Look out, peacocks, there are reports of a new bird-themed video streaming service.
Fast food chain Chick-fil-A is planning to launch a video streaming service, Delivery date The British newspaper, Daily Mail, reported today, quoting unnamed sources, that the live streaming service is expected to focus on “family-friendly” content and include original TV shows.
Chick-fil-A declined to comment on the Deadline report.
Deadline reports that Chick-fil-A is in discussions to license and acquire content, but is also working with several “major production companies, including some studios” to produce family programming. It has also reportedly recruited a TV producer Brian Gibson To head programming.
Chick-fil-A is said to be particularly interested in unscripted shows. Deadline reports that the poultry chain has a budget “in the $400,000-per-half-hour range” for unscripted content. Chick-fil-A is already looking to license an unnamed “family-friendly game show” from the production company that makes it. The wallan entertainment game show hosted by Chris Hardwick and airing on NBC, according to Deadline.
Chick-fil-A has also reportedly ordered 10 episodes of an unnamed show from Sugar23. The production company has experience producing shows for streaming services like Netflix (examples include obsessed and Economic Cooperation Organization) and Apple TV+ (Dickinson).
A fast-food company entering the live video streaming space is an unusual development. Food delivery companies like Grubhub and DoorDash have long sold streaming packages bundled with their own services. But a company known for fried chicken looking to launch a successful original product on its own streaming service is a newcomer to the live streaming industry.
Of course, this isn’t the first time a well-known non-entertainment company has sought to produce original shows. As Deadline points out, Airbnb has produced Gay Chorus of the Deep South A documentary that aired on MTV. Companies like Lift Chick-fil-A has also produced its own web series before. But this new venture could create a whole new kind of business for the fried chicken restaurant.
The Chick-fil-A streaming service could give the company new opportunities to position its products. Chick-fil-A already uses clothing and accessories games But for people to buy into another streaming service, Chick-fil-A needs to offer more than just incomplete programming with people eating chicken sandwiches in the background.
Chick-fil-A’s alleged streaming attempts come as the broader industry is at a boiling point. An influx of options, rising prices, and changing terms of use have led many customers to rethink their subscriptions and cancel them repeatedly. Ultimately, Chick-fil-A’s ability to stand out during this turbulent period is questionable, especially when there are already streaming services that offer family-friendly content (like Disney+). Chick-fil-A’s streaming exclusivity and low (or free) price tag could alienate audiences. some But we don’t expect millions of Netflix subscribers to join Chick-fil-A-Plus (or whatever the streaming service is called).
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