Snapchat, the app that first made a name for itself as the preferred method of sexting for horny teenagers and college students, is suddenly the platform du jour for media companies.
Last month, Snapchat unveiled “Discover,” a new feature that puts content from the editorial teams of CNN, Yahoo! News, Vice and others right on its platform.
The move was designed to give those advertiser-friendly media brands a safe space to reach Snapchat’s massive user base—currently numbered upwards of 200 million.
But why are media brands so eager to get on board?
Digiday says it’s because the engagement numbers are “f***ing incredible.”
Snapchat is also joining the long line of non-traditional outlets ponying up to produce an original series: Literally Can’t Even, written by the daughters of Stephen Spielberg and John Goldwyn. The series, which premiered on Jan. 31, features a new episode each Saturday, which then disappears off the platform 24 hours later.
Read More: GigaOm
Brief Take: In today’s hyper-competitive landscape, media brands are racing to capture viewers, clicks, and eyeballs wherever they can. Snapchat’s ultimate value to television content providers remains to be seen, but its massive user base hold a lot of promise.
Tags: