Food Network Adding Shows for New Audience, Including Younger Viewers and Cannabis Lovers

Food Network’s favorite franchise, “Chopped,” is getting an upgrade to boost Discovery Plus’s image. Two new miniseries are almost done cooking, including “Chopped Next Gen” with Gen Z chefs and “Chopped 420” with chefs using cannabis.

“Chopped 420” will be hosted by comedian Ron Funches with judges Esther Choi, Luke Reyes, Sam Talbot, drag star Laganja Estranja, and comedian Tacarra Williams. Four chefs will compete with cannabis for a chance to win $10,000. Meanwhile, “Chopped Next Gen” has announced it will be hosted by YouTuber and actress Liza Koshy. 

This move serves as a play for Discovery in the streaming wars. Their streaming platform, Discovery Plus, now has significant competition from the likes of Paramount Plus, HBO Max, Disney+, Peacock, Netflix, and more. Discovery hopes that taking risks will pay off and lure in new viewers. Additionally, a focus on streaming allows for opportunities that would not fly on their cable TV network.

Courtney White, president of the Food Network, spoke on the new show concepts, saying that streaming allows for “more male ideas,” “some younger viewing ideas,” and “the latitude to be more niche.” Streaming, in other words, allows for risk-taking on the part of the platform and more choice on the part of the consumer. Their network on cable TV largely attracts women ages 25 to 54, and the company hopes to expand based on this finding.

Both “Chopped 420” and “Chopped Next Gen” will be five episodes, each an hour long and exclusively for Discovery Plus. “Chopped Next Gen” premieres on May 25th, while “Chopped 420” is available starting on the well-known cannabis holiday, April 20th. Both shows carry a star-studded cast, exciting new concepts, and the promise of tasty culinary creations. 

Discovery Plus currently comes with a seven-day free trial and costs $4.99 a month with ads or $6.99 a month without ads.