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Watch out, Hallmark Channel. ’Tis the season of Christmas-themed, made-for-TV movies, but your annual offerings face strong competition from a year-old, family-focused network.
Great American Family, with a slate of 21 original Christmas movies this year, is laying claim as the fastest-growing cable channel for the 12th consecutive month. And its merger this year with Christian-friendly streaming service Pure Flix aims to extend the channel’s reach.
“Our programming team is working diligently to integrate Great American Family movies and programs onto the [streaming] platform,” said Bill Abbott, president and CEO of network parent company Great American Media.
Mr. Abbott said that cable and broadcast television — “linear TV” by industry insiders — continue to be important despite the growth of streaming, which now claims 38.7% of households.
“The linear business is in 70 million homes, so it still delivers critical mass and is the best platform to build a brand,” said Mr. Abbott, the former chief of Crown Media Family Networks, the parent of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. “The linear business is still working well in terms of viewer growth, profitability and strong advertising revenue.”
A brouhaha over an advertiser whose spots featured a same-sex couple led to his departure from Hallmark and the formation of a team that launched Great American Media, which aims to infuse Christian faith into its programming.
Promising “faith, family and hometown values,” Great American Media rolled out the cable network last year and later merged with Pure Flix, formerly operated by Sony Pictures, which still retains a stake in the venture.
Mr. Abbott said streaming platform “members will be able to stream various Christmas movies that premiere on Great American Family, as well as many others that are exclusive to Great American Pure Flix. We are excited about what this Christmas and the future holds for our integrating programming.”
And Great American Family already has launched its seasonal fare, with “My Christmas Hero,” starring Candace Cameron Bure, which premiered Nov. 24; and “A Royal Date for Christmas,” starring Danica McKellar, which aired last weekend.
“Christmas on Windmill Way,” with Chad Michael Murray and Christa Taylor Brown, will debut Saturday, Mr. Abbott said.
He said he is particularly pleased with “A Christmas Blessing,” starring Lori Loughlin, Jesse Hutch and James Tupper. The film centers on a food pantry that Ms. Loughlin’s character inherits and is planning to sell until she gets a reminder from a volunteer, played by Mr. Hutch, that giving is truly important.
The story “brings in giving in the spirit of the season in a way that very few movies are able to accomplish. We really want to lean into what Christmas is, the meaning of the season and the faith element,” he said.
Now that strikes by Hollywood actors and writers have ended, Mr. Abbott said the firm looks forward to adding “more quality films and series that our viewers want to see.”
He said Great American Pure Flix will offer “one flat rate, across all devices, with no ads and unlimited access,” making the streaming component a trusted provider parents can trust for their children’s viewing.
• This article has been updated to clarify Mr. Abbott’s departure from the Hallmark Channel.
• Mark A. Kellner can be reached at mkellner@washingtontimes.com.
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