said it, that this is, like, the scariest time to speak. There’s never been a time where it feels trepidatious when it comes to having an opinion about anything.” He continued: “It’s really hard for me to put myself in a position to understand what somebody meant or to put myself in a position of how like maybe the whole queer community might feel around this conversation because I'm neither. Everything I would be doing would be [a] projection or some sort of attempt to understand. But all I know is that Candace has one of the biggest hearts that I've ever met.” Paul Greene. Broadimage/Shutterstock Cameron Bure, 46, initially made headlines last month after stating that she values GAF’s decision to “keep traditional marriage at the core” of its programming. “My heart wants to tell stories that have more meaning and purpose and depth behind them,” the former View panelist told WSJ. Magazine in November of her decision to leave Hallmark for Bill Abbott's GAF. “I knew that the people behind Great American Family were Christians that love the Lord and wanted to promote faith programming and good family entertainment. … I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core.” The Fuller House alum’s remarks sparked backlash among the likes of Hilarie Burton, Sophia Bush, JoJo Siwa and former costar Jodie Sweetin. Additionally, GAF actor Neal Bledsoe chose to end his partnership with the network amid the drama. Cameron Bure, for her part, later issued a public statement clarifying her comments. Candace Cameron Bure. MediaPunch/Shutterstock “All of you who know me, know beyond question that I have great love and affection for all people,” the Make It or Break It alum wrote in a November 16 Instagram statement. “It absolutely breaks my heart that anyone would ever think I intentionally would want to offend and hurt anyone. It saddens me that the media is often seeking to divide us, even around a subject as comforting and merry as Christmas movies. But, given the toxic climate in our culture right now, I shouldn’t be surprised. We need Christmas more than ever.” Cameron Bure has starred in numerous holiday romance films through the years, including two with Greene: A Christmas Detour and On Time for Christmas. “In all the time I've spent with her, there's absolutely nothing she said that would in any way … line up with the way that what she shared has been made out to [be],” Greene — who has been affectionately nicknamed the “King of Christmas” — told Us, noting he has not read the complete article. “I don't know if they posted 100 percent what she said. I know that sometimes people tend to leave out and little details that can make the situation even more divisive because I feel like the whole news cycle just thrives on how much we hate each other, which drives me sideways and drives me mental.” He added: “I just know her heart and I know from who her friends [are] and who she is that she's not a judgmental person.” Greene further noted that he has “friends on all sides” of the debate and is “frustrated that nobody’s listening” to one another. “I feel like there’s gotta be a way in all of this for people to listen to one another, to come together to kind of understand what it must be like for the queer community to not have their stories told in a traditional experience like this,” he explained. “And then also for people to listen to the other side so that there's an understanding and not just go, ‘Well, [Candace] is a X, Y, Z because …’ But actually go and look at the whole picture of who [she is and] what her life is.” The “Whole of the Moon” musician — who prefers to “tread lightly” in regard to the controversy — also shared an update on how Cameron Bure was coping in light of the situation. “I think she's doing well. I spoke to her [after] she just sent me a little text,” Greene said on Thursday. “I think I had said something after she had issued [her Instagram statement]. I got interviewed and I responded … about how she has a lot of love for people and I had mentioned it. She just thanked me for saying that, but other than that, I haven't spoken much to Candace during this time.” The When Calls the Heart alum also has an impressive number of holiday movies under his belt, including two that premiered earlier this year. GAF’s I’m Glad It’s Christmas premiered on November 26 and CBS’ Fit for Christmas dropped on December 4. “I feel like Christmas movies is this kind of, like, this little teddy bear or hot chocolate, rather, whatever thing that brings people together,” Greene gushed about his repertoire of 11 holiday films. “And for maybe 90 minutes or so, they can forget about the things that kind of divide them and then focus more on what brings them together. And these movies make people happy!” With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
Everyone deserves to fall in love with a cheesy holiday movie at Christmas — and many networks and and streaming services are making their offerings more diverse than ever. “[Christmas movies] give everyone everything they want," Jonathan Bennett, who has appeared in multiple Hallmark films before executive producing 2022's The Holiday Sitter for the network, told Us Weekly in November 2022. The Mean Girls star's comments came shortly after Candace Cameron Bure — who starred in 10 of Hallmark's holiday films over the course of 13 years — opened up about her decision to leave the network in favor of Great American Media.
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Hallmark and Netflix Are the Top Destinations for Holiday Movies, According to New Survey | Charts – Yahoo Entertainment
