Walmart has decided it would be a good idea to create its own original video content.
The retail giant says it wants to compete with Amazon Prime and Netflix.
They have partnered with MGM studios and will be rolling out its first series in early 2019.
Walmart feels other streaming services are too bougie for its customer base (of middle to low-income consumers that live outside of cities or in suburban areas).
MGM described its new series as “family-friendly, advertiser-friendly content.”
So, prepare for a lot of Walmart based programming and Walmart ads to watch before you and your family go buy groceries from the nearest Walmart shopping centre and enjoy your Walmart sponsored lives.
Ever wonder what a Walmart original series looks like? It isn’t something I ever thought would happen.
Walmart says it’s a means to create a more loyal customer base.
Okay, but if I need a new USB cable, nerf gun and a pound of cashews all in one stop, Walmart is pretty much the only option.
So, this is where we’re at: giant companies all vying for your free time to consume its programming.
Art is a medium that can be bought and sold and sponsored, because people need to be paid.
Should giant corporations be able to sponsor art on this scale?
There are some cases of it working out well. Orange is the New Black, for example.
However, they also run the risk of being a failed attempt at a blockbuster, like the Netflix original movie Bright (26% on Rotten Tomatoes).
Artists are always going to need to be supported and giant emotionless corporations are always on the hunt for more money, so paying artists to make content seems like a logical next step.
Many Americans have criticized Netflix and Amazon Prime as being too left leaning for their taste, so Walmart has decided to get in on that market.
That market already exists with a lot of network television programming.
I feel like Walmart getting into the TV game is a weird attempt to stay relevant.
Corporations trying to become a part of people’s lives in such an intimate way seems kind of strange to me.
Companies and businesses exist to make money, through whatever fills a market.
Corporations creeping into your life through sponsored content, in-home devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home and targeted advertising are a sign of growing consumerism and the commercialization of every aspect of life.
Money is a necessity to live in our society and most of the time, people are willing to suspend their morals for the right price.
If it continues down to is logical end point, your conversations with friends will be brought to you by Arby’s.
Soon, I’m going to have to write columns about how great Apple or BMW is because I need money to pay for my Costco groceries and my Netflix subscription.
