Top 5 stories that defined Christian entertainment in 2024
4. Faith-based programming thrives
Christian television and film continued to see significant success in 2024: faith-based productions outperformed expectations, highlighting a growing audience for content that inspires and uplifts.
“The Chosen,” now in its fifth season, reached new heights of popularity. Despite being available for free on its own streaming app, the latest season of the series, which follows the life of Jesus Christ and His followers, grossed more than $31 million at the box office.
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This year, “The Chosen” ended its relationship with Angel Studios, and Jenkins, along with his newly formed 5&2 Studios, announced it was leveraging the momentum of the series to create a broader storytelling universe.
Projects in development include "The Chosen Adventures," an animated series reimagining the story of Jesus for younger audiences with a voice cast featuring Paul Walter Hauser; "The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls” and a three-season series centered on the life of Moses, poised to become his next flagship project.
Released in November, the Jenkins-directed movie "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" starring Judy Greer, Pete Holmes, Lauren Graham and several of “The Chosen” cast, surpassed expectations with a high audience score and positive reviews, boasting a domestic box office total exceeding $30 million.
Earlier this year, “Unsung Hero,” which tells the faith-fueled story of the Smallbone family, took the No. 2 spot at the box office for its opening weekend, grossing $7.8 million.
Faith-based streaming also saw incredible success.
In a recent interview with The Christian Post, President and CEO of Great American Media, Bill Abbott, revealed that while some networks saw steep declines in 2024, Great American Family experienced double-digit growth. In November alone, the network reported a 19% increase in household viewership and a 21% rise in viewers. The women 25-54 demographic also grew by 13%.
"In 'mainstream' entertainment, the portrayal of faith, family and country is often dismissive, caricatured or outright derisive," he explained. "One of the qualifications that that content needs to have to air on our platforms is to be supportive and encouraging in regard to the traditions and values that are central to faith, family and country."
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
