Brief:
-
CNN is launching a daily news show on Snapchat called "The Update," airing each night at 6 p.m. and featuring updates from network journalists around the globe, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. The show will also include ads, according to the report.
-
"The Update" will be the new home of CNN content on Snapchat's Discover media platform, according to a press release from CNN. CNN was an early content partner for the video-messaging app.
-
CNN said the show will offer five or more stories from journalists and include breaking news segments. Updates of stories will publish on Snapchat on a rolling basis outside the broadcast window of "The Update."
Insight:
NBC News launched a comparable show called "Stay Tuned" this summer that executives have dubbed an early success. Of the 30 million people who have watched NBC's two-to three-minute streams, some 60% of them are in the coveted millennial age group — a segment CNN is clearly trying to reach in pivoting its Snapchat content strategy to daily programming.
With an engaged audience that skews young, Snapchat continues to win the attention of marketers and media outlets despite poor financial showings and sluggish user growth in recent quarters. Consistent output from news providers that is ad-supported and sees large viewership numbers will be a welcome development for brands that have sometimes had trouble connecting with Snapchat's easily distracted audience by other means.
NBC and CNN's approach of offering TV-like content, albeit in small doses, reflects a broader trend emerging on social platforms as those platforms look to snap up TV ad dollars and drive more engagement. Like Snapchat, Facebook is pushing focus toward its premium video content, recently launching a "Watch" tab with over 30 media partners.