WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Media conglomerate Viacom Inc. (VIAB, VIA) and Snapchat announced a global partnership that capitalizes on and extends the unique expertise of both companies.
The wide-ranging deal, anchored in both content production and advertising sales, will bring two high profile channels to Snapchat Discover -- a Comedy Central International channel and an MTV Channel in the U.S., which will complement the already successful Comedy Central and MTV International Discover channels.
The agreement also grants Viacom the right to sell Snapchat's U.S. owned and operated advertising inventory, allowing Viacom to offer even more value to television advertisers who want to add Snapchat's wildly popular premium video platform to the media mix.
In addition, Viacom also has agreed to provide Snapchat with expanded access so Snapchat can produce Live Stories covering more of Viacom's tent pole events.
In addition to selling its advertising alongside its own content on Snapchat Discover, Viacom will now also have the right to sell Snapchat's U.S. owned and operated ad inventory, which includes ads in ongoing Stories such as 'New York,' capturing daily happenings in New York City, and non-partnered holiday Live Stories, such as 'Valentine's Day.'
Viacom will further invest in the creation of original premium video content specifically for Snapchat Discover, reinforcing Viacom's approach and dedication to delivering fans globally the content they want wherever they want to consume it.
While MTV International and Comedy Central have previously been committed to creating original content on Discover, additional resources will now be put towards the launch of an MTV US Channel and a Comedy Central International channel on the platform.
MTV's new Snapchat Discover channel will feature a wide range of content created exclusively for the platform and updated daily. At launch on Tuesday, February 9, this includes MTV News articles and video with design and art direction unique to Snapchat, exclusive celebrity interviews, and more.
MTV is also developing additional Snapchat-native content, including brand-new original series and reinvented MTV fan-favorite franchises for the platform.
Comedy Central will launch internationally on Snapchat Discover on Wednesday, February 10, delivering always funny content to fans globally.
Another key element of the Viacom/Snapchat partnership will leverage Snapchat's Live Stories, which are curated collections of user-submitted content covering major events and places around the world. Through the partnership, Snapchat will have unique access to cover Viacom's one-of-a-kind, tentpole events, such as MTV's Video Music Awards (VMAs), BET Experience, and MTV's EMAs.
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