A few years ago my mom got cancer, I moved home, and I started watching all the upcoming Hallmark movies with her as they hit the TV schedule. We had nothing but endless time as she went through chemo, and it was easy to put on a movie with the cabler because we knew it would help us to stay in a positive mental frame of health. In fact, most of my thoughts about Hallmark are generally positive, which is why even I was a little surprised when I realized I think the new streaming service app is a bad idea.
This week Hallmark made a huge announcement, rebranding Hallmark Movies Now to become its Hallmark+ app. That in itself is not a bad idea, as the new title follows other brands like Apple TV+, Disney+, Paramount+ and more with the plus branding. There will also be original content coming to the new streaming service, including a trilogy of movies that is intended to be a male-led version of The Wedding Veil trilogy that has been a big hit with the fanbase. That’ll be called The Groomsman. So good so far.
Why I'm Not So Pumped About Hallmark+
The problem I’m having is with the price point and the strategy behind the new streaming service. First, it’s going to cost $7.99 a month, which puts it on par with a lower tier Peacock subscription. Maybe that seems like a good deal given some streamers like Netflix and Disney+ are more expensive, but in all of those other cases, you are getting multiple formats (TV, movies, and documentaries) from across many genres of content and from a variety of sources and production studios. Hallmark just has… Hallmark stuff.
Secondly, while it will include a slew of movies and some original content, it will not be including the upcoming 2024 Countdown to Christmas lineup, which will be made up of 40 movies this year. Hamilton head honcho Lisa Hamilton Daly confirmed this in an interview with Variety, noting,
Countdown to Christmas remains a linear experience. The content on the app is going to be Holidazed, Mistletoe Murders, our unscripted shows and a couple of movie trilogies coming up that we haven’t announced yet. There’s going to be a bunch of holiday content, but it’s going to be separate and different from what’s on line.
Essentially, this means then that if you really want to see all the new Hallmark content, you will be required to have a cable subscription or live TV subscription and access to Hallmark+; one or the other won't be enough. This is a great scheme for Hallmark to make more money and transition people into streaming access down the line. But right now, it’s yet another example of how inconvenient it can be for fans of certain brands and properties who just want access to all the content.
Thirdly, according to what was divulged in the interview, one of the main goals of the streaming service is to be a “cross platform” and offer opportunities for super users who also shop in Hallmark stores to interact through the streamer. This sounds good in theory, and the head honcho says they are looking for a “link” between shoppers and viewers. Per head honcho Mike Perry, the shoppers and the viewers are "the same," so the service will focus on opportunities to connect shoppers with "rewards" they can use in Hallmark stores.
Big, if true. I haven't set foot in a Hallmark store since like 1996, but perhaps the average Hallmark viewer is different? That seems to be what is being counted upon, but we'll have to wait and see.
Hallmark Wants To Transition To Survive
Much like HBO has worked to transition from cable subscription to new Max subscriptions, Hallmark seems to be hoping to be able to survive and thrive through streaming in the longterm. It's admirable, and it will likely go through some growing pains as it does it, but Lisa Hamilton Daly didn't mince words when she revealed the longterm trajectory of cable is not great.
It’s going to be a whole new experience in terms of both programming and the functionality and look of it. We’re looking at the linear landscape. It’s a little grim. We’re still doing pretty well, but there’s only so long that that may last.
Let’s cut back to my fandom for Hallmark briefly. My mom beat cancer, but my love for Hallmark didn’t go away. I continued watching as some stars left for GAF and others stayed, as the network diversified its lineup of programming, and supporting LGBTQ+ storylines. I’ve stuck with Hallmark through plenty of changes and I’ll probably be watching when new Christmas movies hit the schedule this year. What I won't be doing? Subscribing to Hallmark+, and if it means I'm plum out of luck to watch The Groomsmen, so be it.
Hopefully there's a future where access will make sense for your core audience without alienating a part of that audience, but in the meantime, there are plenty of additional Christmas movies to be watched on other platforms, as well.
