Chick-fil-A didn’t just fund a one-off commercial or a single social clip; it built a five-episode, family-friendly game show that puts real community givebacks at the end of every episode. The series, Play It Forward, follows families through high-energy physical challenges
Below is a look at Chick-fil-A’s new original game show, Play It Forward, what it is, how it works, who made it, where to watch it, and much more.
What Play It Forward is
Play It Forward is a five-episode, live-action gameshow with each centering on one family.
The families compete in playful physical games, and the press materials name novelty events like “Splashketball” and “Cherry Launch” to win a monetary prize. At the end of the episode, the family reveals a community honoree and gifts all of their winnings to that person.
Why did Chick-fil-A build this
The firm’s executive director of brand strategy, Dustin Britt, phrases the show this way:
“We know there is a growing need for high-quality, family-friendly content — something that parents and kids can enjoy side by side. Play It Forward brings all of that together in one free experience: family time together, the fun of Chick-fil-A, and an opportunity to give back to those who make a difference every day in their communities.”
This is the company’s mission statement for the project. It displays three priorities: family engagement, feel-good community messaging, and free, low-friction access.
Hence, the platform wants to be a part of family rituals like dinner-time screen sharing, car trips, and weekend viewing.
The format and episode anatomy of the Play It Forward game show
The series follows a tight, recognizable template, but it flips one key axis. Winners give the money away. Here is how it is structured:
- Intro and family story (0 to 5 minutes): This is the opening phase, with a short, humanizing profile. It covers: who the family is, who their “honoree” is, and why that person matters. These set up the emotional payoff later and make the reveal credible and touching.
- Game rounds (5 to 25 minutes): Families face a sequence of playful, physically oriented challenges like hybrid sport and carnival games. We mentioned a few: Splashketball (water + hoops), Cherry Launch (accuracy/target), and other skill-based events. The games escalate in difficulty and reward. The structure keeps the pacing brisk and kid-friendly.
- Reveal and give back (2 to 30 minutes): The family surprises their honoree with a reveal that shows the winnings and why the honoree was selected. Families literally hand the prize to the person they came to honor, making the brand the visible facilitator of the gift. The emotional anchor converts game mechanics into community stories.
Because each episode focuses on one family and their honoree, the show avoids contrived competition across multiple households. Instead, it builds character-driven narratives within the game show frame.
Production and creative partners of the game show
Chick-fil-A didn’t produce the show alone. Glassman Media (the company behind NBC’s The Wall) and Sugar23 (Michael Sugar’s company) are the creative and production partners. Here is a breakdown:
- Glassman Media: Known as a contemporary game show producer, Glassman Media came up in industry reporting as a likely partner when Chick-fil-A first pursued original content. Deadline and trade coverage in 2024 flagged Glassman Media as the production house behind the game-show development.
- Sugar23: The company shows up in the credits and on social posts; Sugar’s outfit has an established track record with premium scripted and unscripted programming. The LinkedIn and social traces indicate production leadership from the Sugar23 side.
- Host Andrew Allman: Instead of having a TV celebrity, the production fielded one of its own Owner-Operators to host. Allman’s local-operator background shows Chick-fil-A wants the show to feel like an extension of its community presence rather than a disconnected celebrity vehicle.
Distribution and how you watch the game show
If you want to watch Play It Forward today, here’s how to do it:
- Download the Chick-fil-A Play™ App: It’s free on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Once installed, open the app and go to the “Watch” section where Play It Forward appears. The Play App is a free family-entertainment hub with shows, games, and activities.
- Or watch on YouTube: The production also uploaded episodes to its official Chick-fil-A Play YouTube channel. So, you can stream episodes in a browser or on any device with access to the internet. That distribution choice increases reach beyond the app’s installed base.
Should you watch it?
Yes. If you like short, upbeat family shows with feel-good reveals, Play It Forward delivers on that promise. It trades on the familiar structure of light competition shows, emphasizes emotional payoff and uses community givebacks as its central device.
Because the episodes appear on YouTube and in a free app, the barrier to entry is low; you can judge for yourself whether the production and stories land.