Snapchat is partnering with television companies to create special shows for its millennial audience — meaning you’ll see TV-like episodes flooding your Stories by the end of the year.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Snapchat is getting a boost of original content via deals with NBCUniversal, ESPN, ABC, Turner, NFL, and several others. The media companies would show original content — three- to five-minute minisodes similar to Planet Earth — in Snapchat’s Stories section.
The company is working with the TV producers to create interactive content to encourage audience engagement. It might even tweak the app’s famous disappearing act — shows currently on the app like The Voice on Snapchat disappear after two days — in order to give viewers more time to watch the complete episode.
This comes almost suspiciously soon after Twitter’s announcement that it would have 24/7 live video content — essentially its own TV-like network. Still, while Twitter will apparently focus on news, sports, fashion, and celebrity events, Snapchat is making room for scripted shows.
While there’s no confirmation exactly what types of shows will be on the app, Snap’s notes to the companies have made it clear that it wants original content — no short promo-style clips of existing shows for Snapchat’s discerning audience. Reportedly, one idea is to spin original content off of House Hunters and Chopped.
via Ars Technica
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