Reports published Wednesday claim that Chick-Fil-A, the fast food chicken restaurant, is trying to launch a streaming service filled with serious Hollywood folks.
The fast food chain is apparently working with a host of Hollywood production companies and various studios to cultivate a whole collection of original, mostly unscripted shows, according to Deadline. Had the media outlet not picked up the story, I’d find it extremely hard to believe this report might hold water but apparently sources are speaking out.
One of the rumored shows comes from Glassman Media, which made “The Wall” on NBC, and Sugar23, behind “13 Reasons Why,” sources told Deadline. It’s reportedly said to be a game show that already has a 10-episode order. Deadline claims “Top Gear” and “The X Factor” team member Brian Gibson will be running programming but this is unconfirmed at the time of writing.
Chick-fil-A — yes, that Chick-fil-A — is looking to launch a streaming platform.
The fast food chain has been working with Hollywood production companies and studios to create family-friendly, mostly unscripted original shows. https://t.co/n3xRg4oCyP
— Variety (@Variety) August 21, 2024
The budget for potential unscripted shows is apparently around $400,000 per 30 minutes, sources claimed to Deadline. Scripted and animated series are reportedly also being considered. The intent is to launch later in 2024, sources told the outlet. (RELATED: ‘Cocaine’ll Turn You Into A Damn Owl, Homie’: Theo Von’s Historic Interview With Trump Is A Must-Watch)
If this insane rumor is true, Chick-Fil-A are freaking genius. During the writers strike of 2007 and the 2008 financial crisis, unscripted television skyrocketed. One of the biggest shows at the time was “The Apprentice,” starring former President Donald Trump. Many (me) credit this confluence of crises with creating the platform upon which Trump launched his successful 2016 bid for president.
As we’re almost certainly headed into a pretty nasty financial situation in the coming months, possibly years, creating unscripted content now is cheap and could have huge rewards. If money dries up in Hollywood (which it invariably will should we hit a major recession) networks will be looking to purchase affordable media. And if Chick-Fil-A plays this right, they’ll have plenty to sell when the networks come knocking.