Snapchat Integrates Live NBC Olympics Coverage Without Opening Up for User Broadcasts
After much speculation and reports about Snapchat’s possible rollout of live broadcasting features, the company has finally announced a collaboration with NBC to bring Live video content from the 2018 Winter Olympics into its app. However, this is not the news that many expected it to be. Instead of opening up live broadcasting capabilities for users on their platform, Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, has decided against allowing users to go Live during these events.
Instead, according to a statement made by a Snap spokesperson, the focus is on streaming snippets of big event highlights like the Oscars awarding Best Picture. By doing so, Snap aims at helping its users experience culturally relevant moments through their platform. The company believes that most Snapchatters do not have interesting enough lives to warrant Live streaming and has thus decided not to open up broadcasting abilities for them.
Instead, the feature can generate low-quality notifications that annoy users and may seem slow and boring compared to fast-paced clips people are used to on Snapchat. By maintaining this stance, Snap Inc. hopes to keep its user base engaged with core products such as the camera, ephemeral messages, and Stories.
What does this mean for Facebook?
With Facebook pouring resources into building and promoting Live capabilities for users while seeing very few stand-out broadcasts from those users beyond a woman laughing hysterically in a Chewbacca mask, Snapchat’s decision not to open up broadcasting abilities might be seen as the better approach. By focusing on curated content rather than user-generated Live videos, Snapchat aims at providing high-quality content that its audience would find interesting and engaging.
What about notifications?
Snapchat’s special Live video player allows users to tap between full horizontal TV streams in the bottom quarter of their screen. The top three-quarters of the screen will show a vertically sliced version of the chosen event, allowing viewers to zoom into specific moments.
Users can sign up for notifications about all future Live broadcasts or choose to receive only those related to specific sports. Notifications regarding these events will be displayed at the top of the Friends list if someone is subscribed and currently in the app, even though Snapchat has previously redesigned its interface to filter publishers and professional content out of the Friends section and into Discover.
Snapchat’s focus on big events
By focusing on Live coverage of major sporting events like the Olympics, Snap Inc. aims at providing a unique experience for its users. The company also plans to host Our Stories from these games as well as BuzzFeed-produced publisher Stories that include custom context cards with Olympic schedules and medal counts. NBC Sports will produce two Snap Shows covering snowboarders and other compe*****s.
The potential impact on Snapchat’s growth rate
By focusing on core products like the camera, ephemeral messages, and Stories rather than Live broadcasts from users, Snap Inc. aims at maintaining its user base's engagement with these features.
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