Tailgate TV Live!
Original Series Treatment

A sports announcer, a celebrity chef and a field reporter visit a college town each week to discover that towns’ unique food culture and traditions, culminating with an exciting, fast paced live broadcast amidst the elaborate tailgating events that surround every college football game.

Overview

It’s been said that man cannot live by bread alone. Well, maybe during the week he can, but when it comes to Saturday in a college town, he needs bratwurst, hot chicken wings, or perhaps something a bit more sophisticated (how does grilled vegetable antipasto with herb chevre and crostini sound?). Each week Tailgate TV LIVE! is broadcast live from a different college town. The show opens with two hosts who are seated on a custom, elevated stage/ kitchen amongst the excited fans who have arrived before the game to take part in traditional tailgating festivities and our own tailgating themed competitions. Our hosts serve as the anchor for the show, providing witty banter, and introducing a variety of segments. These segments fall into three categories:

• Live from the stage segments- our chef/host whips up popular regional fare with a local food legend or does a cooking demonstration on how to prepare upscale, local tailgate grub (i.e.-ribs in Austin, TX)
• Prerecorded segments- our chef/host checks in with local chefs at their restaurants as they prepare their signature dishes.
• Live in the field segments: our third cast member, a field reporter, is out among the tailgaters, tasting various dishes, interviewing the most outrageous tailgater, and officiating over tailgate themed cooking contests.

Every week, Tailgate TV LIVE! will invade a new city, construct their stage (the circus is in town!) and set out to discover the unique food culture that surrounds each town. The week will culminate with an exciting live broadcast with plenty of surprises, cooking demonstrations, trips to local iconic restaurants, interviews with local food legends, and cooking competitions, sure to match the exhilaration of the upcoming game.

Cast

• A gregarious, fun loving sports announcer type who loves to eat (i.e.- John Madden)
• A likeable, up and coming celebrity chef such as a contestant from “The Next Food Network Star”. Adam Gertler comes to mind.
• A field reporter. Taking a cue from the women sports reporters currently seen on televised sporting events, our third cast member, an attractive female (think Erin Andrews) is our reporter in the field, out among the adrenaline fueled fans and their tailgate revelry.

Potential segments

• “Host City Segment”: Viewers are introduced to the host town, its unique personalities and its colorful past. In addition, TTV explores the towns’ connection to food, its unique dishes and restaurants.
• “Gate Grub”: An exciting live competition between two tailgaters who think they make the best tailgating dish. Fans vote and decide on the winner.
• “Taste of the Town”: Our chef/host visits the campus and talks to students about their favorite haunts. He then visits the chosen restaurant, giving a little history of the place, and interviewing the chef, owner, patrons…
• “Local Legends Live”: Our sports announcer helps a chef from a local, popular restaurant prepare a classic dish from the region.
• “Coaches Kitchen”: “We go behind the scenes” as one of our host’s checks in on the head coach or other college notable at his home as he prepares his favorite dish.
• “Tailgate Tastes”: Throughout the show, our field reporter is out in the crowd, interviewing fans, chatting with the cooks, and trying some of their dishes.
• “Live and Local”: During a cooking demonstration on stage, the hosts are joined by a former coach, player or notable alumni. The guest gives a hand cooking and discusses the upcoming game or other college football related commentary.
• Live fan polls: the hosts present questions to the viewing audience who can then text in their opinions.

Demographic/Marketing Opportunities

• TTV is attractive to youthful, white-collar, college educated demographic with an affinity for lifestyle based programming.
• Ties in the dedicated fanaticism of the college football fan who’ll watch anything related to football
• Could be used as a vehicle to launch the career of a new food network star
• In addition to the obvious celebrity cookbook (from our host/chef), creates the opportunity to produce cookbooks based on the tailgating theme.
• Due to the “event” element of the live production, Tailgate TV LIVE not only lends itself to traditional media based sponsorship benefits, but also provides for on-site engagement marketing programs, and live, real-time web (or mobile platform) activities and promotions.
• The live/mobile element of the show will build the audience via word of mouth as the show moves from town to town.

On-site engagement marketing programs

On-site programs are becoming more and more important (especially for this demographic) as the media landscape becomes more and more cluttered. Allows for two way communication, puts the product in consumers hand for them to experience, positive publicity through community and university involvement, and gathers consumer data via sweepstakes, mailing list/CRM sign-ups and other promotions.
• Distribution of promotional materials (e.g.- foam fingers, koozies, coupons)
• Product sampling and demonstration
• Sweepstakes entry
• Entries into customer appreciation and rewards programs
The food-centric nature of Tailgate TV Live! will certainly engage any viewer with an interest in lifestyle-themed programming, while the college football atmosphere and excitement of the show will draw college football fans from around the country. Every weekend, millions attend college football games, many of them tailgating outside the stadium before the game. In fact, 47 million viewers watched the NCAA final on TV last year.

Food. Football. Fun. Throw these ingredients into a pot, stir a little, and you’ve got an unbeatable recipe for success. One which takes the best elements of “College Game Day”, “Diner’s, Drive-Ins and Dives” and throws in a bit of “Iron Chef”. Tailgate TV LIVE! scores, hands down!

© 2014 by Wyoming Films.
WGAW Registered