Great American Media CEO promises to counter Hollywood 'agendas' amid merger with Pure Flix
Great American Family's CEO Bill Abbott says through his company's merger with Pure Flix, the media platform will stream content that honors "faith, family and country," rivals Netflix in quality and serves as a beacon of light in a world that is "very, very dark and people have strong agendas."
"We will be the leader in faith and family content, both in streaming and in linear," Abbott told The Christian Post.
"When you think streaming, you think Netflix. When you think faith and family content, you'll think Great American Media, Great American Pure Flix; Great American as a brand that represents a high quality, that represents that focus on faith and family, that never disappoints."
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With a career steeped in family-friendly television, Abbott has been a driving force in uplifting and inspiring content that resonates with audiences seeking an alternative to the often salacious media landscape.
He made headlines in 2020 after stepping down from his role as CEO of Crown Media Family Networks, the parent company of Hallmark, after the company announced it would make a concentrated effort to produce "projects featuring LGBTQ storylines, characters, and actors." In December, Hallmark released its first movie featuring a gay couple.
He now helms Great American Media, the home to a portfolio of family-friendly brands, including linear TV networks, Great American Family, Great American Living, Great American Community and Great American Adventures.
In May, it announced it had merged with PureFlix, the faith-based streaming service of Sony Pictures Entertainment. Abbott described the move as "an alignment of mission-driven people and brands."
"It made a lot of sense on our side to combine with a like-minded platform that now can produce content for a variety of different places and outlets and really delve into the faith and family space," he said. "So it was just a no-brainer from the start."
This collaboration will allow Pure Flix's faith-based content to reach traditional TV viewers and enhance the programming lineup of GAM's TV networks, namely Great American Family and Great American Living.
Pure Flix and GAM will share content across their respective platforms as part of this agreement.
Abbott said his personal faith journey is integral in shaping the content he stands behind. For him, it is both an opportunity to showcase faith in a positive light and a means to counter the negativity often propagated in the entertainment industry regarding faith and those who embrace it.
"You look at the negativity across the entire culture that is driven, very often, by the entertainment business around faith, and around people of faith, especially, and how it's more put down and derided than celebrated," he said.
And when it comes to content creation, Abbott said GAM adheres to non-negotiable standards. Every project undergoes rigorous scrutiny to ensure that it upholds the principles of family-friendliness and is respectful of viewers of all ages.
"As we look at every project that we air, [we look at it through the lens] of never presenting situations that are uncomfortable for the family, that are not appropriate for every member of the family, that are not supportive of faith and family, he said.
"We scrutinize every piece of content; we create every word, every sentence, every way in which a person either respects their family and their elders or interacts with them; those are very important elements for us that are supportive of an overall culture structure and belief system."
Last year, GAC Media announced it had hired Hallmark veteran Candace Cameron Bure to develop, produce and star in movies and television shows. Bure is also the chief creative officer with Great American Family.
Currently, the platform is offering "Christmas in July," a series of titles Abbott said offer viewers a reprieve from the summer heat and gives them a chance to reflect on the true meaning of the holiday season. The titles include "A Christmas...Present," starring Bure, Marc Blucas and Paul Fitzgerald, "Aisle Be Home For Christmas" and "Art of Christmas," among others.
"We've seen more and more in the secular world that Christmas in July has become a secular experience that's driven for profit, but we want to be representing it in a way that includes faith and family as well," he said.
Looking to the future, Abbott said he's committed to producing high-quality content that consistently meets the expectations of its audience. Great American Media understands, he stressed, the significance of presenting stories that resonate with viewers emotionally and spiritually, ultimately providing a wholesome viewing experience.
"Most faith or family services that are out there will cut around the margins or make excuses for why something may make sense or put something on that might not be at the level of standard in which they want to live up to for economic reasons or for convenience sake, and we will never do that," he said.
"We are personally dedicated to making sure that everything really meets a certain standard and makes sense and is not going to disappoint any of our viewers in terms of the way they feel about our brand or content."
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]
