Weather Group v. McDonald's USA CA2/2

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Allegations in Appellants’ Complaint Appellants are Weather Group, LLC and Entertainment Studios Networks, Inc.2 They are part of a conglomerate of media companies owned by entrepreneur Byron Allen, whose Allen Media Group (AMG) is the largest Black-owned media company in the country. Respondent McDonald’s USA, LLC, a foodservice company, pays significant sums to advertise in the United States.

1 Undesignated statutory references are to the Code of Civil Procedure. 2 Appellants own The Weather Channel, Comedy.tv, Justice Central.tv, Recipe.tv, Cars.tv, MyDestination.tv, and Pets.tv.

2 In 2020, nationwide protests were sparked by the televised murder of George Floyd, an African-American, by a White police officer. In the wake of the murder, American corporations spoke against racial injustice and pledged some $50 billion to address it. McDonald’s pledged $1 million, but did not make significant efforts to support the Black community. In 2021, McDonald’s announced a “Four-Year Plan” (Plan) to “accelerat[e] the allocation of advertising dollars to diverse- owned media companies, production houses and content creators.” It planned to increase spending…