Media mogul Byron Allen has settled his lawsuit against the McDonald’s corporation. The suit, originally launched back in 2021, alleged that the fast food chain intentionally discriminated against Allen’s Entertainment Studios and Weather Group by failing to buy ads in the same volumes it purchased from white-owned networks. Before the settlement, the case had been on appeal, having originally been defeated in a U.S District Court in 2024.
No financial details have been released about the settlement, but, per Deadline, all the (presumably mandatory) attached public statements have been basically about how McDonald’s loves all people’s money equally. Allen’s company will resume selling ads to the restaurant chain (at the same rates as before), and issued a statement today in which it said, “We are pleased to find a resolution that maintains our business relationship. During the course of this litigation, many of our preconceptions have been clarified, and we acknowledge McDonald’s commitment to investing in Black-owned media properties and increasing access to opportunity. Our differences are behind us, and we look forward to working together.”
And, hey, if that sounded kind of stilted and robotic, get a load of McDonald’s’ accompanying statement: “We are pleased that Mr. Allen has come to appreciate McDonald’s unwavering commitment to inclusion, and has agreed to refocus his energies on a mutually beneficial commercial arrangement that is consistent with other McDonald’s supplier relationships. Our company’s unique three-legged stool model relies on mutual respect, and we look forward to ESN’s contributions to the betterment of our system.” The stool must be so incredibly proud.
News of the settlement comes amid what do not sound like the rosiest of times for Allen, financially: His companies have been undergoing heavy layoffs over the last year or so, and, earlier this month, he announced he was selling off the 28 TV stations owned by Allen Media Group. But at least his Comics Unleashed is having a good month, as it was recently announced that CBS is plopping the syndicated program down in 12:30 am timeslot it’s basically abandoning after the cancellation of After Midnight.
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