VICE is bringing a dating show starring Action Bronson to Snapchat
VICE is creating more for Snapchat, the app known for puppy filters, disappearing messages and also its wealth of original programming.
VICELAND, the Brooklyn-based media outlet's TV channel, will produce shows for Snapchat. The effort begins with Hungry Hearts with Action Bronson. That show launches later this year and will include eight episodes, the companies announced Tuesday.
The series will feature Action Bronson ("a rapper, chef, television star, and international sex symbol," according to VICE) creating dates for potential couples and then giving a play-by-play of what happens. He'll also predict whether or not they'll go on a second.
It's a dating show with a little more action. That show aligns with Snapchat's effort to be a new form of mobile TV, not just for one-to-one or group communication. Snapchat has inked partnerships with major TV studios, including NBCUniversal, ABC/Disney and Turner Broadcasting.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Snapchat relies on a mix of licensing deals and revenue sharing from advertising.
For VICE, the new work with Snapchat follows its push to grow the brand on more platforms. Action Bronson also has a TV show on VICELAND, titled F*ck That's Delicious.
This show isn't VICE's first foray into Snapchat. In fact, the outlet was one of the launch partners for Snapchat Discover, the app's hub of media content. These editions include VICE stories packaged for Snapchat. For example, VICE's Tuesday edition featured a story titled "The Kinky Couples That Get Turned On By Tattooing."
Snap Inc., Snapchat's parent company, recently listed on the stock exchange and already has faced some heat from Wall Street. The growth of Discover, with content that connects to their young audiences, could ensure that Snapchat's brand affinity is high, at least.
Topics Snapchat
Kerry Flynn is a business reporter for Mashable covering the tech industry. She previously reported on social media companies, mobile apps and startups for International Business Times. She has also written for The Huffington Post, Forbes and Money magazine. Kerry studied environmental science and economics at Harvard College, where she led The Harvard Crimson's metro news and design teams and played mellophone in the Band. When not listening to startup pitches, she runs half-marathons, plays with puppies and pretends to like craft beer.