Biography
Bill Abbott is President and CEO of Great American Media, home to the family-friendly portfolio of brands Great American Family, Great American Pure Flix (streamer), Great American Living, Great American Adventures, and Great American Community. As the company's flagship network, Great American Family features family-friendly series, original holiday movies, and seasonal romcoms celebrating faith, family, and country.
Abbott co-founded Great American Media in June 2021, leading the company's acquisition of Great American Country from Discovery, Inc. and RIDE TV, re-branding each as GAC Family and GAC Living in September 2021. In addition, Abbott oversaw the debut of Great American Christmas, a new franchise of 12 original, holiday-themed movies and specials. In June 2022, he launched Great American Adventures, the company's first FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) channel celebrating Americana. In September 2023, Abbott was instrumental in GAM's merger with Sony Pictures Television's Pure Flix, joining GAM's family-friendly linear and FAST channels with Pure Flix's faith and family SVOD service.
Abbott has over 30 years of leadership experience in cable television. Previously, he served as President and CEO of Crown Media Family Networks, the parent company of Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, and Hallmark Drama. Abbott's vision and passion established Hallmark Channel as the leading destination for quality, family-friendly entertainment on cable. He significantly expanded and diversified the network's lineup of original content to include primetime scripted series, daytime Emmy®-nominated lifestyle series "Home & Family," and annual specials, including "Kitten Bowl," "Hero Dog Awards," and "American Rescue Dog Show." Abbott also piloted the development of Hallmark Channel's famous holiday programming initiative Countdown to Christmas, which consistently elevated the network to be among the most-watched and highest-rated cable throughout the fourth quarter.
Under Abbott's stewardship, the company rebranded Hallmark Movie Channel in 2014 as Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. As a result, it became one of cable's fastest-growing networks, registering double-digit annual ratings growth over the years. In 2017, Abbott was responsible for launching Hallmark Movies Now, a subscription video-on-demand service.
Before serving as President and CEO, Abbott was EVP of Ad Sales for Crown Media, overseeing the company's Ad Sales team and digital network development. He grew Hallmark Channel's annual revenue from $10.2 million to $223 million, setting the network apart as an industry leader.
Before his 20 years at Crown Media, Abbott was SVP of Advertising Sales for Fox Family Worldwide, growing ad sales revenue for Fox Family Channel and Fox Kids Broadcast Network. Earlier, he held research positions with CBS Radio Networks, Seltel, Inc., and Nadler & Larimer Advertising.
Abbott serves on the board of directors for Animal Humane, Parents TV & Media Council, and International Radio & Television Society Foundation. He is a 2017 inductee into Broadcasting & Cable's Hall of Fame.
Mr. Abbott grew up on Long Island and still lives in New York. He is married and has four children. His eldest daughter is from his first marriage. He is an avid fan of the New York Islanders and has a passion for pet adoption. He graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.
