Eat mor chikin. Stream mor video.
Georgia’s own fast food giant Chick-fil-A is reportedly launching its own streaming platform and working with major production companies to create family-friendly shows, according to industry trade publication Deadline.
The company plans to launch a slate of original shows with an emphasis on unscripted content, according to Deadline, which was first to report the news. Citing unnamed individuals, Deadline reported Chick-fil-A is also in talks to license and acquire content.
Chick-fil-A, which operates more than 3,000 restaurants in the U.S., did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com
It is unclear where these reported shows will be filmed, but Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy probably knows who to call to find some studio space. His father, and Chick-fil-A Chairman Dan Cathy, is a majority owner of Trilith Studios, the largest production facility in the state of Georgia and one of the biggest in the nation, and creator of Town at Trilith, its neighboring mixed-use development.
Film and TV production in Georgia is in a slump. Direct spending in Georgia from TV and film producers tumbled by more than a third in the fiscal year that ended June 30 compared to the fiscal year before, hit by last year’s strikes and reduced spending from media companies. A number of unscripted shows, which are typically cheaper and quicker to produce, are filming in Georgia, but the slate of new unscripted shows are drying up in other markets across the U.S., like Los Angeles.
Trilith Studios has 32 stages, many of them ready and able to be filled. Built over 700 acres, Trilith has a 400-acre back lot and several other production facilities, including construction workspaces and costume shops.
By late next year, a live entertainment complex will open at Trilith, aptly dubbed Trilith LIVE. It will cover 7 acres and include two soundstages, an 1,800-seat music venue, an eight-screen movie theater and space for offices, restaurants and retail. It will rise next to the Town at Trilith, the master-planned community part of the campus. The new stages span 25,000 square feet, and are suited for productions requiring live studio audiences, like game or competition shows. Trilith already has one public-facing soundstage, where live shows like “Family Feud” and “Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out” are filmed.
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com
Credit: RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com
In May, Cathy said he was meeting with a major firm to discuss bringing live television to Trilith. It is unclear if this is related to Chick-fil-A’s new streaming venture.
A Trilith spokeswoman declined to comment.
According to the Deadline report, Chick-fil-A is planning a 10-episode family-friendly game show from the company behind NBC’s “The Wall.” There’s also talk of scripted and animated projects.
This is not Chick-fil-A’s first venture into producing its own entertainment. The company previously produced content for its website, including “Stories of Evergreen Hills,” a series of short animated films that upload during the holiday season. It also produces games and puzzles under its Pennycake brand. The streaming platform, Deadline reported, can also serve as a vehicle for branded content.
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