We all love quality family time, and binging on family-friendly TV entertainment is a great way to achieve that. Great American Family is the perfect TV channel to watch made-for-TV movies and television series with your loved ones over popcorn.
Read on to discover how to enjoy the channel’s great programming without cable.
In a hurry? You can get Great American Family from these services:
- Fubo: With 150+ channels, it offers something for everyone. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
- DIRECTV STREAM: Provides everything you expect from cable with many options. A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
- Sling TV: Probably the best streaming service in terms of customization with a super low price and a 50% discount on your first month!
If you can’t watch your favorite sports, TV and movies because of your location, try ExpressVPN to get access to the content you deserve. Signup now.
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How to Watch Great American Family Channel
You can watch Great American Family through major cable providers by installing the free Great American Community app, or by choosing a suitable streaming service from the list below.
Live TV Streaming Services
- Fubo: The Fubo Pro package for $79.99/mo allows you to watch great content from top Great American Family stars such as Candace Cameron Bure. The plan features 150+ channels and allows you to stream on ten screens simultaneously, which is amazing news for large families. You also get 1000 hours of cloud DVR storage, allowing you to save your favorite movies like Just In Time and County Rescue for a later rerun. (Fubo Review)
- DIRECTV STREAM: Great American Family is available with the Choice package that costs $108.99/mo. Or go for the higher tier Premier ($164.99/mo) or Ultimate ($119.99/mo) plans. The Choice package offers unlimited Cloud DVR recordings and features 105+ channels. (DIRECTV STREAM Review)
- Sling TV: This is one of the most popular and affordable streaming platforms offering Great American Family channel. To do so, subscribe to either the Orange or Blue plan for $40.00/mo, and include the Heartland Extra add-on for $6/mo. Apart from accessing the station, the add-on enables you to watch other top channels such as Great American Faith & Living, Pursuit, The Cowboy Channel, Destination America, World Fishing Network, and American Heroes Channel. (Sling TV Review)
- Hulu + Live TV: Great American Family is also available on Hulu + Live TV. The $76.99/mo base plan will enable you to stream 100+ top live TV channels. The plan offers unlimited DVR storage, meaning you can store live TV recordings for up to nine months. You can also stream on two screens simultaneously. (Hulu + Live TV Review)
- Philo: Budget-conscious Great American Family fans can enjoy watching movies like A Kind-hearted Christmas featuring Cameron Mathison through Philo. The base package retails at $25/mo and allows you to watch 70+ channels, such as Animal Planet, Crime & Investigation, Discovery Channel, and AccuWeather Network. (Philo Review)
- Frndly TV: This is the most pocket-friendly streaming service for watching Great American Family. For only $7.99/mo, enjoy watching 40+ Live TV Channels such as Great American Faith & Living, The Weather Channel, and all 3 Hallmark Channels. The unlimited DVR storage (upgrade required) lets you keep recordings for nine months, while the 72-hour Look Back feature automatically captures shows aired in the last three days. (Frndly TV Review)
Great American Community App
You can download the Great American Community App for free on the Apple App and Google Play stores. It features select, full-length specials, such as Christmas in Kentucky and Great American Rescue Bowl, and short-form content from top Great American Family stars.
Streaming Devices and TVs for Great American Family
You can watch Great American Family on most modern streaming devices and smart TVs supporting the above-listed streaming services. They include:
- Roku
- Amazon Fire TV (Stick/Cube)
- Apple TV
- Chromecast
- Android Mobile
- Android TV smart TVs
- iOS (iPhone, iPad)
- Samsung smart TVs
- Web Browsers
What Is the Great American Family Channel?
Great American Family was previously known as GAC Family, the GAC short for Great American Country. It’s therefore no surprise to see many people and web pages still referring to it as GAC Family instead of the new identity — Great American Family.
It is owned by Great American Media, an investment group led by former Crown Media Holdings CEO Bill Abbott and private equity investor Tom Hicks. After starting as a country music channel in 1995, the network underwent several ownership changes and rebranding. It now specializes in general family entertainment and holiday movies.
Great American Family mirrors many of Hallmark Channel’s programming strategies, and it’s no surprise considering that Abbott oversaw Hallmark’s operations as Crown Media CEO. He even brought along several top actors, such as Trevor Donovan, Jessica Lowndes, and Danica McKellar, to appear in Great American Family original movies.
Great American Family Programming
Great American Family channel airs family-oriented general entertainment such as original romantic comedies, made-for-TV movies, holiday content, and television series.
The network’s broadcasts can be categorized into shows, specials, and movies. Here are some popular titles:
Shows
- Perry Mason
- County Rescue
- Wagon Train
- Columbo
- Little House on the Prairie
- Murder, She Wrote
Movies
- A Christmas Less Traveled
- A Prince in Paradise 2: A Royal Proposal
- Aurora Christmas
- Passport to Love
- ‘Twas the Text Before Christmas
Specials
- The Passion Play
- Great American Rescue Bowl 2024
- Gentri – Finding Christmas
- A Silent Night at Museum of the Bible
- Nativity – The Art of Maltese Crib-Making
- K9 Hero Awards
Wrapping Up
Great American Family channel is ideal for general family-oriented entertainment, where you can bond with your loved ones over family-friendly movies, shows, and specials.
The Great American Community app allows you to watch limited content for free, but if you want full access, subscribe to a streaming service like Fubo for additional features and channels. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
FAQs
Do you have to pay to watch Great American Family?
Yes, you don’t have to pay to watch the Great American Family as a live channel. You can watch some of its content for free, however, if you download the Great American Community App. It offers some full-length specials and short-form original series hosted by well-known experts in fields such as cooking, lifestyle, pets, DIY, relationships, and fitness.
What were Candace Cameron Bure’s controversial comments about the Great American Family?
In a November 2022 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Bure expressed her desire to promote faith programming and good family entertainment. The chief creative officer said, “Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core.” The sentiments attracted criticism as an attack on same-sex unions and the LGBTQ community.
Does Hallmark own Great American Family?
No, Great American Media owns the channel, not Hallmark Media. The two are often confused because Bill Abbott, a co-owner and CEO of Great American Media, is a former CEO of Crown Media Holdings, which owns Hallmark. The two channels also mirror each other’s programming strategies.
How is Great American Family doing in the ratings?
According to a 2023 report by Nielsen Media, Great American Family is the fastest-growing network on TV in Total Day Households, Total Viewers, and Primetime Households. The channel’s family-oriented broadcasts are a hit with many households, and the Great American Community App also enjoys positive ratings on Apple and Google Play stores.
Which Hallmark actors are going to Great American Media?
Bill Abbott oversaw the Hallmark Channel for many years and knew the perfect talent to tap. Top among them is Full House star Candace Cameron Bure, who is now Great American Media’s chief content officer. Other top actors have moved over include Trevor Donovan, Jessica Lowndes, Danica McKellar, Jen Lilley, Jesse Metcalfe, and Cameron Mathison.
What type of programming does Great American Family offer during the holiday season?
The Great American Family channel is a go-to station for original Christmas movies, which they brand as “Great American Christmas.” Some of their best works include A Lot Like Christmas, starring Christopher Russell and Maggie Lawson, and My Angel’s Christmas List, starring Jessica Lowndes and Chad Michael Murray.
What types of shows and movies does Great American Family offer?
The channel focuses on family-themed broadcasts, mixing television series and holiday content with made-for-TV movies and original rom-coms. Some of the popular movies to enjoy on Great American Family include A Harvest Homecoming, One Perfect Match, and Candace Cameron Bure Presents: Just in Time. Others include Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters, Meet Me Under The Mistletoe, and Peppermint and Postcards.
