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Chick-fil-A — yes, Chick-fil-A — gets into the streaming business
Customers camping out in front of Chick-fil-A's Valencia location in 2010.
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R.E. via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
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Topline:
Last week, a report revealed that Chick-fil-A, the nation’s third-largest fast-food chain, was commissioning original content for a forthcoming family-friendly streaming service.
Why it matters: As the line between entertainment and advertising gets blurrier (see this summer’s box office smash Deadpool & Wolverine or last summer’s Barbie) and Hollywood seeks fresh funding sources, brands’ interest in making original content that might serve as a soft ad for their products offers creators hope that they might find new homes for their projects.
Chick-fil-A’s Hollywood ties: Why did Chick-fil-A, of all companies, want to get into streaming? Perhaps the reason lies with its chairman and former CEO Dan Cathy, who funds and co-owns Trilith Studios, the Atlanta-based backlot that has housed many Marvel productions over the years, among other projects. Given Cathy’s ownership of a state-of-the-lot production studio and accompanying planned community, he’s got the incentive to back original productions that film at Trilith and supports his larger goals.
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I Want My Brand TV: Chick-fil-A would be the latest brand to establish its own studio to make original content. Others just this year include Starbucks and LVMH. Nike and REI also launched production banners to make content that reflects their corporate values in the last few years.
For more... read the full story on The Ankler.
This story is published in partnership with The Ankler, a paid subscription publication about the entertainment industry.
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