NBCUniversal has become the only U.S. media company which has an official stake in a Snap. NBC Universal has revealed that it invested USD 500 million in Snap as a strategic investment partnership.
NBCUniversal has been following digital media determinedly in the past year, including investments in Vox, Buzzfeed, and procurements of Awesomeness TV and SportsEngine. NBC has spent about USD 1.5 billion on digital media assets in the last 18 months, according to CNBC.
Even though, Snapchat has continued to grow its popularity among the teens and young adults — partially through stylish recording sunglasses called “Spectacles” and funny photo filters — the firm’s content push hasn’t been well-received.
Snapchat’s ‘news’ platform, Discover requires publishers to format and write content, particularly for the Snapchat, and all of these stories have merely 24 hours to live on the platform before disappearing.
The new investment from the NBCUniversal may signal few changes to the Snap’s media strategy.
It would be interesting to see how Snapchat position itself against Facebook as the home for ‘verified’ news information, given the current climate around the media. Suppose what if Discover focuses on giving you the direct access to broadcasters and journalists for their professional take on the today’s breaking news.
For sure, NBCUniversal could have invested in Snap as a strategy to move forward with its entertainment businesses, such as Universal Studios films and NBC programming.
