Great American Media

Great American Media, legally GAC Media, LLC, is a privately held American media company headquartered in Arlington, Texas. The company owns and operates the cable networks Great American Family and Great American Faith & Living, as well as a portfolio of over-the-top and free ad-supported streaming initiatives. Its best-known streaming association is Great American Pure Flix, a faith-based entertainment service operated in conjunction with Sony Pictures' Affirm Films. The company was created in 2021 after a group led by private-equity investor Tom Hicks and former Crown Media Holdings chief executive Bill Abbott acquired Great American Country from Discovery, Inc. and Ride TV from Ride Television Network. The acquisitions gave the new company two established linear television outlets that could be repositioned around a more explicitly family-friendly and values-oriented programming strategy. Abbott's previous leadership of Crown Media, the parent company of Hallmark Channel, strongly influenced the company's programming direction, particularly its emphasis on original television movies, seasonal entertainment and talent familiar to viewers of Hallmark productions. Following the acquisitions, the networks were initially branded as GAC Family and GAC Living. GAC Family focused on original family entertainment and holiday programming, while GAC Living adopted a lifestyle-oriented format. In 2022, the company announced a broader corporate rebrand from GAC Media to Great American Media. GAC Family became Great American Family and GAC Living became Great American Living; the legal corporate name, GAC Media, LLC, remained in use. The rebrand was intended to place the company's consumer-facing properties under a more descriptive and unified Great American identity. Great American Media has pursued both linear television distribution and direct-to-consumer or platform-based expansion. In 2022 it launched Great American Adventures on Xumo as a free ad-supported channel featuring lifestyle and entertainment content associated with an Americana theme. It also announced Great American Community, a planned digital service combining short-form programming, talent-related content and online community features. The company described these initiatives as part of a wider effort to build an ecosystem around its programming and personalities rather than rely solely on traditional cable distribution. Talent recruitment has been central to the company's positioning. In April 2022, actress and producer Candace Cameron Bure joined in an executive and creative capacity after a long association with Hallmark Channel. She was expected to develop and appear in original productions for Great American Media's networks. The company also entered into other talent agreements, including a multi-film deal with actor Mario Lopez announced in 2024. These arrangements reinforced the company's focus on recognizable television personalities and made-for-television films. In 2023, Pure Flix and Great American Media announced plans to combine their faith-based streaming operations. Pure Flix was owned by Sony Pictures through its faith and family entertainment activities, and the proposed combination was structured to give Great American Media a controlling stake in the resulting entity, with Bill Abbott continuing as chief executive. The transaction's financial terms were not publicly disclosed in the cited material. The relationship expanded Great American Media's reach beyond family-oriented cable programming into subscription and digital faith-based entertainment. Great American Media's portfolio is positioned around family-safe, Christian or faith-oriented, seasonal and lifestyle content. Its strategy distinguishes the company from general-entertainment media groups by emphasizing programming designed for viewers seeking conservative, religious or broadly family-centered entertainment. The company relocated its headquarters from Fort Worth to Arlington, Texas, in 2024. It remains an active private media business, although detailed ownership, financial and distribution information is not publicly available in the supplied sources.

Great American Media originated in 2021 when an investor group led by Tom Hicks and Bill Abbott acquired two existing American cable networks. Great American Country was purchased from Discovery, Inc., while Ride TV was acquired from Ride Television Network. Abbott brought experience from his former position as chief executive of Crown Media Holdings, the company associated with Hallmark Channel, and the new business adopted a programming model oriented toward family entertainment, original movies and seasonal content. The acquired channels were initially reorganized under the GAC identity. Great American Country became GAC Family, with a focus on family-friendly original entertainment and holiday programming. Ride TV became GAC Living, with a lifestyle-oriented schedule. The strategy sought to attract viewers interested in programming that avoided the broader and sometimes more mature content mix of general-entertainment television. It also relied on performers and producers who had built audiences through Hallmark and similar television productions. In April 2022, Candace Cameron Bure joined Great American Media in an executive and creative role. She was tasked with developing and starring in original programming, strengthening the company's connection to the made-for-television film market. Around the same period, the company outlined plans to expand beyond linear cable. Proposed initiatives included a lifestyle and entertainment FAST channel called Great American Adventures and a fan-oriented online portal. Great American Community was subsequently announced as a free, advertising-supported service combining short-form programming, appearances by company talent and interactive forums. A premium tier was left open as a future possibility. Great American Adventures launched on Xumo in July 2022. Its programming emphasized Americana-themed lifestyle and entertainment material. Later that month, the company announced that GAC Media would use Great American Media as its trade name. The associated networks were renamed Great American Family and Great American Living in August 2022. The legal company name remained GAC Media, LLC, but the Great American branding became the principal public identity. The renamed properties were intended to present the cable and digital businesses as parts of one coherent family and faith-oriented media portfolio. The company continued to develop its faith-based streaming presence through its relationship with Pure Flix. In May 2023, Pure Flix, a Sony Pictures-owned service associated with faith-based content, announced a planned combination with Great American Media. The disclosed structure contemplated Great American Media holding a controlling stake in the combined business and Bill Abbott serving as chief executive. The terms were not disclosed in the cited material. The planned transaction linked Great American's original television and cable strategy with Pure Flix's established digital faith-content business. Great American Media also continued using talent agreements as a programming and marketing tool. In 2024, it announced a multi-film deal with Mario Lopez. Such arrangements support the company's emphasis on familiar performers, original movies and event-oriented programming. The company relocated its headquarters from Fort Worth to Arlington, Texas, during 2024. Its reported portfolio includes Great American Family, Great American Faith & Living, Great American Adventures, Great American Community and Great American Pure Flix. The business remains privately held, and detailed financial performance, ownership percentages and the final terms of its Pure Flix combination are not specified in the supplied reference material.

• 2024

  Mario Lopez multi-film agreement

  [1]Great American Mediaen.wikipedia.org

  The company entered into a multi-film deal with actor Mario Lopez.

• 2024

  Headquarters moves to Arlington

  [1]Great American Mediaen.wikipedia.org

  Great American Media moved its headquarters from Fort Worth to Arlington, Texas.

• 2023

  Planned Pure Flix combination announced

  [1]Great American Mediaen.wikipedia.org

  Great American Media and Sony Pictures' Pure Flix announced plans to combine their faith-based streaming operations.

• 2022

  Candace Cameron Bure joins the company

  [1]Great American Mediaen.wikipedia.org

  Bure joined in an executive and creative capacity to develop and star in original productions.

• 2022

  Great American Adventures launches

  [1]Great American Mediaen.wikipedia.org

  The company launched an Americana-focused lifestyle and entertainment FAST channel on Xumo.

• 2022

  Corporate and network rebrand

  [1]Great American Mediaen.wikipedia.org

  GAC Media adopted Great American Media as its trade name, and GAC Family and GAC Living became Great American Family and Great American Living.

• 2021

  Company established through cable-network acquisitions

  [1]Great American Mediaen.wikipedia.org

  A group led by Tom Hicks and Bill Abbott acquired Great American Country from Discovery and Ride TV from Ride Television Network, creating the media business later known as Great American Media.

• 2021

  GAC Family and GAC Living are introduced

  [1]Great American Mediaen.wikipedia.org

  The acquired channels were repositioned as GAC Family and GAC Living, with family entertainment, original movies, holiday programming and lifestyle content.

A U.S. family-friendly and faith-oriented media company focused on original television movies, holiday programming, lifestyle entertainment and Christian streaming content.

• Cable television network · 2021

  Great American Family

  Great American Family is the company's principal family-entertainment cable network. It developed from Great American Country and was initially branded GAC Family before adopting its current name in 2022. Its programming strategy emphasizes original television movies, holiday and seasonal entertainment, and broadly family-friendly programming. The network has recruited performers associated with made-for-television productions and is closely identified with Bill Abbott's prior experience at Crown Media.

• Cable television network

  Great American Faith & Living

  Great American Faith & Living is a cable network in the Great American portfolio focused on faith-oriented and lifestyle programming. The supplied reference identifies it as one of the company's principal linear networks, although it provides limited detail about its schedule, distribution history and programming mix.

• Free ad-supported streaming television channel · 2022

  Great American Adventures

  Great American Adventures is a free ad-supported streaming channel launched on Xumo in 2022. It carries lifestyle and entertainment programming built around an Americana theme, extending the company's brand beyond traditional cable networks and into platform-based viewing.

• Digital community and streaming service · 2022

  Great American Community

  Great American Community was announced as a planned free, advertising-supported digital service. Its proposed features included short-form programming with Great American talent and personalities, together with online forums where users could interact with them. The company did not exclude the possibility of adding a premium tier.

• Faith-based streaming service

  Great American Pure Flix

  Great American Pure Flix represents the company's faith-based streaming offering associated with Pure Flix and Sony Pictures' Affirm Films. In 2023, the parties announced plans to combine the Pure Flix and Great American Media operations, with Great American Media expected to hold a controlling stake. The cited material does not disclose the final ownership terms or detailed product structure.

• 2023

  Plan a combination with Pure FlixM&A

  Background

  Great American Media sought to expand its faith-based streaming presence through a combination with Pure Flix, a Sony Pictures-owned service associated with Affirm Films.

  Action taken

  The parties announced a proposed merger, with Great American Media expected to hold a controlling stake and Bill Abbott to serve as chief executive.

  Aftermath

  The announcement linked Great American Media's cable and original-film business with Pure Flix's faith-based streaming operation. The supplied reference does not establish final transaction terms.

  Source

• 2022

  Rebrand the company and its television networksStrategy

  Background

  The company sought a unified public identity for its cable networks and planned digital services.

  Action taken

  GAC Media adopted Great American Media as its trade name, while GAC Family and GAC Living became Great American Family and Great American Living.

  Aftermath

  The Great American name became the umbrella identity for the company's family-oriented media properties, while GAC Media remained the legal corporate name.

  Source

• 2021

  Acquire Great American Country and Ride TVM&A

  Background

  The newly formed company needed established distribution assets and acquired two U.S. cable networks from Discovery and Ride Television Network.

  Action taken

  Great American Country and Ride TV were purchased and subsequently reorganized under the GAC brand.

  Aftermath

  The acquisitions created the foundation for Great American Media's family, lifestyle and faith-oriented television portfolio.

  Source

1. 1Great American Mediaen.wikipedia.org