background fodder

background fodder (uncountable)

1. A work or medium used (mostly) for the purpose of boosting the enjoyment of another medium.

   He listened to music on his media player while he worked out on the treadmill: a classic use of background fodder.

   • 2002, Billboard, volume 114, number 23, page 35:

     Yet, a richer diversity of song texture and timbre would elevate this 12-track collection from gorgeous, atmospheric background fodder to a set that reverberates with more distinction.

   • 2013, Michael N. Salda, Arthurian Animation: A Study of Cartoon Camelots on Film and Television:

     In the refocused narrative of King Arthur's Knights, Malory's larger Arthuriad—from the sword in the stone to the final conflict between Arthur and Mordred—becomes background fodder for Gareth's foreground adventures.