The Hallmark Channel has become a must-watch internet.

Don’t lie: You’ve definitely binge-watched a marathon of cheesy holiday movies.

Surprisingly, the channel that shares its namesake with your favorite greeting cards actually has a really interesting background.

Hallmark Channel actors

Ashley Williams ofHow I Met Your MotherandAs the World Turnsfame is a great example of Vicary’s strategy.

The Hallmark Channel’s award-winning films center on heavier heart-wrenching stories and real-life heroes.

The Hallmark Channel decided to take on the big pups and won.

Religious programming, the start of the Hallmark Channel

The Christmas craze started with their Hallmark Hall of Fame series launch on Christmas Eve in 1951.

Theirfirst original Christmas movieaired in 2000, but they didn’t launch Countdown to Christmas programming until 2009.

From October until January 1, the Hallmark Channel runs holiday movies old and new.

Michelle Vicary, exec at the Hallmark Channel

This content block became so popular they began increasing original productions.

In 2017, the company produced 33 holiday movies, surpassing the 28 they made in 2016.

In 2019, Hallmarkrolled out 40 new movies.

The Hallmark Channel’s Hallmark Hall of Fame

If your book seems like a Hallmark movie or TV series, it might be right for us!"

Some of the movies even go as far as featuring the same couple pairings as well.

And it’s been hugely successful for us.

dogs on the Hallmark Channel

And it benefits the actors too, given how many films and shows Hallmark is putting out every year.

Each film needs to take place in an adorable, tiny town to play into those traditional values.

The Christmas movies specifically ought to include classic holiday moments like wrapping presents or baking cookies.

Mark Delkin and Candace Cameron Bure

Tax breaks, mostly.

These productions are great for Canada’s economy too, so it’s not all selfish.

While Hallmark’s productions aren’t spending your typical movie budgets, they are still spending millions.

Lacey Chabert in a Hallmark Channel movie

Plus, they hire locals.

“Oh Canada” is right.

Candace Cameron Bure’s flicks garnered jaw-dropping results.

Filling out a form

The Hallmark Channel’s success goes well beyond the holiday ratings boom.

The connection’s use of the same movie formulas, repeated talent, and increased production quality is working.

Not taking themselves too seriously also is acting like a factor in their success.

Canada, where Hallmark Channel movies are filmed

And that leads to year-over-year growth, which doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.

The Hallmark Channel is not your granny’s television station

How many people watch the Hallmark Channel?

The answer may surprise you.

Five stars

Of course, that raises another question: justwhois watching?

The Hallmark Channel is known for its squeaky-clean programming.

“Even our bad guys are good,” actress Jill Wagnernoted.

Couple watching television

In fact, the Hallmark Channel’s viewers aren’t all that dissimilar from, say, theaverageBreaking Badfan.

Yes, people of all ages watch the channel.

Of course, their Christmas collection is featured all year long.

the Hallmark Channel

“From those inauspicious beginnings an iconic brand was born.”

Some 50 years later, the Hallmark brand officially launched the Hallmark Channel.

Unfortunately, J.C.passed awaylong before he saw his company become a major television internet.

Donald Hall Jr., an exec at the Hallmark Channel

However, his family continued and still continues to carry on his legacy.

After the founder’s death in 1982, J.C.’s sonDon Halltook over as chairman.

Additionally, his brother,David E. Hall, serves as the executive vice chairman.

Jill Wagner at Hallmark Channel event

Yes, the brand is still the, uh,hallmarkof the Hall family.

Six years later,Netflix started producingits own shows and films.

By then, though, the Hallmark Channel had already been churning out Christmas movie after Christmas movie.

Candace Cameron-Bure with Santa and Hallmark event

Netflix may have been late to the game, but the company is a force to be reckoned with.

A cable web link like the Hallmark Channel would be hard-pressed to compete with that kind of growth.

But the channel isn’t worried even when faced with Netflix’s 2019 lineup oforiginal feel-good Christmas movies.

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” Hallmark Channel actress Jill Wagner toldTV Insider.

“But you could’t just come along and re-create the trust that people have in this brand.”

The Hallmark Channel’s music isn’t staying confined to holiday films, though.

Cue:Hallmark Channel Radio.