'Somebody Feed Phil' Moves From Netflix to YouTube With United

Phil Rosenthal's food-travel series "Somebody Feed Phil" is leaving Netflix after eight seasons and moving to YouTube, with United Airlines as title sponsor of its ninth season and the show's next eight episodes bound for seatback screens on United flights.

Rosenthal, creator of "Everybody Loves Raymond," said he saw the series' time on Netflix ending. A new pact with Banijay Entertainment keeps the program alive on the Alphabet-owned platform, where viewers can watch it free, supported by sponsorships that fund Rosenthal's continued travel.

United's involvement goes beyond a logo. The airline helps with crew and equipment. "They help us with the crew, with the equipment, and we avoid all the hassle of landing with tons of equipment in foreign countries," Rosenthal said. "It's a natural relationship because we are both interested in travel."

What does the sponsorship change for viewers?

United will stream the new season on its seatback entertainment system and weave the airline into scenes across the eight-episode run. MileagePlus loyalty members can enter a contest at somebodyfindphil.com by guessing the cities featured in the upcoming season. Each correct guess enters participants to win a roundtrip flight for two, in any class of service, to one of the eight Season 9 cities. United will give away eight pairs of tickets throughout December, plus one grand prize: a roundtrip flight for two to a Season 9 city and a meal with Rosenthal at his Los Angeles diner, Max & Helen's.

For United, the deal is a bid to break from the pack at a moment when brand image has ceded ground to fare-comparison sites. An earlier era of airline advertising burnished slogans like "We love to fly and it shows," "Fly the friendly skies" and "Fly smart." Today, websites that surface exact fares, prices and schedules have pushed brand storytelling to the margins.

Why an airline wants a travel show

The seatback screen gives United a direct channel to would-be travelers. Flyers can "use their time in air" to "get an idea of where do I want to go on my next trip," said Maggie Schmerin, United's chief advertising officer. "We have such a captive audience on board," she said, and the right content can underscore the airline's route network by inspiring trips along its own routes.

Schmerin said United is also wooing audiences on social media, tapping employees who have built followings on various platforms and working with outside travel influencers.

Can a Netflix veteran stand out on YouTube?

The move to YouTube opens the door to a far larger audience, Rosenthal said, but standing out is the challenge. "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," he said.

He plans to do more than stream the series. Possibilities include microdramas and other short-form content, plus bespoke pieces made for sponsors.

Schmerin signaled that United views the arrangement as open-ended rather than a one-season buy. "It feels like as long as there are places to explore, it's a show that could have a lot of value," she said. For a series that just lost its Netflix home, that long-term commitment from a deep-pocketed sponsor may prove the difference between reinvention and cancellation.