In a move that proves attention spans are getting shorter, NBC has teamed up with Snapchat's parent company, Snap Inc., to create a new joint venture aimed at crafting Snapchat-specific entertainment.
NBCUniversal was actually the very first network to partner with Snapchat when it launched the Discover platform Shows, and hopes that the new venture will allow for scripted content. The Duplass Brothers, known for their HBO series and their production company, Donut, will be the first filmmakers enlisted for the new project.
"We're super psyched to partner with Snap and NBCUniversal," Mark Duplass, creative director at Donut, said in a statement. "For us, shooting in that vertical mobile format is a terrifying and thrilling creative challenge. We’ll try not to f*&% it up."
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According to NBCUniversal, all of the new Shows content will be shot in a vertical format and integrate video, sounds, and graphics (Snapchat is known for its face filters, after all) to create a unique — and sure-to-be viral — experience that blends social media and traditional TV. The Duplass Brothers and NBC didn't reveal any clues as to what the new Shows will entail, but taking hints from the bros' past work on HBO's Animals and Room 104 would lead fans to believe that it'll be pretty outrageous.
While NBC's involvement in Shows is certainly its biggest Snapchat-related project to date, it's not the first. During the last Olympic Games in Rio, NBC Sports partnered with BuzzFeed to create content for Snapchat and has the distinction of having the very first daily news show on the platform, NBC News' Stay Tuned.
Along with the Duplass Brothers' show, NBC is hoping to bring a slew of other features to Snapchat, too. A statement from NBCUniversal says that scripted shows are just the first step and that soon, there will be more material spanning all genres. Snapchat competition shows, Snapchat reality shows, maybe even Snapchat cooking and home improvement? Soon there'll be no reason to ever put down your phone.
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