Snapchat to create more short-form content

LOS ANGELES — Disney, NBCUniversal, ViacomCBS, the NBA and the NFL are expanding deals to supply Snapchat with customized short-form content, underscoring the platform’s renewed momentum.

Snap Inc., which makes the ephemeral-messaging app, unveiled the multiyear deals Thursday, along with a spate of original series and a breaking news feature called “Happening Now” that counts The Washington Post, Bloomberg and ESPN as partners. Maggie Suniewick, president of NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises, said in an email that Snapchat was “a brand-safe environment where we can reach millions of new viewers.”

People have been spending more time on platforms like Snapchat and TikTok, an app for making and sharing short videos, since the coronavirus shutdowns began. Snap said in April that daily active users had grown more rapidly than expected, reaching 229 million people. Snap said time spent watching its original shows had doubled in recent months compared with a year earlier.

Snap, based in Santa Monica, California, introduced scripted programs and docuseries in 2018 and unscripted shows in 2016. “The Rundown,” an E! News series, just celebrated its 500th episode. Episodes for scripted shows are typically five minutes long, with eight to 12 episodes in a season.

Entertainment and news programming is still a small part of Snap’s business, however.

“It’s not enough to move the needle — yet,” said Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities.

Snap’s programming emphasizes inclusion and new storytelling tools, notably augmented reality lenses. A continuing unscripted series, “Nikita Unfiltered,” stars transgender beauty influencer Nikita Dragun. Shows announced Thursday include “Coach Kev,” billed as a daily dose of “positivity and wisdom” from comedian Kevin Hart, and “Life by the Horns,” a docuseries about Ezekiel Mitchell, an African American bull rider.

Scripted shows coming to Snapchat include “Frogtown,” about an all-female skate crew (directed by Catherine Hardwicke of “Twilight” fame), and “Action Royale,” about a teenager who starts an underground esports gambling ring.

“We’re getting better and better at programming,” Sean Mills, Snap’s content chief, said by phone. “It’s not about episode length. It’s not about aspect ratio. It’s not about how many stars you have. It’s how you tell the story and how well you know your audience.”