"Hotel Transylvania 3" was number one this weekend - should they thank Food Network Star?

This past weekend Hotel Transylvania 3 was number one at the box office, earning $44.1million, and beating the Rock's newest release - Skyscraper.  (Chow, 2018)

I couldn't help wondering if the movie's stellar performance was due in part to a rather unusual product placement which I happened to stumble on last week.  If you are a fan of Food Network Star you probably saw it too.

Contestants were asked to create dishes inspired by characters from the movie.  (Struble,  2018)

Seemed like a bit of a stretch to me, but why not?  Research shows that 58% of Food Network viewers are female, 54% are between the ages of 18-49, and 47% have at least one child.  (Gaille, 2016)

Sounds like a pretty good prospect for Hotel Transylvania 3. 

And the placement wasn't nearly as awkward as Colonel Sander's visit to General Hospital.  In case you missed that one, he asked Maxie to hide the secret KFC recipe for him. (Bartiromo, 2018)

This world just gets weirder by the minute.

Chow, A. (2018, July 15)  'Hotel Transylvania 3' Towers Over 'Skyscraper' at Box Office.  nytimes.com.  Retrieved July 17, 2018, from  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/15/movies/hotel-transylvania-3-skyscraper-box-office.html

Struble, C. (2017, July 7)  Food Network Star Season 14 episode 5 live stream: Watch online. foodsided.com  Retrieved July 17, 2018, from  https://foodsided.com/2018/07/08/food-network-star-season-14-episode-5-live-stream-watch-online/

Gaillle, B. (2016, March 7)  40 Captivating Food Network Demographics.  brandongaille.com.  Retrieved July 17, 2016, from  https://brandongaille.com/40-captivating-food-network-demographics/

Bartiromo, M. (2018, July 6)  'Colonel Sanders' appearing on 'General Hospital' in honor of National Fried Chicken Day.  foxnews.com.  Retrieved July 17, 2018, from  http://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/2018/07/06/colonel-sanders-appearing-on-general-hospital-in-honor-national-fried-chicken-day.html