FISCHER – A reality show with fries and a drink

By Travis Fischer, t.k.fischer@charlescitypress.com

Netflix, Max, Disney+… Chick-Fil-A?

Yep. Apparently deciding that the streaming service market isn’t saturated enough, Chick-Fil-A has plans to, according to Deadline, move “aggressively” into streaming entertainment.

I have so many questions.

Yes, questions beyond the oh, so obvious, “Will the app be functional on Sundays?”

How did a fast food chain decide to diversify into the entertainment space? Was there a meeting where they were brainstorming ideas and this got brought up alongside getting into commercial property development and starting a ride-share business?

And how was it, of all fast food companies, Chick-Fil-A decided to get into the entertainment business and not McDonald’s. You know, the global empire of fast food with deep ties to the entertainment industry and has a pre-built cast of beloved characters to draw from?

Does Chick-Fil-A even have a mascot other than weird Southern Baptists that can’t stop donating money to hate groups? What brand synergy are we looking for here?

And speaking of synergy, what will be the relationship between the streaming service and the restaurants? Will a subscription to the streaming service get you deals on meals? Will purchases of food grant you early access to programming? These are things that could theoretically be put into place.

In fact, I believe Hallmark has something similar with its streaming service.

And yes, Hallmark has a streaming service, which could be considered strange as well, but they’ve been producing television since the 1950s and have had their own dedicated channel for more than two decades so we’re all just kind of used to it by now.

I guess if the greeting card company can have a media subsidiary, then a fast food company can, too.

In fact, it does kind of make sense to see more of this kind of thing as the internet has dramatically reduced the barrier of entry. Hallmark had to navigate the labyrinth of cable broadcast networks to establish itself as a purveyor of Christmas-themed romantic comedies.

Today, you just need to build an app and get it on the Google Play store. From there you’re pretty much set.

Of course, you still need content.

Sadly, if you’re hoping for new hit comedies like “The Big Bang Sandwich” and “How I Met Your Nuggets,” or dramatic series like “The Handmaid’s Waffle Fries” and “Breaking Breaded Chicken,” you might be out of luck. It seems that the burgeoning production company is focusing on family friendly unscripted content.

The kind of reality TV you keep on in the background for noise because it’s easier to digest than a plain chicken sandwich.

I doubt I’ll be subscribing, but it is an interesting look at how the media landscape may be changing. Anybody can have their own streaming service so long as they can afford the bandwidth and the upkeep. Instead of shows being brought to you by Target, Nissan, or Kraft through advertising, they could be literally produced by those companies from the ground up.

— Travis Fischer is a news writer for the Charles City Press and looks forward to the future where all streaming services are Taco Bell.