The Great American Family Just Grew Bigger: Mario Lopez Becomes Latest Celeb To Join Conservative Network As He Signs Multi-Year Deal

The Great American Family has officially welcomed Mario Lopez into their fold.

The network announced Tuesday that the TV personality has signed onto a “multi-picture, multi-year deal” with Great American Media, in which he will serve as “a major part of Great American Christmas 2024,” per Entertainment Weekly.

Lopez is joining the network with “a focus to showcase diverse talent in front of the camera,” per a press release, which also revealed that he will star alongside his wife, Courtney Lopez, in his first holiday film for the network.

Lopes said that “throughout [his] career, [he’s] aimed to create a body of work that appeals to diverse audiences and, above all, brings joy to people,” ultimately deeming his new deal “immensely fulfilling.”

“I look forward to creating uplifting, inclusive, and diverse content, viewed through a positive lens for all ages,” he continued. “At this stage in my life, family is the most important thing to me. Being able to share family-friendly stories representing diverse voices is a true blessing.”

Great American Media President and CEO Bill Abbott noted that Lopez “has entertained millions of people for almost four decades,” citing his “breakout role of A.C. Slater on Saved by the Bell” and his tenure as host of Access Hollywood.

“The world loves Mario Lopez,” he added. “We welcome Mario to Great American Media and look forward to his many creative contributions to our ever-growing, emerging brand of beloved faith and family entertainment.”

Lopez follows Candace Cameron Bure, who joined the network after departing Hallmark in 2022, and who has since faced backlash for her comments about not including same-sex couples in the network’s programming.

For his part, Lopez faced online vitriol in 2019 after he said it’s “dangerous” for parents to support children exploring their gender identity. During an interview with Candace Owens, he said, in part, “I’m never one to tell anyone how to parent their kids, obviously, and I think if you come from a place of love, you really can’t go wrong, but at the same time, my God, if you’re 3 years old and you’re saying you’re feeling a certain way or you think you’re a boy or a girl or whatever the case may be, I just think it’s dangerous as a parent to make that determination,” per NBC News.

Although Owens inferred he was conservative during their chat, Lopez said he was a registered independent, and insisted he does not talk politics to avoid “alienating” anyone.

Abbott, the Great American Media president, has tried to distance his brand from online controversy. Last year, he argued in an interview with Variety that despite Bure’s role as Chief Content Officer at the media company, “she’s not speaking on behalf of Great American Media” when it comes to her “personal views.”

Still, as for whether or not they planned to incorporate more same-sex couple storylines into their films, Abbott remained evasive, claiming “it will be something to think about,” but that they are “just so focused on profitability, being successful, [and] doing the right thing for [their] shareholders.”

Meanwhile, Bure’s My Christmas Hero garnered a mere 371,000 live views from its premiere last November, a significant decrease from her 2022 network debut A Christmas … Present.