NBCUniversal has cut a deal with Snapchat under which the Peacock will produce original episodic shows for the social service from “The Voice,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “Saturday Night Live” and other franchises.
The multiyear pact between NBCU and Snapchat also encompasses an ad partnership, under which the media company will develop and sell packages incorporating Snapchat’s expanded set of ad units into its sponsorship, mobile and video offerings.
The first of NBCU’s Snapchat shows will be “The Voice,” which will debut Monday, Aug. 22, as part of a five episode short-form series. The singing competition show’s Snapchat series will feature the coaches for the upcoming season — Miley Cyrus, Alicia Keys, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton — as well as user-submitted performance videos. Fans are being invited to submit videos starting Monday at voicesnaps.com; those will be reviewed by “The Voice” coaches, with a chance for viewers to appear on the Sept. 19 broadcast premiere of the show’s 11th season.
That will be followed by E! News’ weekly Snapchat series starting on Sept. 8. “The Rundown,” hosted by E! News correspondent Erin Lim, will provide a take on pop-culture. The show also will include new, exclusive segments from E! News that can only be seen on Snapchat.
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Future Snapchat shows from NBCU are set to include series for “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “SNL” and others in the media conglom’s portfolio of entertainment, news, sports and Hispanic brands.
NBC already has been working with Snapchat on a dedicated Olympics channel, stocked with content produced by BuzzFeed, to drive tune-in to the 2016 Rio Summer Games.
“NBCUniversal is committed to tapping into its talent, resources and reach to be the leader in delivering mobile-first premium content,” said Ron Lamprecht, NBCU’s executive VP of business development and digital distribution. “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.”
On the ad front, the Snapchat deal will complement NBCU’s TV distribution, said Linda Yaccarino, chairman of advertising sales and client partnerships. “For our advertisers, this means being associated with premium content in a new and compelling format, and creating a connection that lasts long after your snap disappears,” she said.
Added Nick Bell, VP of content at Snapchat, “Together with NBCUniversal, we believe there is a huge creative and commercial opportunity around mobile-first programming and are excited to bring these future formats to our community.”
