Dive Brief:
- Snapchat is looking to bring more TV-like content to its Discover portal, according to Digiday.
- The social media app has already announced a deal with NBCUniversal to bring mini TV shows to the platform including special versions of “The Voice” and E! News’ “The Rundown.”
- The current lineup of Discover publisher partners have more of a magazine-style approach to content, with only six out of 20 having any background in TV programming.
Dive Insight:
TV better watch out — social media is coming for you.
From Twitter to Facebook and now Snapchat, social platforms are increasingly betting big on video and want exclusive TV-like content on their platforms. Twitter, perhaps, has been making the most aggressive push into this space via live streaming deals with major professional sports leagues including the NFL. Now, Snapchat appears to be hot on its heels, pursuing
“They’re interested in taking pitches for shows and not to launch brand-new channels,” a network executive told Digiday. “They feel … that they don’t need to pay. It’s more about: ‘We will give you a chance to be on our platform and do a show for us.’”
Even though Snapchat is pursuing TV-specific content producers, such as NBCUniversal, Digiday pointed out that while its current Discover publisher partner lineup (such as Refinery 29, Mashable and BuzzFeed) isn’t made up of companies with expertise creating TV shows, they do have a great deal of built-in knowledge of what type of video works in a mobile and social media environment.
