Skip to main content

Snapchat’s first unscripted original will be a reality show about breakups

Snapchat is set to get its first unscripted original show courtesy of the latest in its recent run of video content deals, this time with entertainment media company A+E Networks.

The deal includes a series of shows based on the company’s portfolio of brands (among them Lifetime, History, and FYI), a number of which are already in development, reports Variety.

Recommended Videos

A+E Networks’ first offering will come courtesy of its in-house agency 45th & Dean. Dubbed Second Chance, the unscripted, eight-part weekly series will reunite old flames for the first time since their breakup to hash out the problems that led to their split. The show marks the first time a TV network has produced an unscripted original for the app that isn’t based on an existing property.

Snapchat’s deal with A+E Networks comes in the wake of a number of recent high-profile media partnerships with the likes of Turner, E! News, BBC Worldwide, and The New York Times. It seems content is king for the visual messaging app, which is seeking avenues tied to its Discover section to keep users glued to its platform. According to its IPO filing, Snapchat developer Snap Inc. spent a total of $58 million on content deals last year through its ad-sharing revenue model, up from just $9.6 million in 2015.

“A+E’s investment in mobile storytelling is exactly what Snapchat shows are all about: The ability to create premium and wholly original content for a mobile-first audience from some of the best storytellers in the world,” said Nick Bell, VP of content at Snap. “We are excited to break new ground with A+E Networks on our first unscripted series, with a concept that we think is raw and relatable.”

Snapchat already boasts video partnerships with NBC and Disney-ABC (Disney also owns a 50 percent stake in A+E Networks). Second Chance will be available on Snapchat in the United States, Canada, the U.K., and Australia starting in April.

Saqib Shah
Saqib Shah is a Twitter addict and film fan with an obsessive interest in pop culture trends. In his spare time he can be…
Snapchat is finally ditching one of its most controversial filters
snapchat ios App Store. Credit: XanderXT / Shutterstock

Snap is removing from its Snapchat app a controversial speed filter that has been blamed for encouraging reckless driving.

Released eight years ago, the filter lets you take a photo or video overlaid with a readout of the speed at which you're moving.

Read more
Bluesky finally adds a feature many had been waiting for
A blue sky with clouds.

Bluesky has been making a lot of progress in recent months by simplifying the process to sign up while at the same time rolling out a steady stream of new features.

As part of those continuing efforts, the social media app has just announced that users can now send direct messages (DMs).

Read more
Reddit just achieved something for the first time in its 20-year history
The Reddit logo.

Reddit’s on a roll. The social media platform has just turned a profit for the first time in its 20-year history, and now boasts a record 97.2 million daily active users, marking a year-over-year increase of 47%. A few times during the quarter, the figure topped 100 million, which Reddit CEO and co-founder Steve Huffman said in a letter to shareholders had been a “long-standing milestone” for the site.

The company, which went public in March, announced the news in its third-quarter earnings results on Tuesday.

Read more