Hallmark Channel (international)
{{Short description|Television channel}}
{{About|the channel worldwide|the American channel|Hallmark Channel}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Hallmark Channel
| native_name_lang =
| former_name = Hallmark Entertainment Network, Inc.
| type = Private company
| fate = Merged out
| successor = Universal Networks International
| founded = {{Start date and age|1995}}
| products = Cable channel
| brands = {{ubl|Diva TV|Hallmark Channel|Kermit Channel|Movies 24}}
| owners = {{ubl|Providence Equity Partners|3i|David Elstein (2005–2007)}}
| parent = {{ubl|Hallmark Entertainment (1995–2000)|Crown Media Holdings (2000–2005)}}
| subsid = KidsCo (Joint venture)
| module = {{Infobox television channel
| child = yes
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| launch_date = {{Start date and age|1995|6||df=y}}
| closed_date = {{End date and age|2011|7||df=y}}
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| former_names = Hallmark Entertainment Network (1995–2001)
| replaced =
| replaced_by = {{ubl|13th Street Universal|Diva Universal|Universal Channel|
| sister_channels = {{ubl|Diva TV|Kermit Channel (1998–2002)|KidsCo (2009–2011)|Movies 24 (2009–2011)|CNBC International (2007–2011)|Sci Fi Channel (2007–2011)}}
| timeshift_service =
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| website = {{URL|www.hallmarkchannelint.com}}
}}
Hallmark Channel, formerly Hallmark Entertainment Network, in international markets was owned by several media companies. Over their history, the various channels were operated by Hallmark Entertainment Networks, Inc. (1995–2005), Sparrowhawk Media, Limited (2005–2007) and Universal Networks International (2007–2011). Universal Networks International rebranded or discontinued the channels by July 2011. Hallmark Entertainment Networks, Inc. was owned by Crown Media Holdings, Inc. Sparrowhawk Media was owned by venture capital companies and Universal Networks International is owned by NBCUniversal.
History
=Hallmark Entertainment Network=
Crown Media thus shifted directions in 1994 with the sale of the cable systems. Also that year, Hallmark Cards purchased RHI Entertainment for $365 million getting a 1,800 plus hours film library then formed Hallmark Entertainment as RHI's parent corporation. Hallmark Entertainment then formed Hallmark Entertainment Network, Inc. in mid-1995 to start the Hallmark Entertainment Network (HEN) pay TV channel in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The company waited to start a domestic channel due to lack of carriage space and its programming domestic rights were held by others.{{cite book|title=International Directory of Company Histories. Volume 45.|date=2002|publisher=St. James Press |via=FundingUniverse|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/crown-media-holdings-inc-history/|access-date=December 27, 2017|language=en|chapter=History of Crown Media Holdings, Inc.}} The Benelux channel launched in June 1995.{{cite book|last1=Chalaby|first1=Jean K.|title=Transnational Television in Europe: Reconfiguring Global Communications Networks |date=2009 |publisher=I.B.Tauris |isbn=9780857717474 |page=141 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=SoUAAwAAQBAJ&q=Sparrowhawk+Media&pg=PA141|access-date=28 December 2017|language=en}}
Hallmark Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company started a partnership in May 1998 to launch the Kermit Channel in Asia and Latin America expect to start in September 1998 with distribution handled by Hallmark Entertainment Network. The HEN channels had internationally about six million subscribers at this time.
Crown Media was reformed into Crown Media Holdings, Inc. in 2000 as part of a re-organizational plan that included the company going public. Crown Media Holdings was formed as a subsidiary of Hallmark Entertainment (Hallmark). Hallmark transferred Hallmark Entertainment Network, Inc. and its interest in the Odyssey Network into Crown Media Holdings. While its channels had 50 million subscribers at the IPO, the company had not made a profit yet with Hallmark Entertainment Network, Inc. losing $35.5 million in 1998 on revenue of $23.7 million, and in 1999 it lost $56.7 million on revenue of $31.9 million.
EM.TV had Henson Company withdrawal from the Kermit Channel partnership with Crown Media. In November 2001, Kermit Channel Asia except for in India was shut down while Kermit blocks remained on the Asian HEN. The channel was discontinued in India in December 2001.{{cite news |date=December 22, 2002 |title=Kermit goes off the air; Hallmark, Modi Entertainment may launch family channel |work=Indian Television Dot Com |url=http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/dec2k/dec28.htm |access-date=January 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010712143601/http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/dec2k/dec28.htm |archive-date=July 12, 2001}}
When Crown took control of and renamed the Odyssey Network channel to the Hallmark Channel in August 2001 with plans to quickly add original programming,{{cite book|title=International Directory of Company Histories. Volume 45.|date=2002|publisher=St. James Press |via=FundingUniverse|url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/hallmark-cards-inc-history/|access-date=December 28, 2017|language=en|chapter=History of Hallmark Cards, Inc.}} the international Hallmark Entertainment Network soon did the same.{{cite news |date=August 3, 2001 |title=Odyssey becomes Hallmark |language=en |work=DeseretNews.com |url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/856505/Odyssey-becomes-Hallmark.html |access-date=January 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109121820/https://www.deseretnews.com/article/856505/Odyssey-becomes-Hallmark.html |archive-date=January 9, 2018}}
=Sparrowhawk Media=
In 2005, Hallmark Entertainment put the Hallmark Channels up for sale, but with disappointing offers with drew the channels from the market.{{cite news|last1=Sims|first1=James|title=Milestone: Hallmark Channel at 5 |url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/milestone-hallmark-channel-at-5-138399 |access-date=December 27, 2017 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |agency=AP |date=July 14, 2006 |language=en}} The European media library rights and Hallmark Channels in international markets were sold for about $242 million in 2005 to Sparrowhawk Media, a private group backed by Providence Equity Partners and 3i{{cite news |first=Gavin |last=Haycock|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL2834678120070828|title=NBC Universal agrees to buy Sparrowhawk Media | work= Reuters |access-date=2008-09-26 |date=28 August 2007}} and also owned by David Elstein.{{cite news|last1=Pfanner|first1=Eric|title=NBC Universal buys 18 Hallmark channels outside the U.S.|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/28/business/nbc.php|access-date=28 December 2017|work=International Herald Tribune|date=31 August 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070831044727/http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/28/business/nbc.php|archive-date=August 31, 2007 }} NBC Universal soon became the channels' major supplier.
On July 1, 2006, Sparrowhawk Media launched Movies 24 free to air film channel on Sky with Dolphin Television as the ad sales company,{{cite news|title=Sparrowhawk Media launches Movies 24|url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/sparrowhawk-media-launches-movies-24/558020|access-date=December 28, 2017|work=Campaign UK|publisher=Haymarket Media Group Ltd.|date=May 9, 2006}} followed by its two-hour time shift More 24 on October 16, 2006.{{cite news|last1=Oatts|first1=Joanne|title=Movies 24 launches More 24|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/media/news/a37864/movies-24-launches-more-24/|access-date=January 8, 2018|work=Digital Spy|date=October 6, 2006|language=en}} The company, Corus Entertainment and DIC Entertainment announced in early April 2007 for a joint venture children's TV channel, KidsCo.{{cite news|title=DIC spearheads kids' channel|url=https://variety.com/2007/film/markets-festivals/dic-spearheads-kids-channel-1117962422/|access-date=28 December 2017|work=Variety|date=3 April 2007}}
NBC Universal agreed to purchased Sparrowhawk Media, international operator of Hallmark Channel, in August 2007. There were 18 Hallmark Channels at this time.{{cite news|last1=Holmwood|first1=Leigh|title=NBC Universal to buy Sparrowhawk Holdings for £174m|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/aug/28/citynews.business|access-date=28 December 2017|work=The Guardian|date=28 August 2007}} The company had on its immediate schedule plans to launch KidsCo in September{{cite news|last1=Szalai|first1=Georg|title=NBCUniversal International Raises Stake in Children's Channel KidsCo|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nbcuniversal-international-raises-stake-kidsco-323945|access-date=December 28, 2017|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=May 4, 2012|language=en}} and Diva TV channel in the UK in October 23 with Movie24 Plus.{{cite news|title=UKTV Drama timeshift added to VM lineup|url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tech/cable/news/a78284/uktv-drama-timeshift-added-to-vm-lineup/|access-date=28 December 2017|work=Digital Spy|date=23 October 2007|language=en}} Sparrowhawk was merged into NBCU's global networks division.
In July 2011, Universal Networks International's rights to the Hallmark Channel brand ended; the networks were either shut down, or rebranded as Diva Universal, Studio Universal, 13th Street Universal or Universal Channel.{{cite news|last1=Briel|first1=Robert|title=NBCUni stops Dutch Hallmark Channel|url=https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2011/06/03/nbcuni-stops-dutch-hallmark-channel/|access-date=December 28, 2017|work=Broadband TV News|date=June 3, 2011}}
= Canadian content deal =
In October 2018, the Canadian women's entertainment channel W Network (owned by Corus Entertainment) announced that it had acquired exclusive rights to Hallmark Channel's original programming library, beginning in November for the Countdown to Christmas event. Hallmark Channel content and localised versions of its seasonal programming blocks will be aired alongside W Network's existing programming.{{Cite news|url=http://worldscreen.com/tvcanada/hallmark-channel-to-make-canadian-debut-with-w-network/|title=Hallmark Channel to Make Canadian Debut with W Network|date=2018-10-26|work=TVCanada|publisher=Worldscreen|access-date=2018-11-14|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.c21media.net/hallmark-channel-heads-to-canada/|title=Hallmark Channel heads to Canada|website=C21 Media|access-date=November 13, 2018}} Hallmark Channel films and series were previously acquired individually by W and other Canadian channels; much of this programming is filmed in Canada.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/television/opinion/2018/04/04/the-hallmark-channel-gets-derided-for-its-family-friendly-fare-but-its-ratings-are-growing.html|title=The Hallmark Channel gets derided for its family-friendly fare, but its ratings are growing|work=Toronto Star|access-date=2018-11-14|language=en}}
Hallmark channels
{{Incomplete list|date=January 2018}}
Other channels
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
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Category:Defunct television channels in the Netherlands
Category:Television channels and stations established in 1995
Category:Television channels and stations disestablished in 2011