CORUS' W NETWORK SLEIGHS THE SEASON WITH 20 RECORD-BREAKING SPONSORSHIPS FOR HALLMARK CHANNEL'S COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS

This Year W Network Welcomes Back Five Returning Brands and 15 New Sponsors Joining the Beloved Annual Programming Event

Plus, Warner Music Canada, Canada's Wonderland and Hallmark Canada Return as Marketing Partners with W Network to Create More Holiday Magic

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TORONTO, Dec. 1, 2025 /CNW/ - There's no place like W Network for the holidays! Corus Entertainment is proud to announce a total of 20 sponsorships secured – more than double the number of sponsors from last year – in celebration of Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas. This year's sponsorships of new and returning brands include: Sephora, Walmart, merci | Storck, Emerald Cruises & Tours, Baileys, Swiss Chalet, Ancestry, KitchenAid, Hello Canola, Nestle | Turtles, Ottawa Tourism, Subway, THE SALVATION ARMY, The Brick, Dominion Lending Centres, Ocean Spray and more. With a mix of brand sell media, co-branded content, W Network's Movie Date hosted segments, sneak peeks, a luxury trip contest, and more, these custom partnerships extend brand impact and elevate the beloved annual programming event. Plus, Warner Music Canada, Canada's Wonderland, and Hallmark Canada team up to bring some festive fun again this year.

This year, Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas on W Network features 28 brand new merry movie premieres and six sparkling series premieres including returning seasons of festive fan favourites, all available to stream on STACKTV. During the first few weeks of the annual programming event, W Network ranks as the #1 specialty entertainment station for Ind.2+, A25-54 and F25-54*.

"Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas offers clients looking to connect with a loyal viewership during the busy holiday season by aligning themselves with trusted, feel-good content backed by two powerful brands – Hallmark and W Network," said Christopher Mercer, Senior Vice President, Media Sales and Solutions, Corus Entertainment. "Corus' continued growth in sponsorships reflects the trust our clients have in our content, the unmatched client value it delivers, and the massive audiences it reaches, with over 5.5 million Canadians (Ind.2+) tuning into Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas this year – and audiences up nine per cent from last year for A25-54.**" 

Client Sponsorship Highlights

The original interstitial series, W Network's Movie Date, returns this holiday season to complement this year's slate of movies and series by inviting viewers to further connect with Hallmark Channel and sponsored clients. Hosts Brittnee Blair and Nicole Servinis welcome guest experts to prep and prime viewers for the holidays with lifestyle segments in holiday decor, gift giving, entertaining, festive food and more. This year's lineup of W Network's Movie Dates feature:

• Baileys – Create decadent dessert and entertaining pairings perfect for a cozy brunch, dinner party or a quiet night in.
• Ancestry – Rediscover cherished family traditions or even inspire new ones. From handed-down family recipes to sharing DNA discoveries with loved ones, it's all about connecting past and present to make the season even more special.
• THE SALVATION ARMY – Hear the inspiring story of someone whose life was transformed by the support of The Salvation Army and learn simple ways to give back through donations, volunteering, or spreading goodwill in the community.
• Hello Canola – Learn how to make a delicious, healthy and cozy seasonal recipe.

Further sprinkling some holiday magic this year, W Network featured segments of Ottawa Tourism's new short film, Magic on Set, during commercials in Christmas at the Catnip Café on Sunday, November 30 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The film promotes the capital of Canada's holiday charm and iconic locations including Parliament Hill and the Fairmont Château Laurier.

Among the new partnerships is an exciting contest with Emerald Cruises & Tours and W Network to celebrate the magic of European Christmas market river cruises. As of Monday, November 10, viewers can enter for a chance to win an eight-day luxury river cruise, sailing in December 2026 from Passau, Germany to Budapest, Hungary. The Morning Show spotlighted the campaign with editorial coverage featuring Hallmark's newest holiday movies. Viewers can enter the contest until December 28 by visiting the contest page.

Marketing Partnerships

W Network and Warner Music Canada are spreading Christmas cheer for all to hear! For the fifth year in a row, Warner Music Canada has curated the perfect Official Countdown to Christmas playlist, available to listen to now on various music streaming platforms. Listeners can get into the holiday movie spirit with a festive mix of new and classic holiday hits, from artists including Michael Bublé, Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, Ed Sheeran, Cher and many more.

W Network and Canada's Wonderland are partnering again to offer friends and family the opportunity to step into the world of holiday magic at WinterFest, on select nights from now through January 3. To celebrate W Network's annual event, a limited-edition Countdown to Christmas candy cane hot chocolate will be available at the Christmas kiosk in the Yuletide Village. For an extra special treat, listen to Q107 (Toronto), 102.1 The Edge (Toronto), Energy 95.3 (Hamilton), Y108 (Hamilton), 103.1 Fresh (London), 93.1 Fresh (Barrie), and Big 101.1 (Barrie), for a chance to win tickets to WinterFest.

Fans won't want to miss a chance to win the Ultimate Hallmark Cozy Christmas Grand Prize with the return of W Network's Cozy Up For Christmas contest. Watch at least one all-new holiday movie or a new episode of a holiday series on W Network every week to find the weekly code word to enter for a chance to win prize pack including authentic Hallmark Channel merchandise and fan-favourite decorations from Hallmark Canada. The Cozy Up For Christmas contest is on now until December 31.

Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas continues with all-new movie titles including An Alpine Christmas on Thursday, December 4 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, She's Making a List on Saturday, December 6 at 8 p.m. ET/PT and Single on the 25^th on Sunday, December 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Plus, holiday rom com series Twelve Dates 'Til Christmas premieres Friday, December 5 at 8 p.m. E/PT. For the most up-to-date movie and series schedule and for more information about this year's programming, please visit wnetwork.com.

Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas and W Network's hit series can be streamed via STACKTV, available on Amazon Prime Video, Bell Fibe TV app, Fubo, Rogers Ignite TV and Ignite Streaming. The network is also available through all major TV distributors, including: Shaw, Shaw Direct, Rogers, Bell, Videotron, Telus, Cogeco, Eastlink and SaskTel.

Source: *Numeris PPM Data, Total Canada, CTC'25 (10/17/2025 to 11/16/2025) - confirmed until 11/02/2025, M-Su 2a-2a, W Network, AMA(000), rank based on CDN SPEC COM ENG stations (excluding sports networks), Ind.2+, A25-54, F25-54.
**Numeris PPM Data, Total Canada, CTC (10/17/2025 to 11/16/2025) – confirmed until 11/02/2025, M-Su 2a-2a, W Network, Ind.2+ CumRch(000).// YoY growth vs. CTC'24 (10/18/2024 to 11/17/2024), AMA(000), A25-54

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About Corus Entertainment Inc.
Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) is a leading media and content company that develops, delivers and distributes high quality brands and content across platforms for audiences around the world. Engaging audiences since 1999, the company's portfolio of multimedia offerings encompass 25 specialty television services, 36 radio stations, 15 conventional television stations, digital and streaming platforms, and social digital agency and media services. Corus' roster of premium brands includes Global Television, W Network, Flavour Network, Home Network, The HISTORY® Channel, Showcase, Slice, Adult Swim, National Geographic and Global News, along with streaming platforms STACKTV, TELETOON+, the Global TV App and Curiouscast. For more information visit www.corusent.com. 

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For media inquiries, please contact: April Lim, Sr. Publicist, Corus Entertainment, 416.860.4216, [email protected]