Viacom and Snapchat have announced a global partnership that will increase premium video content produced by Viacom on Snapchat, as well as two new Viacom produced channels.
The two new channels, Comedy Central International channel and an MTV Channel in the US, will complement the existing Comedy Central and MTV International Discover channels.
The agreement also grants Viacom the right to sell Snapchat’s US owned and operated advertising inventory, allowing Viacom to offer even more value to television advertisers that want to add Snapchat’s premium video platform to the media mix. In addition, Viacom also has agreed to provide Snapchat with expanded access so Snapchat can produce Live Stories covering more of Viacom’s tent pole events.
While MTV International and Comedy Central have previously been committed to creating original content on Discover, additional resources will now be put towards the launch of an MTV US Channel and a Comedy Central International channel on the platform.
MTV’s new Snapchat Discover channel will feature a range of content created exclusively for the platform and updated daily. At launch, this includes MTV News articles and video with design and art direction unique to Snapchat, exclusive celebrity interviews, and more. MTV is also developing additional Snapchat-native content, including brand new original series and reinvented MTV fan-favorite franchises for the platform. More details on original programming will be announced at a later date.
Comedy Central will launch internationally on Snapchat Discover today, delivering always comedy content to fans globally. The new international channel will serve Snapchat users daily doses of comedy, from curated “WTF News” articles and exclusive videos with their favorite comedians to upcoming original series set to debut on Snapchat Discover in the coming year. Since its U.S. launch in January 2015, the Comedy Central channel on Snapchat Discover has become a vibrant pipeline for Comedy Central to develop fresh comedic voices and original content. It is one of the most popular brands on the platform.
Another key element of the Viacom/Snapchat partnership will leverage Snapchat’s Live Stories, which are curated collections of user-submitted content covering major events and places around the world. Through the partnership, Snapchat will have unique access to cover Viacom’s one-of-a-kind, tentpole events, such as MTV’s Video Music Awards (VMAs), BET Experience, and MTV’s EMAs.