Starbucks Launches Studio for 'Original Entertainment'

Starbucks announced last week it is making its entrance into the entertainment industry by starting Starbucks Studios, a new initiative the company said will produce original entertainment and "tell stories that deepen connections and spark conversations." The coffee giant didn't say what kinds of entertainment we can expect, but revealed it is teaming up with Sugar23, a multimedia production and talent management organization with a goal to move culture through entertainment.

"Together, Starbucks Studios and Sugar23 will amplify stories with the power to bring people together and spark moments of delight," Starbucks said in a press release.

Total Retail's Take: Starbucks noted that it has a "long history" of supporting original films and series. It produced an original content series, "Upstanders," that was available to watch on Starbucks' website, and audio versions of each episode were released in podcast format on the site. Starbucks also produced a 19-minute documentary, "Hingakawa," in 2019, as well as "This is Football," a six-part documentary that's available for streaming on Prime Video.

Starbucks is following a growing trend among multiple industries, including retail, that are venturing into the entertainment production space. For example, jewelry and accessories retailer Claire's announced a partnership with SONY in 2023 to produce a children's television series, and Mattel's 11-year-old film production division took off with last year's release of "The Barbie Movie." Furthermore, LVMH, which owns luxury brands like Dior, Fenty, and Louis Vuitton, launched production house 22 Montaigne Entertainment earlier this year.

Entertainment production is one part of Starbucks' global growth strategy. CEO Laxman Narasimhan announced in March the company was launching a new global leadership structure that would, in part, help with "investing in functional capabilities to scale around the world, generating productivity and reinvigorating our partner culture.”