Both NBC and Snap, Inc. (NYSE:$SNAP) have struggled as of late, but today the two companies have reason to celebrate. According to Axios, in less than a month, more than 29 million viewers – myself included – have watched “Stay Tuned”, which is NBC News’ daily Snapchat Discover show.
Before moving on, it is important to mention that NBC is owned by Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:$CMCSA).
Why Is This Important?
For starters, millennials are watching news shows. To be able to convince almost 30 million young adults to watch a news show is a massive win for both companies, as millennials tend to avoid TV news shows on cable. In fact, the average cable news viewer is over 60 years of age.
Second, video news seems to be going mobile. Even though Snapchat differs from how television measures ratings, the success of “Stay Tuned” gives a clear indication as to how TV news will transition to mobile in the digital age.
Further, the success of “Stay Tuned” proves that Snapchat isn’t just an app for selfies or to keep up with your favorite celebrities. If the app receives help from the right network, Snapchat has the potential to act as a hard news platform for its millennial audience.
Last but not least, the show on Snapchat is hard evidence that NBC’s digital investments are paying off. NBC’s goal was to hire a 30-person, standalone staff to create a show that has the ability to reach younger audiences, and that is exactly what they have done. Not only is the show helping young people stay up to date with current affairs, it is also helping the network expand its digital footprint and extend its reporting on various platforms.
“We had several goals heading into this project, including understanding a platform that will help to define mobile television, and reaching a younger audience that we would likely not reach on our more traditional digital and TV outlets. Stay Tuned has checked both of those boxes,” said SVP of NBC News Digital Nick Ascheim.
Quick Facts:
– More than 60% of the “Stay Tuned” audience is under the age of 25.
– More than 40% of daily viewers watch the show roughly three days a week
– In just two and a half weeks after launching, NBC’s show collected 1 million subscribers, thus making it one of the fastest-growing shows on Snapchat.
Featured Image: twitter
