Chick-fil-A is reportedly launching a streaming service. Nobody wants this.
Chicken and homophobia company Chick-fil-A may be getting into reality TV. Deadline reports that the fast food chain has plans to launch its own streaming service later this year, featuring original unscripted content. Apparently this is the Bad Place.
Not much is known about Chick-fil-A’s small screen aspirations beyond the publisher’s sources, however it’s reportedly in talks with multiple production companies. While the chicken chain’s primary focus is creating new, family-friendly reality shows, Deadline said it’s seeking to acquire existing content to bulk out its offering as well.
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Chick-fil-A has reportedly budgeted approximately $400,000 per half-hour episode of an unscripted show, but hasn’t completely ruled out scripted or even animated projects. However, it’s likely the higher production costs of such shows will drive it towards unscripted content as it dips its first toe into the streaming space.
Such shows could include at least one 10-episode family-friendly game show, with the company behind NBC’s The Wall said to be involved in its development.
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This isn’t Chick-fil-A’s first foray away from poultry. The company previously created a series of animated shorts called Stories of Evergreen Hills, about a young girl who “discovers how little acts of kindness can bring people together.” It also branched out into family-friendly board games and puzzles with its brand pennycake.
Even so, launching a new streaming service is a tricky endeavour, particularly considering that the field is already extremely crowded.
While streaming services began as a simple, cost-effective alternative to an overstuffed DVD collection, there are now so many subscription-powered platforms that they can feel more like a chore than a convenience. This isn’t even to mention their ever-increasing, compounding costs amidst a cost-of-living crisis. As such, persuading people to sign up to a new streaming service can be a difficult task.
There’s already Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Peacock, Max, and HBO just to name a few, all of which no doubt have much bigger catalogues than Chick-fil-A will be able to rustle up. Then there’s the specialised platforms such as UK content-focused BritBox, anime streaming service Crunchyroll, Asian drama-oriented Viki, and comedy streamer Dropout. Chick-fil-A will likely have a hard time competing with these streaming services, though the novelty of watching something from the chicken box will no doubt attract some viewers.
Social media users are already mocking the company’s streaming ambitions, with some jokingly asking whether they’ll be able to watch on Sundays. Chick-fil-A famously closes its restaurants on Sundays due to its founder’s religious beliefs, a practice his family has maintained.
