Skip to main content

Snap Inc. enters one of biggest TV deals yet with Time Warner shows

Snapchat may have rebranded as a camera company, but Snap Inc. recently announced one of the largest TV deals for the company yet. On Monday, Snap Inc. announced an agreement with Time Warner to develop original shows for the Snapchat platform.

Snapchat users can expect to see three shows a day before the end of 2017, according to Time Warner. Up to 10 original shows are expected to stem from the agreement. Time Warner is the parent company for multiple TV channels, including HBO, Turner and Warner Bros. Entertainment. Time Warner will advertise on the platform, focusing on millennials as young adults trend toward mobile and streaming entertainment over traditional paid cable.

Recommended Videos

Neither company shared financial details, but an unidentified source suggested the deal is worth $100 million. The deal covers a two-year time period. An earlier report suggested that agreements with other media companies were not paid for on an up-front basis, but by giving the content creators a cut of the ad revenue.

Snap already has a number of agreements in place for generating original content as the company explores avenues beyond just social media. Much of the original content comes in the form of three to five shows designed in keeping with the social media platform’s much imitated short-lived chats and stories. Snap’s network deals already include an unscripted dating series from A+E, original clips from NBC’s existing showsoriginals from Turner, along with several others.

The agreement is part of a growing effort to redefine traditional TV entertainment. Snapchat is not the only social media platform to branch out into original shows — Facebook also recently signed several deals for original videos and Twitter is growing as a platform for live videos. When social media platforms generate more views, they can also generate more revenue through ad sales, which has multiple platforms experimenting with entertainment options.

Snapchat’s original mini-shows stream from the platform’s Stories section, mixing content from media companies with individual users.

Hillary K. Grigonis
Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…
Apple’s iOS 26 public beta may finally arrive next week
Could apple's iOS 26 beta drop next week?
The control center with Liquid Design on the iOS 26 developer beta 1 running on the iPhone 16 Pro

Why it matters: Apple fans dying to try the latest iPhone OS have faced a wait longer than expected for the iOS 26 public beta, diverging from Apple's usually rapid rollout. A near-term release could help ramp up user testing , work out bugs, and increase excitement ahead of the full launch this fall, especially as rivals like Google push AI-heavy Android updates.

The big idea: Multiple reports suggest Apple is looking at July 23rd for the iOS public beta debut, based on insights from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. This follows the developer beta 3 rollout on July 7, which skipped the typical one-week public follow-up.

Read more
Act fast and save $400 on the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar
The Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar in Carbon Gray.

We're getting to the point where it is more and more affordable to get one of the best smartwatches or fitness trackers. The tech has been around for quite some time and we're even to the point where some government officials are wanting everyone to have a health tracker. So, I shouldn't be too surprised to see this deal on the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar at its lowest price on Amazon, ever, but I am a little bit. I just covered the gray and orange version getting a $250 discount a few months ago and here I am, looking at a different color with a $400 discount. Right now you can get the 47mm, Carbon Gray colored, Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire Solar for just $500, a very decent drop from its usual $900, by tapping the button below. If you want, however, keep on reading to get a reminder on just how great this smartwatch is.

$500 at Amazon

Read more
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 preorder deals plus $50 credit
The back of the Galaxy Z Fold 7

Samsung Galaxy phones have entered their lucky number 7 era. We've got the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE all coming out later this month. And, if you pre-order now, you can yours by July 25th. Plus, if you pre-order after tapping the button you will receive an additional $50 credit in addition to all other pre-order discounts. This is the strongest pre-order offer available, so be sure to take advantage of it. Tap the button now and start making your selections. Just note that after you hit the button you'll only have 30 minutes to get the $50 credit. As a result, we recommend clicking now and then following along with the pre-order advice guide.

Preorder now

Read more