AceShowbiz -

ABC Family is rebranding itself. The network announces that it will change its name into Freeform beginning January 2016. The Disney-owned cable channel will use its top programs, such as "Pretty Little Liars", as well as new drama "Shadowhunters" to promote the new brand.

ABC Family President Tom Ascheim says the decision to change the name was triggered by a gap in perception as research showed that non-viewers associated the network with family-friendly programming, while in fact it is targeting younger viewers. "We wanted to harmonize our content and out brand," Ascheim explains. "By achieving that harmony, we would be much better positioned to keep our core viewers and add new viewers."

The new moniker is a part of an attempt to attract more young viewers between the ages of 14 and 34, or what the network calls "Becomers". The new name aside, the network's programming will remain the same.

This will be the first time in 27 years the network won't have "family" in its name. The network has kept the word in its name through various ownerships since it was first launched in 1988.

The new moniker also drops ABC which ties it to the Disney universe. Though so, Nigel Cox-Hagan, ABCF's SVP Marketing, Creative and Branding, says Freeform will maintain the Disney ethos, full of optimism and imagination.