- Snapchat has commissioned its first original series from A+E Networks
- Second Chance will land in April and reunite exes
- Original content will boost Snapchat's ad proposition before IPO
Snapchat's parent company, Snap, is making an original, unscripted series for its platform called "Second Chance", in partnership with US media company A+E Networks.
The series will be made by A+E Networks' in-house agency, 45th & Dean, and will follow exes who have got together to discuss the end of their relationship.
The show will launch in April and will sit among existing Snapchat Shows, including The Bachelor and The Voice.
Here's how Snap and 45th & Dean describe the concept:
45th & Dean’s first Show, Second Chance, brings emotional exes face to face to explore the breaking point in their relationship for the first time. In this sincere setting, couples seeking closure will also discover heartfelt opportunities for reconciliation. The series will feature eight weekly episodes, available for Snapchatters in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.
Snap is billing this as its first original Snapchat Show, a new tier of content introduced late last year. Snapchat Shows look more like TV episodes and stand separate from Discover, produced by third-party partners, and Stories, produced by users. Snapchat Shows also don't disappear after 24 hours, unlike other Snapchat content.
That said, Snapchat has had a shot at producing truly original content before. Comedy Central hosts an original 10-second feature called "Swag-a-saurus" on Discover, and the company produced an original series called "Literally Can't Even" in 2015.
Snapchat also has original content partnerships with ABC, NBC, E!, ESPN and, soon, the BBC, but all of these are based on existing programmes. For example, Jimmy Fallon has an offshoot of "Tonight with Jimmy Fallon" on Snapchat, simply called "Fallon". And the BBC will bring exclusive cuts from "Planet Earth II" to Snapchat from February 17.
Snapchat's vice president of content, Nick Bell, described the show as "raw and relatable".
"A+E’s investment in mobile storytelling is exactly what Snapchat Shows are all about: The ability to create premium and wholly original content for a mobile-first audience from some of the best storytellers in the world," he said.
Snap appears to be shoring its business up after filing for its IPO last week.
Advertising and media sources told Business Insider part of what keeps them spending money on the platform is the fact it's the hot new thing. Snap is also seeking huge commitments ranging between $100 million and $200 million (£80 million to £160 million) from media buyers. That means keeping the platform fresh, and actually offering advertisers compelling, engaging content to advertise against. In its S1 filing, Snapchat claimed its ads were better than TV advertising.
Snap says it will be adding new content partners "soon," and is working on more new shows with NBC, Turner, and ABC.
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