Great American Family Channel Closes 2022 as Fastest Growing Cable Network
If you tuned in to watch the big slate of original Christmas movies on the Great American Family channel this holiday season, you’re definitely not alone. According to data from the channel and Nielsen, Great American Family was the fastest-growing cable network on TV in the fourth quarter of 2022.
The channel’s growth in the fourth quarter was largely due to its “Great American Christmas” film franchise which featured 18 original Christmas movies and fan-favorite stars including Candace Cameron Bure, Danica McKellar, Gladys Knight, Jen Lilley, and more. Great American Country morphed into GAF in 2021, so it still has a ways to go in order to catch up with other networks, especially its cable competitors Lifetime and Hallmark.
The expanded slate of 18 Christmas films marked a 50% increase in the network’s holiday movie offering in year two of its existence and further established Great American Family as a destination for original Christmas movies. The network also features year-round seasonal programming events, including Autumn Harvest and Great American Winter, which feature original movies celebrating faith and family.
The numbers from GAF confirm a report from December that showed the channel grew the most of any network since it started its “Great American Christmas” block of films on Oct. 21, 2022. GAF Media CEO Bill Abbott noted at the time that the channel does everything it can to make its viewers feel warm and cozy.
“It’s comfort food. It’s the type of content that stands the test of time because you may know what’s going to happen, but it’s how you get there,” Abbott said. “It’s the journey that makes it interesting and makes it fun.” It seems to be working, as the network keeps setting viewership records week after week with their films.
The channel has not been without its share of controversy in 2022. “A Christmas… Present” star and chief content officer Candace Cameron Bure caused a stir around the channel when she made comments that were perceived as disparaging to the LGBTQIA+ community regarding the network and its programming.
Despite those issues, GAF has had a strong 2022. Great American Media launched a direct-to-consumer streaming service called Great American Community in September, which offers family-friendly original series, holiday content, cooking and baking shows, and much more.
Great American Community
Great American Community is a free video-on-demand service featuring content related to cooking, fashion, lifestyle, gardening, pets, parenting, DIY, relationships, philanthropy, fitness, wellness, devotions, and more. The service is an offshoot of the popular Great American Family and Great American Living channels.