Great American Media
GAC Media, LLC, doing business as Great American Media, is a Fort Worth, Texas-based media company, and owner of the U.S. cable networks Great American Family and Great American Living.
Great American Media | |
Type | Limited liability company |
Industry | Broadcasting |
Founded | June 7, 2021 |
Founders | Bill Abbott, Tom Hicks |
Headquarters | , United States |
Key people | Bill Abbott, CEO |
Owner | Hicks Equity Partners |
Website | gacmedia |
History
The company was announced on June 7, 2021, through its acquisition of the cable networks Great American Country and Ride TV from Discovery Inc. and Ride Television Network, Inc. respectively. The company is led by private equity investor Tom Hicks, and Bill Abbott—who formerly served as CEO of Crown Media Holdings.[1] After taking over the channels, they were rebranded as the "Great American Channels", with GAC itself being relaunched as GAC Family and taking on a conservative, family-friendly entertainment format, and Ride TV becoming GAC Living.[2][3]
GAC Family would emulate many of the programming decisions made by Abbott while running Hallmark Channel, including a focus on original television films and holiday-themed content. It also signed deals with various actors associated with Hallmark Channel productions.[4][5][3] In April 2022, GAC Media hired Candace Cameron Bure–who had worked with Hallmark Channel since 2008–in an executive role, which would see her develop and star in original productions for its networks.[4][5] During its upfronts, Abbott stated that the company planned to expand into over-the-top content MMO ventures, with plans for a lifestyle-based ad-supported streaming channel known as "Great American Adventures", and a "fan portal".[5]
In May 2022, GAC Media announced Great American Community, a planned service launching in September that would carry short-form programming featuring GAC talent and personalities, and feature online forums allowing users to interact with them. The service would be free and ad-supported, but GAC Media did not rule out a premium tier in the future.[6] In July 2022, GAC Media launched Great American Adventures on Xumo, which carries lifestyle and entertainment programming oriented towards "Americana".[7]
Later that month, GAC Media announced that it would change its trade name to Great American Media, as part of a corporate rebranding that will also see GAC Family and Living renamed Great American Family and Great American Living on August 20, 2022. GAC Media will remain the company's legal name.[8]
In May 2023, GAC Media announced it was beginning negotiations to merge with Sony Pictures Entertainment's Pure Flix. This move would allow GAC Media to attract more Christian viewers and reach a wider audience. [9]
Assets
Linear networks
Over-the-top services
- Great American Adventures
- Great American Community
References
- Goldsmith, Jill (June 7, 2021). "Discovery Sells Great American Country To Investor Group With Former Crown Media Chief Bill Abbott As CEO". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - Lafayette, Jon (August 26, 2021). "Former Hallmark Head Bill Abbott Renames Cable Networks To Create Family Friendly GAC Brands". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
- Petski, Denise (December 8, 2021). "Jessica Lowndes & Jesse Metcalfe To Headline 'Harmony From The Heart' Movie For GAC Family". Deadline. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
- Schwartz, Ryan (April 19, 2022). "Hallmark Vet Candace Cameron Bure Makes Move to GAC Family, to Develop 'Family and Faith-Filled Programming'". TVLine. Retrieved April 22, 2022.
- Lafayette, Jon (April 25, 2022). "Bill Abbott's GAC Media Unwraps Holiday Plans in Upfront Pitch". Broadcasting Cable. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
- Lafayette, Jon (May 17, 2022). "Bill Abbott's GAC Plans DTC App With Original Content, Social Functions". Broadcasting Cable. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
- Lafayette, Jon (July 6, 2022). "Bill Abbott's GAC Media Launches Great American Adventures on Xumo". Broadcasting Cable. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
- Lafayette, Jon (July 19, 2022). "Bill Abbott Renames GAC Family as Great American Family". Broadcasting Cable. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
- Wassell, Kayla (May 11, 2023). "Sony Picture's Pure Flix Merges With Great American Media". Cord Cutters News. Retrieved May 12, 2023.