Smart TV maker LG is poised to bring original cooking-focused content to its free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) service via a new multi-year partnership with Majordomo Media.
The companies are producing original content that will air on the new Majordomo TV with David Chang channel on LG Channels before the end of the year. LG plans to feature multiple original series with new episodes added to the FAST service weekly.
Chang, a chef and restaurateur, co-founded Majordomo Media, which has produced unscripted TV series for major streamers including Netflix and Hulu.
In a statement, Chang pointed to the opportunity of FASTs and culinary-focused programming, while also noting plans to try out a variety of formats.
"We're incredibly excited by the opportunity presented by the FAST space," stated Chang. "And we are honored by the trust and creative freedom that LG has given us to explore all kinds of culinary content. Our goal is to present viewers with an honest, entertaining, and useful slate of programming, and we are going to experiment with lots of different formats to get there."
The channel with new content is first launching on LG Channels in the U.S. and Canada, with an international rollout in 25 territories planned for 2023.
While the partners noted the content will be exclusively available on LG’s premium line of smart TVs, the announcement also disclosed that LG will exclusively oversee distribution of the channel to other third-party FAST services.
Kicking off the launch on LG Channels will be two flagship original series, “The Dave Change Show” (described as a hybrid between a talk show and cooking show) and “Recipe Club” (a cooking show hosted by Chris Ying), along with full episodes of Majordomo Media Spotify podcasts.
LG said the new partnership with Majordomo Media plays into the company’s broader strategy to pump up exclusive content and advertising opportunities on its FAST service.
"LG Electronics continues to develop unique partnerships that elevate the entertainment experience for LG Smart TV owners," said Matt Durgin, LG Senior Director of the Home Entertainment Content and Services Team, in a statement. "This partnership illustrates LG's strategy to deliver value to consumers through our award-winning LG Channels service.
LG is one of the smart TV makers looking to drive viewership and ad revenue through its FAST platform, alongside other players including Samsung’s Samsung TV Plus and Vizio’s WatchFree+. LG Channels now boasts over 300 free streaming channels, including a collection of channels alongside on-demand content from FilmRise that joined the platform in November.
LG’s push to produce original content for LG Channels comes as use of FASTs continues to gain traction and as consumers are starting to take notice of made-for-FAST shows.
According to recent survey data from Hub Entertainment Research, 34% of current FAST users and 19% of non-FAST users say they’ve heard of original shows or movies made specifically for a free service. Per Hub, the most recalled FAST original titles were The Roku Channel’s “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” and Amazon Freevee’s “Leverage: Redemption.”
And LG’s latest move could bode well, as increasing original content appears to drive consumer interest, and in turn could help fuel more FAST user growth, according to Hub. The survey found that nearly half (47%) of current FAST users and 30% of non-users said they would be more likely to use a FAST service if they heard it was producing original, exclusive content.
Since Q2 2021 FAST usage has seen a 10-percentage-point gain, with 65% of consumers saying they use at least one FAST service as of Q4 2022.