Fox Entertainment invests in BJ Novak’s Food Company Chain
Fox Entertainment has acquired an equity stake in Chain, the food experience company from BJ Novak, a Los Angeles-based nostalgic dining company. The deal includes Fox IP integrations and a first-look development agreement with Chain Media.
Chain is best known for ChainFest, a ticketed event in LA featuring remixes of Michelin-starred fast food favorites, pop-up restaurants and exclusive menus. Partnerships include Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Jack in the Box and Panda Express, as well as entertainment partners such as Paramount and Disney.
Fox will partner Chain’s food pop-ups, fan festivals and other events with Gordon Ramsay’s Studio Ramsay Global banner, which is also under the Fox umbrella. (Ramsay, one of the most famous culinary personalities of all time, has produced Fox hosted series of “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Masterchef” and this year’s “Secret Service.” The network plans to integrate Chain into Ramsay’s growing roster of television programming. The goal is for Chain to expand its event portfolio and develop live experiences related to the culinary properties of Fox.
“Food continues to define culture – it’s how we celebrate, how we remember, how we connect. No one understands how to turn culinary stories into a cultural obsession better than Fox Entertainment and Studio Ramsay Global. We’re excited to work together to bring Chain experiences to more people,” said Novak.
“As Fox continues to expand its dominance in the food sector, investing in Chain advances our digital storytelling and content creation strategy with this deep partnership in a winning business model where viral events fuel creative opportunities,” said Rob Wade, CEO of Fox Entertainment. “Studio Ramsay Global’s far-reaching, growing culinary empire and unparalleled digital footprint, together with Chain’s remarkable, proven impact, will strengthen, scale and deepen our connection with food fans everywhere.”
Chain was founded by Novak, producers and entrepreneurs Jack Davis, Abe Burns and Byron Ashley; Michelin-starred Chef Timothy Hollingsworth; and chief creative officer Nicholas Kraft.
