Crown Media begins broadcasting Hallmark channels from the cloud with Globecast

The playout of Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama is now managed in the cloud thanks to the latest partnership between Crown Media and Globecast.

Globecast, a company that has signed a five-year contract with Crown Media, will manage the broadcast of the channels, both linear and OTT; terrestrial and satellite distribution to MVPDs and VMVPDs; and the transmission of the Hallmark TV Everywhere offering to mobile devices. This agreement will, however, be done under an innovative approach, as all broadcast services will be done from a virtual platform in the cloud. This new solution supports various linear TV services, including both HD and SD for all Crown Media channels, as well as OTT variations of the linear product.

Crown Media (which has been collaborating with Globecast since 2017) will have a cloud-based content library, which will feed Globecast’s media supply chain. The Globecast media management solution and automation integrates broadcast-ready files into the playlist. The integrated channels are then distributed via satellite and terrestrial from Globecast’s Culver City facility.

The Hallmark channels operate with a high degree of operational complexity, with considerable on-screen graphics requirements, along with regular template and branding changes that occur throughout the year to highlight various holidays and other events. Still, as Eddie Ferraro (CEO of Globecast America) details, the solution is up to the task: “We are very pleased that our long-standing relationship with Crown Media has led to this groundbreaking project. Our development work has led to the creation of an industry-leading technology platform that will provide extensive operational and financial flexibility for our customers. We are absolutely confident in our market-leading playout technologies, further validating Globecast’s positioning in complex cloud-based media management services.”