(LibertySociety.com) – Bill Abbott, who was formerly the CEO of Crown Media, which is most widely known for its subsidiary, The Hallmark Channel, had big aspirations when he left the company and started Great American Media, purchasing Great American Country (GAC) and Ride TV in 2021. He changed GAC to Great American Family and Ride TV to Great American Living in 2022, promising “quality, family-friendly programming” for viewers. Many Americans chose to tune in to GAC for their Christmas movie fix in 2022, stepping away from their long-time commitment to Hallmark.
Now Abbott has made another major move, merging Great American Media with Pure Flix, a streaming platform that provides faith-based programming. Sony purchased Pure Flix back in 2020, and Abbott will remain CEO of the merged entities. Americans who watch Great American Media channels on cable television will now be offered content from Pure Flix, and Pure Flix users will enjoy Great American Media programs. Abbott released a statement with the news of the merger, expressing his excitement at the opportunity for growth and the ability to provide content to a “large and under-served market.”
Some stars who have played many roles in Hallmark films joined Abbott in his new venture, including Candice Cameron Bure, who announced back in April 2022 that she would be joining Abbott to not only star in new films for the network but also take on a leadership role creating and overseeing new productions. Other stars who have also signed deals with Great American Media include Lori Loughlin, who was forced to leave Hallmark after participating in a college admissions scandal for which she was sentenced to two months in prison, and Danica McKellar, who began her career with the show “The Wonder Years.”
Could a move like this boost the brand enough to compete with other streaming platforms such as Netflix and Hulu, which have lulled in growth over the past few years?
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