Another week, another tech heavyweight jumping into original scripted content.
Snap VP of Content Nick Bell hinted at Snapchat debuting scripted shows by the start of 2018 at the Edinburgh TV Festival in Scotland on Wednesday. “We can expect to see scripted shows on Snapchat before the end of the year,” said Bell.
Snap's Nick Bell says "we can expect to see scripted shows on Snapchat before the end of the year" #EdTVFest #TV pic.twitter.com/9wG4JhwSps
— Laura Foster (She/Her) (@misslfoster) August 23, 2017
It wouldn’t be Snap’s maiden voyage with originals — the popular messaging app has debuted a slate of new shows this year, including “Phone Swap,” where two people trade their phones on a first date and see if they’d want to go out with the other person. Another dating show, hosted by rapper Action Bronson, is set to launch, and NBC News recently started airing two broadcasts a day on Snapchat.
Still, Bell’s announcement marks the first time Snapchat will try scripted content since the widely-panned “Literally Can’t Even” back in 2015. The show centered on Sasha Spielberg — daughter of Steven Spielberg — as she tried to get over a breakup without being able to drink alcohol. It was, uh, not well received.
With Snap looking to add scripted content to its lineup, it adds to an increasingly competitive space in the tech world. Apple’s plans to spend $1 billion on original programming was revealed last week, and earlier this month Facebook unleashed its “Watch” tab that’ll feature dozens of new shows. Add in Netflix spending more than $6 billion a year on shows, along with Hulu and HBO, and it’s easy to see why it’s a great time to be a TV writer.