Hallmark Media Under New Leadership Amid Surprise Shakeup: What Happens Next

Programming executive Lisa Hamilton Daly, who left Netflix for Hallmark in 2021 and forged relationships with many of the network’s biggest stars, is no longer with the company, according to Deadline.

On January 6, 2025, the outlet reported that Hallmark eliminated Hamilton Daly’s position and has elevated its Chief Brand Officer, Darren Abbott, to oversee all of Hallmark’s “consumer-facing” endeavors, from its greeting card division to its cable channels and streaming platform.

The move comes after Hallmark stars’ busiest holiday season yet, which included more than three dozen new movies, the first-ever, sold-out Hallmark Christmas cruises, and fan events held across the country featuring its biggest stars — efforts that Abbott told CNBC in December he expects will grow as Hallmark establishes itself as a “lifestyle brand.”

GettyFormer Hallmark Programming EVP Lisa Hamilton Daly with Darren Abbott, Chief Brand Officer, and Emily Powers, EVP of Streaming and Digital Platforms, at Hallmark Media’s cocktail reception during the Summer 2024 Television Critics Association Press Tour on July 11, 2024.

In a statement provided to Deadline, Hallmark said it is “aligning its consumer-facing touch points, including content, under a single leader, Chief Brand Officer Darren Abbott, with a focus and expertise in the expression of the Hallmark brand to consumers — from product to experiences and now content, across multiple platforms.”

“Darren has an innate understanding of the Hallmark brand,” the statement continued, “and paired with his leadership and vision, will ensure our content aligns to the promise of our legacy brand.”

Abbott has been with Hallmark for nearly three decades in various roles, but became the Chief Brand Officer at Hallmark and Hallmark Media in January 2024, per LinkedIn.

In August, he told Brand Innovators that the Hallmark brand “has always been about putting more care and goodness into the world, which is universally relevant and timeless” and that continuing to create engaging experiences for its core consumers — such as the Hallmark Christmas Experience in Kansas City, its sold-out cruises, and its new streaming platform, Hallmark+ — are critical for the brand’s continued growth.

“Our brand fandom is growing year-over-year,” he said. “People are looking for us and they want more from us. Hallmark+ breaks through the clutter and the noise that’s out there right now because we stay true to who we are as a brand. We never veer from the DNA that defines who we are and what we do.”

He also told CNBC that they’re still committed to Hallmark’s linnear cable channels, too, with exclusive new programming continuing to premiere on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Mystery.

Lisa Hamilton Daly Influenced New Series Launches & Expanded Storytelling

Getty“The Way Home” stars Evan Williams, Andie MacDowell, Chyler Leigh and Sadie Laflamme-Snow surround former Hallmark Media Programming EVP Lisa Hamilton Daly at a season 2 screening event in May 2024.

Hamilton Daly’s surprise departure is the latest in a series of executive changes made since 2020, when former Hallmark Media CEO Bill Abbott left amid a public relations crisis and later launched a competing network, Great American Family.

When Hamilton Daly first joined Hallmark Media, she reported to then-CEO Wonya Lucas, who replaced Abbott in 2020 but announced she was leaving her role in August 2023. At the time, Hallmark said its President and CEO Mike Perry would work in tandem with Hamilton Daly to oversee programming.

Among Hamilton Daly’s achievements were developing the popular series “The Way Home,” which just premiered its third season, attracting new talent, and acquiring new series for Hallmark+ including “The Chicken Sisters” and Sarah Drew’s “Mistletoe Murders.” Hamilton Daly has also been vocal about her vision to diversify Hallmark’s storytelling by incorporating different kinds of love stories, innovative themes, and elevated production.

Hallmark’s statement to Deadline on January 6 confirmed the elimination of Hamilton Daly’s position, adding that “Lisa is an extremely talented creative leader and we are grateful for her many contributions to Hallmark Media including expanding our storytelling and characters in new ways.”

Hamilton Daly was named in an October 2024 ageism lawsuit filed by former Hallmark casting director Penny Perry, who alleged that she was let go because of her age and that Hamilton Daly wanted to “replace” aging talent like Holly Robinson Peete and Lacey Chabert.

As news broke of her departure, Hamilton Daly deleted the public Instagram profile where she often promoted the latest Hallmark movies and shows.