David Farnor | On 07, Jun 2020

Channel 4 is heading to Snapchat with a wave of shows being reworked for the social video platform – and Hollyoaks is leading the way.

More than 300 short-form edits of Channel 4 content will stream on Snapchat’s Discover platform over the next year. The new agreement solidifies a partnership which first began in 2018, when Channel 4 was part of the launch of UK shows on Discover, Snapchat’s curated content platform. Since then seven shows have launched, of which Celebs Go Dating, Don’t Tell the Bride and Tattoo Fixers have reached over 19 million unique viewers on Snapchat, most of whom were aged from 13 to 24.

Starting today, Hollyoaks will air on Snapchat, with short-form made for mobile episodes going live immediately after they have aired on E4, All 4 and Channel 4. To celebrate the launch, there is also a bespoke augmented reality Lens which allows Snapchatters to create their own cliff-hanger finale, complete with the Hollyoaks theme tune and end credits.

Other shows included are The Last Leg, Grime Gran and Five Guys A Week, with a range of shows from across Channel 4’s programming slate to follow. 4Studio, Channel 4’s recently launched Leeds-based digital content hub, will work with Snap and programme producers to create the made-for-mobile edits. Snapchat and Channel 4 commercial arm 4Sales will share sales rights on the shows.

On average Snapchat is used by 229 million people every day. In Q1 2020, the total daily time spent by Snapchatters watching Shows more than doubled compared to Q1 2019. With Channel 4 focused on a youth audience, reaching 100 million users on Facebook and making 800 million YouTube impressions in the past month, Snapchat is an extension of that multi-platform approach.

Alex Mahon, Chief Executive, Channel 4 said: “We are hugely excited to bring more Channel 4 to Snapchat. We have a unique brand and taste and reach into the youth-dominated audience of Snap so the fit is clear. This partnership allows us to further our mission to serve young audiences, to increase time spent with Channel 4 and to supercharge our social footprint across 2020. We are continually evolving and adapting to reach our audience wherever they are and this is the latest iteration. I am particularly thrilled that Hollyoaks will be the first British soap to feature on the platform offering Snapchatters a unique introduction to the joys of Britain’s best soap.”

Sean Mills, Head of Content, Snap added: “Channel 4 shares our passion for creating mobile content in new ways. We are delighted to extend our successful relationship and bring even more great shows to UK Snapchatters. We can’t wait to see their distinctive storytelling style reimagined for the vertical screen.”

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