Phil Rosenthal’s ‘Somebody Feeds Phil’ Flies to YouTube From Netflix, With Lift From United

Phil Rosenthal’s food-focused travelogue show is moving from Netflix to YouTube — and United Airlines helped the writer and host make the journey.

“Somebody Feed Phil” has streamed on Netflix for eight seasons, and Rosenthal says he realized the series’ time on the service was coming to an end. Thanks to a new pact with Banijay Entertainment, the program will continue on the Alphabet streaming giant, where it can be seen for free — along with some sponsorships that help Rosenthal keep on traveling.

United is the title sponsor of the series’ ninth season, and will offer the new cycle on its seatback entertainment system on its flights. Viewers will also see United Airlines woven into some scenes in the series next eight-episode flight.

“They help us with the crew, with the equipment, and we avoid all the hassle of landing with tons of equipment in foreign countries,” explains Rosenthal, creator of the popular comedy “Everybody Loves Raymond.” “It’s a natural relationship because we are both interested in travel.”

And yet, United’s decision to link itself to the series shows the airline looking to stand out from the usual marketing flyover. In a different era, many airlines ran TV commercials regularly and burnished slogans like “We love to fly and it shows,” “Fly the friendly skies” and “Fly smart.” In an era filled with websites that seek out the exact fares, prices and schedules consumers are seeking, brand image has taken a back seat to the consumer’s travel needs. By embracing Rosenthal’s show, United hopes to show customers current and future that its flights can do more than just satisfy a basic need.

Having “Somebody Feed Phil” available to flyers gives United a chance to inspire travelers to visit places via its own routes, says Maggie Schmerin, United’s chief advertising officer, during a recent interview. Flyers can “use their time in air “ to “get an idea of where do I want to go on my next trip,” she says. “We have such a captive audience on board” and some kinds of content can help to underscore the airline’s vast route network.

As part of its sponsorship, United will offer MileagePlus loyalty members a chance to win flights and meet Rosenthal. Fans can visit http://www.somebodyfindphil.com and guess the cities that will be featured in the show’s upcoming season. For every correct guess, participants are entered for a chance to win a roundtrip flight for two, in any class of service, to their choice of one of the eight cities featured in Season 9. United will give away eight pairs of tickets throughout the month of December, and will also draw one grand prize winner that includes a roundtrip flight for two, in any class of service, to one city featured in Season 9, plus a meal with Phil at his Los Angeles diner Max & Helen’s.

The move to YouTube from Netflix opens the chance to reach a significantly wider audience, Rosenthal says, but to do so, he thinks he will need help. “There are billions of choices on YouTube. So, obviously, you want to stand out from the crowd. Otherwise, you’re just lost in a sea of content,” Rosenthal says. He expects to do more than just stream a series, including, potentially, building out microdramas or other kinds of short-form content. He can also do specific pieces of content for sponsors.

United is doing more to woo interest via social media, says Schmerin, including tapping members of its employee base who have cultivated followings on various platforms or working with outside influencers who discuss travel.

The company sees a chance for a longer-term alliance with Rosenthal says the executive. “It feels like as long as there are places to explore, it’s a show that could have a lot of value.”