NBCUniversal is expanding its relationship with social networking platform Snapchat, according to an announcement out this morning detailing a new content and advertising partnership between the two companies. The deal will see the media and entertainment brand developing mobile, short-form versions of several of its popular shows, including NBC’s “The Voice” and E! News’ “The Rundown,” for starters. Original Snapchat shows from “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Saturday Night Live” will follow, among others.
The idea, explains NBCUniversal, is to reimagine its TV franchises for Snapchat and a mobile-first audience. However, the new shows are not simply video summaries or clips of what’s airing on television – they will feature original content.
For example, “The Voice on Snapchat” will include judges Miley Cyrus, Alicia Keys, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton and will showcase user-submitted performance videos which prospective talent can submit via voicesnaps.com. The coaches will review the clips and a winner will have the opportunity to appear on the show’s new season, beginning September 19. This will be the first-ever reality competition to expand to Snapchat, NBCUniversal notes.
“The Voice on Snapchat,” a five-part, short-form series, is the first of the new originals to arrive, debuting on Monday, August 22nd.
E! News will debut its pop culture news show “The Rundown” on Snapchat on September 8th, which will also feature exclusive content that can only be seen on the social networking service.
As a part of this multi-year deal, NBCUniversal says it will sell ad products that incorporate Snapchat’s ads in its sponsorship, mobile and video offerings.
“NBCUniversal is committed to tapping into its talent, resources and reach to be the leader in delivering mobile-first premium content,” said Ron Lamprecht, EVP Business Development and Digital Distribution, NBCUniversal, in a statement. “From entertainment to news and sports, NBCUniversal has an unparalleled lineup and Snapchat is the perfect partner to help us reach millions of fans where they are every day.”
NBCUniversal and Snapchat were already working together on other channels, including a first-of-its-kind deal that features content from the Rio Olympics. Through a dedicated channel in the app, Olympics content includes daily “Live Stories” from the network, fans and athletes. BuzzFeed, which NBCUniversal invested $200 million in last year, is also involved in producing this Olympics content for Snapchat.
In addition to the shows listed above, NBCUniversal says other programming from its portfolio will be coming to Snapchat in the future as well, including those from other entertainment, news, sports and Hispanic brands.
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