Los Angeles - Welcome to McDonald’s, would you
like some TV with that?
McDonald’s Corp will roll out a high-definition television channel
to nearly 800 restaurants in southern and central California by March. The
world’s biggest hamburger chain is doing it as part of a test, and one day hopes
to take it across the United States.
Businesses from gas stations and grocery stores to coffee maker
Starbucks Corp are beaming more entertainment directly to customers, trying to
address a captive audience in a world crawling with entertainment options.
McDonald’s Channel content partners include Walt Disney Co’s ABC,
BBC America and reality television producer Mark Burnett, who is known for such
hits as “Survivor” and “The Apprentice.”
Test markets have include Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas,
Manhattan, Seattle and some communities in Oklahoma.
As it evolves, the McDonald’s Channel will add more local
programming such as high school sports news.
“We think that’s a major part of the community that the channel can
really bring to life,” said Leland Edmondson, founder of ChannelPort
Communications, which is overseeing the project. “We’re talking to a number of
sports properties.”
The programming will include exclusive content and be made up of
short spots ranging in length from 90 seconds to 20 minutes. Diners who want to
see longer versions of some spots will have the option access them via mobile
devices or home computers.
“There’s no remote on the table, but there is Wi-Fi in the
restaurant,” Edmondson said.
Programs include “The McDonald’s Achievers,” profiles of local high
school and college athletes; “Mighty Moms,” about local mothers balancing
families and careers in sports; and “Vimby” (Video In My Backyard), which has
partnered with Burnett to cover local lifestyle news including fashion, art,
music, action sports and nightlife.
The channel will show less than eight minutes of advertising per
hour. McDonald’s will take a fraction of that time, which will be shared with
other brands, he said.
Eventually, every McDonald’s in southern California will carry the
channel, which will be seen by about 18 million McDonald’s customers in the area
each month, Edmondson said.