ION PRESS RELEASE:
ION TELEVISION IS
“YOUR HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS”
WITH SIX ALL-NEW MOVIE PREMIERES
ION’s Yearly Holiday Offering Returns in December with New Titles and Returning Favorites after Strong Viewership in 2018
This Year’s Premieres Include “A Christmas Princess,” “Christmas Matchmakers,” “Best Christmas Ball Ever!,” “A Beauty & The Beast Christmas,” “12 Pups of Christmas” and “Christmas Crush”
WEST PALM BEACH, FL, OCTOBER 28, 2019 – Starting this December, ION Television is once again “Your Home for the Holidays,” bringing U.S. television viewers the premieres of six all-new holiday movies. ION will kick off its holiday season on Sunday, December 1, featuring new titles and 25 returning favorites on weekends through Christmas Eve.
In 2018, ION Television’s holiday lineup averaged 845,000 households in primetime, ranking #2 among networks airing holiday movies. ION’s highest-rated movie in prime, “A Christmas in Royal Fashion,” averaged 1.02 million viewers.
“Our holiday movie schedule continues to prove its worth to both viewers and advertisers and remains an integral part of ION Television’s overall programming strategy,” said Brandon Burgess, ION Media Chairman and CEO. ION truly has become a ‘go-to’ destination for holiday movie fans, and we’re excited to carry on this tradition.”
ION Television’s holiday movie season begins December 1, featuring the premiere of “A Christmas Princess” starting at 7/6c PM. The following list features ION’s all-new movies in 2019, including their premiere dates and times.
“A Christmas Princess” – Sunday, December 1, 7/6c PM
Cast: Shein Mompremier, Travis Burns, Galyn Görg, Chef Stuart O'Keeffe, Erin Gray
Synopsis: A struggling chef living in a trendy New York borough, Jessica took over a small restaurant where she used to work as a waitress, but it’s growing tough to make ends meet. Prince Jack, who’s in the city for his family’s annual Christmas charity dinner, finds himself in need of a last-minute chef for the royal event when he meets Jessica. As their relationship evolves and a romance blooms, so do the obstacles. But as the event arrives, she decides to go through with the dinner, and may just get the best Christmas present of all… love.
Produced by: Hybrid
“Christmas Matchmakers” – Sunday, December 8, 7/6c PM
Cast: Vivica A. Fox, Anna Marie Dobbins, Andrew Philip Rogers, Tracy Nelson, Dorian Gregory
Synopsis: It’s the week after Thanksgiving when Jen, a personal assistant, and Jon, an advertising exec, happen to sit next to each other in the food court and bond over mutual problems with their bosses. After complaining that they have no time for their personal lives, they come up with an elaborate plan to have their bosses date in order to get more time for their own Christmas vacations. As the two become closer and their plan begins to show signs of life, it turns out that Jen and Jon may just be the perfect match for each other.
Produced by: Hybrid
“Best Christmas Ball Ever!” – Saturday, December 14, 7/6c PM
Cast: Elisabeth Harnois, Samuel Hunt, Christian Oliver, Thomas Kraml, Julia Dietze
Synopsis: After a surprising breakup at home in Chicago, Amy decides that a change of scenery will do her well and impulsively decides to spend the holidays with her brother in Vienna. After taking ballroom dancing lessons with her dashing European dance partner, Lukas, Amy scores an invitation to dance competitively in the city’s biggest holiday ball, and also another shot at love.
Produced by: The Asylum
“A Beauty & The Beast Christmas” – Sunday, December 15, 7/6c PM
(Side note: This movie does NOT appear to be family friendly. One of the pictures shared on-set from an actress in the film shows a drag queen in the cast.)
Cast: Leah Pipes, Ryan Kelley, Rob Raco, GloZell Green, Willam Belli, Carrie Keagan, Donna Mills
Synopsis: Ginger Holiday, a peppy Christmas influencer, is convinced by her agent to fake a holiday romance with viral bad boy Beau Bradley to gain more followers. Ginger and Beau initially can't stand each other, but as they spend more time together they realize the feelings they had to fake at first might just be turning into something heartfelt.
Produced by: The Asylum
“12 Pups of Christmas” – Saturday, December 21, 7/6c PM
Cast: Charlotte Sullivan, Donny Boaz, Philip Boyd, Jen Nikolaisen
Synopsis: Recently single and starting a new job in a different city, Erin, a canine therapist, is getting a fresh start. But just when she thought her new life would be the reset she needed, her self-centered boss, Martin, tasks Erin with finding homes for 12 puppies who were left behind after a photoshoot for his struggling GPS locator company – and all before Christmas. As they work together, Erin realizes Martin may not be so bad after all, and her take-charge attitude not only helps Martin save his company, but also reveals a calmer, better self that opens them both up to the idea of love.
Produced by: MarVista Entertainment
“Christmas Crush” – Sunday, December 22, 7/6c PM
Cast: Cindy Sampson, Robin Dunne, Chris Violette
Synopsis: When Addie makes a Christmas wish for her neighbor, Sam, to fall in love with her, she’s not expecting anything to happen – and she definitely isn’t expecting the wish to go awry and cause her other neighbor, Pete, to fall in love with her instead. When Pete’s romantic gestures grow more and more over-the-top, Addie recruits Sam to help break the spell before Christmas.
Produced by: MarVista Entertainment
Source: Nielsen, C3, Household Impressions, 2018, Holiday Movies
About ION Television
ION Television, a top 10-ranked U.S. general entertainment network, is the flagship of the independent, privately held media company, ION Media. Launched in 2007, ION Television features a “Positively Entertaining” schedule of proven, award-winning programs, quality original series and popular holiday movies available on multiple platforms via its state-of-the-art distribution system. As owner of the nation’s largest broadcast station group, ION Media’s 70 full-power stations reach 100+ million homes. For more information, visit www.iontelevision.com.
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