As the flagship linear TV network, Great American Family has become a Top 25 channel in three years. Its growth has been fueled by its franchise, Great American Christmas.
In an interview with The Christian Post, President and CEO of Great American Media, Bill Abbott, attributed the platform's rapid rise to a singular focus on uplifting, family-friendly programming that celebrates faith, family, and country—values he believes are often underrepresented in today's mainstream entertainment.
Abbott stated, “As shown by recent events, the country is seeking a return to normalcy, and our brand's relentless focus on content that affirms faith, family, and country has resonated in a big way.”
While many networks experienced declines in 2024, Great American Family saw double-digit growth. In November alone, the network reported a 19% increase in household viewership and a 21% rise in total viewers, with the women aged 25-54 demographic growing by 13%.
The success of Great American Family is credited to strategic audience engagement and Abbott’s unwavering commitment to quality content.
“Each week, we review ratings as an entire company so we can see what our viewers are saying,” he explained. “This gives us an opportunity to connect with our audience and understand how we can continue to create engaging content. We regularly ask for feedback from our audience and hold focus groups to determine how we can create the most valuable content. We also have a team dedicated to engaging and connecting with our audience on social media.”
Abbott stepped down as CEO of Crown Media Family Networks, the parent company of Hallmark, shortly after the company announced plans to produce “projects featuring LGBTQ storylines, characters, and actors.
Under Abbott’s leadership, Great American Family launched in 2021 as a rival to Hallmark and merged with faith-based Pure Flix in 2023, launching a streaming service, Great American Pure Flix.
According to Abbott, the Great American Family distinguishes itself from mainstream platforms by honoring traditional values.
“In ‘mainstream’ entertainment, the portrayal of faith, family, and country is often dismissive, caricatured, or outright derisive,” he said. “One of the qualifications that that content needs to have to air on our platforms is to be supportive and encouraging in regard to the traditions and values that are central to faith, family, and country.”
Abbott continued, “We have received an enormous number of comments from viewers that our content brings joy to their home, comfort during challenging times, and a space for their families to watch without controversy. These types of messages are very fulfilling and reaffirm our mission to be uplifting and inspirational.”
Turning to 2025, the network aims to build on its momentum, teasing new projects, including the return of "County Rescue," "When Hope Calls," and high-profile adaptations like Karen Kingsbury's "Someone Like You."
“Great American Family delivers what is promised to its audience,” he emphasized. “We continue to bring familiar faces to our channel and listen to our audience's feedback. By listening to what our audience wants, we are not only growing in their homes but that love for the channel will flow to their family, friends, and neighbors. We want to continue our devotion to creating quality, family-friendly content throughout the shifts of this industry.”
