In Buffalo, New York, the set of A Christmas Spark might look like any classic holiday movie, complete with falling snow, cozy jackets, and a heartwarming love story starring Mario Lopez. But this film, produced by Great American Media (GAM), is emblematic of a growing movement in entertainment: one that’s breaking away from liberal Hollywood and building a parallel media universe shaped by faith, tradition, and conservative values.
Led by Bill Abbott, the former Hallmark Channel CEO, Great American Media has quickly emerged as a hub for family-oriented and faith-based content. Abbott left Hallmark in 2020 after public backlash over the removal of a same-sex wedding ad, a moment that catalyzed his departure and the launch of GAM. With backing from conservative donors and private equity firms like Hicks Equity Partners, Abbott created an alternative to what he saw as Hallmark’s turn toward “woke” politics and diversity-first programming. His goal: offer a refuge for viewers seeking entertainment grounded in traditional American values.
While Abbott and others in the faith-based media space insist they’re not overtly political, their growth is largely powered by audiences frustrated with liberal messaging in mainstream entertainment. Viewers who once tuned in to Hallmark and Lifetime are turning to platforms like GAM, Angel Studios, and The Daily Wire’s growing film slate. These networks deliver familiar romantic plots and moral stories, but with clear boundaries around topics like sexuality, religion, and national identity. GAM’s programming lineup includes titles like Peace River: God, Country & The Cowboy Way and Disciples in the Moonlight, which appeal directly to conservative sensibilities.
This shift in cultural power is backed by data. While major networks like Hallmark and Lifetime have seen declines in viewership, GAM reported a 20 percent increase between late 2023 and 2024. Faith-based hits like Sound of Freedom and The Chosen have achieved viral success with minimal budgets, driven by crowdfunding and grassroots support. Leonard Leo, the longtime Federalist Society figure, sees this as more than a market trend, it’s a cultural realignment. He’s using his $1.6 billion war chest to push conservative content into the mainstream, beginning with the breakout success House of David.
The business model is built on simplicity and familiarity. Faith-based productions keep costs low, reuse actors, and avoid the genre complexity of big-budget films. Yet their real power lies in identity. Watching GAM is no longer just entertainment, it’s a cultural stance. Fans of the network describe it as a safe haven from what they perceive as Hollywood’s moral decline, and GAM leverages that sense of alienation to foster loyalty. Executives like Abbott don’t shy away from drawing battle lines. On conservative podcasts and platforms, he frames GAM’s mission as a defense of faith and family against an industry that, in his words, “wants to put faith in a box and make it go away.”
In a divided media landscape, faith-based and conservative entertainment is no longer fringe, it’s a parallel economy, thriving by delivering exactly what a large swath of the country feels has been lost. For many viewers, these films and shows aren’t just stories, they’re affirmations of who they are and what they believe.
