Do you find yourself watching -- or wanting to watch -- those feel-good Christmas movies in the middle of summer? Well, if you do, a new deal is going to make you feel hollier and jollier than ever before.
Hallmark Media has struck a deal that will shift its library of on-demand and next-day content to the Peacock streaming service. That's the same streaming platform that airs Days of our Lives. The deal will also include live simulcasting of some of Hallmark's various channels -- the Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama.
Peacock calls the pact with Hallmark a "first-of-its-kind" arrangement, and it comes as Peacock is making an effort to broaden its range of offerings and increase its number of paid subscribers. Shifting Days of our Lives from NBC to the streaming service is believed to be part of that effort. Days of our Lives has been one of Peacock's most-watched programs since it first became available for same-day streaming on Peacock back in early 2020.
Peacock, like most streaming services, does not provide detailed metrics about how many people watch a particular program.
"As we continue to make Peacock a premium streaming destination, Hallmark is exactly the type of brand we want to align with," said Peacock president Kelly Campbell, who is also president of direct-to-consumer for NBCUniversal. "Through this groundbreaking partnership, we're giving Hallmark viewers a unique viewing experience while continuing to grow our audience, boosting engagement across both brands."
"We're proud to enter this partnership with Peacock and bring our widely beloved Hallmark content to their subscribers," said Wonya Lucas, president and CEO of Hallmark Media. "The opportunity to provide our devoted fanbase access to all three of Hallmark's linear networks will allow our audience to continue to grow and connect in meaningful ways."
It's unclear how many of the expansive slate of Hallmark's Christmas and holiday-themed movies will be available for on-demand viewing. Hallmark has two new series, Ride and The Way Home, set to premiere in 2023.
Peacock has about 30 million active accounts, approximately 13 million of which are paid subscribers. Peacock is provided for free to some cable television subscribers. By comparison, Netflix has more than 73 million subscribers in the US and Canada.
Hallmark's content does dovetail nicely with Peacock's content. Numerous soap stars, both past and present, have deals with Hallmark. DAYS star Alison Sweeney (Sami Brady) inked a multi-film deal with Hallmark earlier this year.
The Hallmark-branded hub on Peacock is set to debut Wednesday, November 2.
What do you think of the Peacock and Hallmark deal? Will you be streaming holiday films year-round? We want to hear from you -- and there are many ways you can share your thoughts.
