How to Watch Great American Family channel Without Cable

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You can watch the Great American Family channel without cable on a Smart TV, Roku, and other popular streaming devices like Amazon Fire TV Stick.

DIRECTV STREAM, Frndly TV, Fubo, Hulu Live TV, Philo, and Sling TV all stream the Great American Family channel live without cable.

Great American Family (GAC Family) has been a premium cable network since 1995 with hits such as “When Hope Calls.” 

Similar to Hallmark Channel, Great American Family has holiday programming, including “Great American Christmas in July.” The network isn’t just aiming to pump out feel-good Christmas movies like Hallmark Channel. GAC Family is a family-friendly channel with original series and movies.

Fans of Hallmark Channel will notice several actors from that network now involved with projects for Great American Media. They include Danica McKellar, Debbie Matenopoulos, Cameron Mathison, and Candace Cameron Bure.

How to Watch Great American Family on TV

Thanks to this new era of streaming and cord cutting, there are many ways to use a Smart TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, or Google Chromecast to watch TV. You don’t need Comcast, Spectrum, Cox, or another pricey cable subscription to start watching GAC Family. Premium cable channels aren’t exclusive to cable or satellite TV companies anymore.

Streaming ServiceFree TrialMonthly PriceKey Channels
DIRECTV STREAMYes (5 days)$79.99 – $164.99Great American Family, HGTV, History, Nickelodeon, ESPN, USA Network, NBC, FOX
Frndly TVYes (7 days)$7.99 – $11.99Great American Family, Hallmark Channels, INSP, Lifetime, Great American Living, MeTV
FuboYes (7 days)$79.99 – $99.99Great American Family, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, Food Network, HGTV, Big Ten Network, Comedy Central
Hulu Live TVYes (3 days)$76.99Great American Family, History Channel, HGTV, CNN, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News, NBC, ABC, FOX
PhiloYes (7 days)$28.00Great American Family, HGTV, CMT, Discovery, Paramount Network, AMC+, GAC Living, Hallmark Channels
Sling TVNo free trial. (Promotions available)$40.00 – $55.00Great American Family, AMC, History, Discovery, NFL Network, FS1, FS2

Many streaming plans carry Great American Family as a live TV channel. If you’re a fan of GAC Family, you may want a live TV streaming service that carries other networks such as Discovery, Hallmark Channel, History, Lifetime, HGTV, and Paramount Network.

Some of these streaming services offer local channels such as ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX. 

Expect to pay more if you want them in your channel lineup. DIRECTV STREAM, Frndly TV, Fubo, and Philo are currently the four streaming services with Great American Family that offer a free trial. 

Just remember to cancel before the trial ends if you don’t want to be billed for your live TV plan.

DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM has Great American Family in its entry-level channel bundle. You have four ways to watch Great American Family without cable through DIRECTV STREAM.

You can sign up for a free 5-day trial on every plan without any obligations. 

The Entertainment package has more than 75 live TV channels for $79.99 per month. Subscribers can watch TV on unlimited screens within your home. 

HGTV, History, Nickelodeon, ESPN, USA Network, and local channels such as NBC and FOX are included in the Entertainment plan. You get unlimited Cloud DVR and 40,000 on-demand movies and shows.

The Choice package has 40 regional sports channels, including Bally Sports networks, NBC Sports, and Marquee Sports Network. 

Choice subscribers get more than 105 channels for $108.99 per month. 

The Ultimate package has more than 140 channels, including local channels, and more sports and entertainment channels. The Ultimate package is $119.99 per month. The Premier Package has over 150 channels, including premium channels such as Max, Cinemax, and Showtime. A subscription to Premier is $164.99 per month.

Subscribers can get three months of Max (formerly HBO Max), Showtime, STARZ, Cinemax, and MGM+ (formerly EPIX) for free before the monthly rates kick in. There are no contracts. 

You can subscribe month to month and cancel whenever you want. 

DIRECTV STREAM works on Roku, Android TV, Fire TV devices, Apple TV, and even iPhones and iPads with current iOS software. Subscriptions run month to month, and you can cancel whenever you want. You can look over the different channel lineups before deciding whether to sign up.

directv stream local channels
(photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report)
PLANPRICECHANNELS
Entertainment$79.99/month75+
Choice$108.99/month105+
Ultimate$119.99/month140+
Premier$164.99/month150+
Simultaneous Streams: Unlimited
Cloud DVR Storage: Unlimited
Exclusive Content: No
Local Channels: Yes

Device support: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast with Google TV along with Smart TVs by Samsung, Sony Bravia.

Frndly TV

Frndly TV is the cheapest and most affordable option to watch Great American Family without cable. 

The service has over 50 live TV channels, including all three Hallmark channels, INSP, Lifetime, Great American Living, and MeTV and MeTV Toons.

Frndly TV has apps for Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Smart TVs running on Android TV. You can watch Great American Family on a PC or smartphone using a Frndly TV subscription.

Frndly TV offers three ways to watch Great American Family. 

The Basic plan costs $7.99 per month. It’s the cheapest way to watch the Great American Family channel live. Subscribers get Standard Definition (SD) picture quality and can stream live TV on one screen at a time. 

For HD picture quality, you can subscribe to the Classic plan for $9.99 per month. 

Subscribers to the Classic plan get unlimited Cloud DVR for recordings and can watch live TV on two screens at once. Subscribers can keep recordings for three months. The Premium plan costs $11.99 per month. Subscribers can watch live TV on up to four screens at once and can keep recordings for nine months.

You can sign up for a free 7-day trial. There are no contracts, and you can easily cancel online.

PLANPRICECHANNELS
Basic$7.99/month50 (SD Resolution)
Classic$9.99/month50 (HD Resolution)
Premium$11.99/month50 (HD Resolution) &
Simultaneous Streams: 1 (Basic); 2 (Classic); 4 (Premium)
Cloud DVR Storage: Unlimited (Classic & Premium only)
Exclusive Content: No
Local Channels: No

Device support: AirTV Mini, Amazon Echo Show, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast along with Smart TVs from LG, Samsung, Sony Bravia and VIZIO SmartCast.

Fubo

Fubo (formerly FuboTV) has the Great American Family channel in all its channel packages. 

Fubo offers three plans with Great American Family: Fubo Pro, Elite, and Premier. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial of any Fubo plan.

The Pro channel package has 181 channels, including local ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX in most areas of the U.S. 

Food Network, HGTV, Big Ten Network, and Comedy Central are part of the Pro bundle. Subscribers get unlimited Cloud DVR storage and can watch live TV on 10 screens at once. A subscription costs $79.99 per month. A regional sports fee is included and costs between $11.99 to $14.99 per month.

The Elite plan is $89.99 per month and has 65 more sports, news, and entertainment channels. The Premier plan has 264 channels, including Paramount+ with Showtime, for $99.99 per month. 

Fubo has a library of on-demand content, including movies and TV shows. Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, and Smart TVs all carry the Fubo app.

The FuboTV Elite package adds 60 more channels. Fubo has mobile apps for iPhone and Android so you can watch live TV on your smartphone. Subscribers can also watch live TV through their web browser.

fubotv-channels
(photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report)
PLANPRICECHANNELS
Pro$79.99/month188
Elite $89.99/month255
Premier$99.99/month264 w/ Paramount+ with Showtime
Simultaneous Streams: 10
Cloud DVR Storage: Unlimited
Exclusive Content: No
Local Channels: Yes

Device support: Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast with Google TV, Xbox One, along with Smart TVs by Hisense, Samsung, LG, Sony Bravia and VIZIO SmartCast TV. Android, iPhones and iPads with current iOS.

Hulu Live TV

Hulu + Live TV has over 90 channels, including Great American Family, History Channel, HGTV, CNN, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN News.

You will get local NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, and FOX stations as part of your subscription. Hulu also has a growing number of regional sports channels such as NBC Sports. Hulu + Live TV costs $76.99 per month and includes unlimited DVR.

Subscribers get more than just live TV channels. You will have full access to ESPN+, Disney+, and Hulu’s on-demand library. Look over the channel lineup for Hulu Live TV to see what local channels and regional sports networks are offered in your area.

Hulu on-demand subscribers will find a number of Great American Family shows with numerous seasons to watch. But don’t expect to find the latest episodes that just aired on cable.

(Photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report)
PLANPRICECHANNELS
Hulu (With Ads) + Live TV, Disney+ (With Ads) and ESPN+ (With Ads)$76.99/month90+
Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV, Disney+ (No Ads) and ESPN+ (With Ads)$89.99/month90+
Simultaneous Streams: 2
Cloud DVR Storage: Unlimited
Exclusive Content: Yes
Local Channels: Yes

Device support: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast with Google TV along with Smart TVs by Samsung, VIZIO SmartCast, Sony Bravia, PlayStation, XBox, Xfinity Flex and Xumo TV.

Philo

Philo offers more than 70 TV channels, including Great American Family, HGTV, CMT, Discovery, and Paramount Network. A subscription costs $28 per month and includes unlimited Cloud DVR. Philo has only one streaming TV package.

In addition to the slate of live TV channels, new subscribers also get AMC+, which carries movies and series from AMC+, Sundance Now and Shudder. 

You can use Philo on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and Android TV devices such as Google Chromecast. From a web browser, you can watch Philo on Mac computers, PCs, iOS devices, and Android devices.

If you’re using an Amazon Fire TV, you can use the single sign-on feature. By activating one app through Philo, you will automatically be signed into other TV Everywhere apps supported by your subscription. You can try out Philo free for a week by signing up in under a minute using your smartphone number.

Philo Channels
(Photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report)
PLANPRICECHANNELS
Philo$28/month72
Simultaneous Streams: 3
Cloud DVR Storage: Unlimited
Exclusive Content: Yes (via AMC+, Sundance Now & Shudder)
Local Channels: No

Device support: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast with Google TV along with Smart TVs by Samsung, and Sony Bravia.

Sling TV

Sling TV has Great American Family in its Orange and Blue channel bundles. 

With Sling, you can build your own channel package. You can pick either Sling Orange or Sling Blue before deciding whether you want any add-on channel packages.

The Sling Orange plan includes 32 channels, such as AMC, Great American Family, and History. A subscription to Sling Orange costs $40 per month. 

The Sling Blue plan has 40 channels, including Discovery, NFL Network, FS1, and FS2. You can combine Sling Blue with Sling Orange for $55 per month.

All subscribers get 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage. Sling is currently offering half off for the first month of service. 

Sling TV works on almost any streaming device: Roku, Firestick, Chromecast, and Apple TV. Gamers can watch TV on Xbox. The Sling app is supported by Samsung Smart TVs and Smart TVs running on Android TV or Google TV. Sling TV also supports mobile apps for iOS and Android.

watch-nfl-games
Sling TV is an inexpensive option for ESPN. (Photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report)
PLANPRICECHANNELS
Orange$40/month32
Blue$40/month41 (Locals included)
Orange + Blue$55/month88
Simultaneous Streams: 1 (Orange plan); 3 (Blue plan)
Cloud DVR Storage: 50 hours
Exclusive Content: No
Local Channels: Yes (limited markets, Blue plan)

Device support: AirTV Mini, Amazon Echo Show, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast along with Smart TVs from LG, Samsung, Sony Bravia and VIZIO SmartCast.

How to Watch Great American Family Channel FAQs

These are questions readers ask when searching for ways to watch Great American Family without a TV provider.

Is the Great American Family channel on YouTube TV?

No. YouTube TV does not currently carry the Great American Family network. YouTube TV has 128 channels, including CMT, Comedy Central, Hallmark Channel, Nickelodeon, and Paramount Network.

Does Peacock have the Great American Family channel?

No. You cannot stream the Great American Family channel on Peacock. But Peacock did recently add all three Hallmark Channels to its streaming service. You can sign up for a Peacock Premium subscription for $4.99 per month.

How to watch Great American Family channel on Roku

You can watch Great American Family on Roku or Roku TVs by subscribing to DIRECTV STREAM, frndly TV, Fubo, Hulu Live TV, Philo, or Sling TV.

Where can I watch the Great American Family channel?

There are seven live TV streaming services that carry the Great American Family channel. You can watch GAC through a subscription to DIRECTV STREAM, Frndly TV, Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Philo, and Sling TV.

Frndly TV is the cheapest option to watch Great American Family without cable, starting at $6.99 per month for SD quality. You can quickly sign up for a free 7-day trial without any obligations. You will get more than 40 live TV channels, including History, Hallmark Channel, and The Weather Channel.

Philo has more than 70 TV channels, including AMC, HGTV, GAC Living, all three Hallmark Channels, Paramount Network, and Discovery for $28 per month. You can get a free 7-day trial. Subscriptions run month to month, and there are no contracts. 

Methodology

I spend hundreds of hours throughout the year conducting hands-on testing of streaming services, including Peacock, DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV. I do the same rigorous testing for TV antennas and TV-related hardware. Check out the review policy to see how I compare products and services. The Cord Cutting Report is a reader-supported publication, and may earn affiliate commissions when you pick a streaming service through a recommendation. Read our affiliate policy for more information.

Jim Kimble is a seasoned industry expert with over two decades of journalism experience. He has been at the forefront of the cord-cutting movement since 2016, testing and writing about TV-related products and services. He founded The Cord Cutting Report in 2016, and serves as the editor.

Major publications, including MarketWatch, Forbes, and South Florida Sun Sentinel, have interviewed Kimble for his years of expertise. He gives advice on the complexities consumers are navigating with streaming options, and over-the-air TV. Kimble has been a staff writer or correspondent for several award-winning, daily newspapers, including The Boston Globe.