Snap Inc. Announces News Product ‘Happening Now’ and Major Content Deals; Reveals New Slate of Snap Originals

Disney, ESPN, NBCUniversal, ViacomCBS, the NBA and NFL Expand Content Partnerships

Kevin Hart, Catherine Hardwicke, Anthony Anderson and Bunim/Murray Productions Among Industry Players to Create Original Scripted and Unscripted Shows Exclusively for Snapchat’s Mobile-First Audience

SANTA MONICA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Snap Inc. (NYSE:SNAP) today announced that Disney, ESPN, NBCUniversal, ViacomCBS, the NBA and the NFL have expanded their commitments to deliver content for Snapchat’s Discover platform, one of the industry’s most established made-for-mobile video destinations.

The multi-year deals include new Shows and Snap Originals, mobile shows created exclusively for Snapchat’s audience, along with continued production of existing original franchises such as ESPN’s “SportsCenter” on Snapchat, NBC News’ “Stay Tuned,” E! News’ “The Rundown” and MTV’s “Teen Code.” The deals also include continued delivery of up-to-the-minute highlights for key news, entertainment and sports moments. Discover is a closed, curated platform that works closely with a select set of partners to produce credible information and entertaining content in brand new ways for mobile.

In addition, Snap introduced a dedicated news product called Happening Now, aimed to be the fastest way for Snapchatters to consume breaking news. Over 125 million people watched news stories on Snapchat this year. Happening Now turns updates on the biggest stories across politics, entertainment, sports, and more into a new, easy-to-consume format customized for mobile. Snap has partnered with some of the most trusted news organizations, including The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Reuters, NBC News, ESPN, NowThis, E! News, BuzzFeed News and more, and will include publicly submitted Snaps from the community. Happening Now also features personalized weather from Bitmoji in partnership with AccuWeather, and horoscopes from Sanctuary.

The company also announced a new slate of Snap Originals set to premiere over the next year that includes unscripted series, character-driven docuseries, and scripted dramas and comedies. Select shows will leverage Snap’s unique augmented reality technologies to deliver immersive shows that are only possible on Snapchat. Snap is partnering with some of the industry’s best creators to continue to transform mobile storytelling, including comedian and Laugh Out Loud founder/CEO Kevin Hart, writer and director Catherine Hardwicke (“Twilight” and “Thirteen”), Emmy-nominated actor and producer Anthony Anderson (“black-ish”), reality television pioneers Bunim/Murray Productions, and more established production partners.

Snap’s new slate announced today includes:

Unscripted

Coach Kev – (Laugh Out Loud) – Inspired by his own experiences, Kevin Hart will be your coach, best friend and mentor all rolled into one, as he shares daily doses of positivity and wisdom for anyone aspiring to live their best life.

Fake Up – (Mission Control Media) – The top optical illusion make-up artists battle it out to transform their own faces into works of art you have to see to believe. Experience the artists’ work like never before as you try on and play with custom Lenses that bring the show’s illusions to life.

Move It – (Stellar Studios and Little Engine Productions) – Bringing together the biggest dance influencers, chart-topping hits, and Snapchat’s AR camera platform, this first-of-its-kind immersive dance show will inspire and teach anyone how to move it!

Docuseries

Road Trippin’ – (Bunim/Murray Productions) – In this docuseries executive produced by Anthony Anderson, best friends and star creators Rickey Thompson and Denzel Dion head on a road trip across rural USA to get out of their comfort zone and share some crazy new adventures.

First Person – (Hashtag Our Stories) – Stories told with Snapchat Spectacles through the eyes of extraordinary young innovators creating positive change, as they fight to protect our planet.

Queen of Stylez – (Glass Entertainment Group) – Capturing the attention of Hollywood’s biggest names and locking in the most coveted and demanding clients, no hairstylist slays quite like Tokyo Stylez.

Life By The Horns – (21st Street Creative) – Follow Ezekiel Mitchell, a 22-year-old destined to be a cowboy, on his life or death journey to become the best bull rider in the world and the first African-American to win the title in over 35 years.

Scripted

Frogtown – (Alcon Television Group) – In this series directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight, Thirteen), a badass skater living in her car lands a second family when she falls in with an all-girl crew at the Frogtown skatepark in East Los Angeles.

Action Royale – (Portal A) – In this coming-of-age thriller, a teenager starts an underground esports gambling ring to pay off his father’s debts, but he and his gaming phenom best friend soon find themselves in over their heads in a dangerous high-stakes world.

Total Badass Wrestling – (Comedy Bang! Bang! Productions) – In this comedy, a naive but charismatic young wrestler becomes an overnight viral sensation, inspiring a washed-up pro wrestler to offer his mentorship and use the hot new kid as his ticket back into the spotlight.

Snap is renewing the following Snap Originals: “Dead of Night” by Bazelevs in association with Hooked, “Face Forward” by NBCUniversal featuring an all-new AR Lens experience that puts viewers in the episode for their own celebrity makeover, “Nikita Unfiltered” by ITV America’s Sirens Media, and Complex will again produce the next installment of Snap’s documentary franchise “Vs The World,” which will tell the story of notorious MMA fighter Conor McGregor.

Snap launched Discover in January 2015 as a place for Snapchatters to explore curated content from an editorial perspective. Rooted in the creativity of its community and facilitated by the unique power of the Snapchat camera, Discover pioneered the first Story format and vertical video content orientation now being adopted by other platforms.

Snapchat defined a new era in storytelling with the launch of short-form original shows, built for the mobile generation. Snap Originals are available on Discover to Snapchat users globally. Today, more than half of the US Gen Z population are watching Snap Originals. Over 15 million viewers watched season one of the scripted zombie drama “Dead of Night” and over 70% of people who completed the series did so within 48 hours of starting it. Over 22 million Snapchatters watched “Nikita Unfiltered” and over 35 million Snapchatters have watched “Will From Home,” a new Snap Original in which Will Smith shares his stay-at-home experience.

Each episode averages five minutes in length and brands can purchase Commercials within these shows, Snap’s six-second, non-skippable ad format. For more on Snap Originals, visit: snaporiginals.snapchat.com.

About Snap Inc.

Snap Inc. is a camera company. We believe that reinventing the camera represents our greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. We contribute to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together. For more information, visit snap.com.

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