Snapchat and the NFL have extended their existing relationship with the latter signing up to become the first sports partner for the app’s Explorer feature. As a result, users will now get to see even more footage from football games and beyond, shot by Snapchat users and the NFL.
The two companies made their partnership official in September when it was announced that the NFL was coming on board as a Live Story provider. Snapchat helped curate the clips, which were often shot directly for the platform by the league and interspersed with user footage. Snapchat had the final say on the order and number of clips in the weekly stories.
The ephemeral video-sharing app’s Explorer tab is an extension of its Live Story feature that allows users the option to view more footage from a highlighted event. In the past stories have included user footage dedicated to a location or theme (Mardi Gras and Halloween have both made the cut). While watching a Live Story, a user can flip to the Explorer feature (if available) by swiping upward to see more clips from the same event.
According to the NFL, its Live Stories are a chronological set of clips from different points of view that allow fans to get a richer, behind-the-scenes, experience of the action on game night.
“The NFL Live Stories will tell the story of what it’s like to be at an NFL game from many points of view throughout the day — from the grounds crew preparing the field for play, to fans tailgating in the parking lot, to players warming up, to the celebrations of victory on the field and in the stands, to the players heading into the parking lot and closing up the stadium,” Blake Stuchin, director of digital media business development for the NFL, told The Wall Street Journal.
“It’s a great showcase for the excitement of being at an NFL game, and it’s a great second-screen experience to complement live game broadcasts by our TV, digital, and audio partners.”
The NFL’s Snapchat footage commenced with week one of the football season last week and will continue to appear on a weekly basis. Snapchat and the NFL will also dedicate a weekly clip to one of the 32 teams participating in the league, according to USA Today. Additionally, advertising will be incorporated into the clips with revenue to be shared between Snapchat and the NFL.
