The NFL announced its new Snapchat partnership two days ago. It looks pretty exciting, but as you read what’s about to come, ask yourself this question: “Where’s YouTube?”
“As part of the extended partnership, the NFL will add a new Sunday Publisher Story to the daily content it produces and Snapchat distributes throughout the NFL season and on a weekly basis in the offseason. These new Sunday Publisher Stories will be updated every hour with highlights and news uniquely packaged for the Snapchat audience. NFL content will be available on the Discover page and past editions of the Publisher Stories will be available using Snapchat’s Search feature.
Additionally, Snapchat will continue to produce and distribute NFL-partnered Our Stories throughout the season. Since 2015, NFL Our Stories bring the excitement of being at an NFL stadium on gameday to Snapchatters no matter where they are – from the fan-captured content in the stands to unique access produced by the NFL, its clubs and players. For the 2017-2018 season, 52 million unique viewers globally watched NFL content on Snapchat.
“We’re excited to continue growing our partnership with Snapchat,” said Blake Stuchin, NFL Vice President of Digital Media Business Development. “Millions of fans engage with the NFL every day on Snapchat – from NFL Our Stories and Publisher Stories, to sharing Creative Tools like Bitmojis, Filters, and Lenses. The Sunday Publisher Story will be another great addition to our presence on the platform, adding engaging content throughout the season, with a style and tone designed specifically for Snapchat users.”
“The NFL has been a phenomenal partner that continues to make the most of all of Snapchat’s offerings, from Creative Tools to Our Stories and Publisher Stories. The new dynamic Sunday edition of their Publisher Story is yet another example of their innovation, creativity and attentiveness to our community,” said Nick Bell, Snap’s Vice President of Content. “We’re thrilled to extend our partnership with the NFL once more and can’t wait for Snapchatters to enjoy NFL content all season long.”
In addition, the NFL and Snapchat will also continue to grow and enhance Creative Tools that allow fans to express their NFL fandom on Snapchat, including Filters, Lenses, and Bitmojis. Its dynamic scoreboard Filter on Snapchat was viewed more than 575 million times during Super Bowl LII.
Ok, so where is YouTube? Given it’s push with YouTube TV, it’s really surprising that Snapchat, and not YouTube, has inked an extended and more advanced version of their partnership with the NFL.
YouTube only seems to have a home for all of the pirated NFL films and broadcasts, but it could really serve as a home for pro football in a number of ways: it could use YouTube Partners to give an inside look at NFL Training Camp. It could use the same YouTube Partners to provide in-stadium experience vlogs on game day, like this vlog on Zennie62 on YouTube from Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco and Santa Clara, CA:
There are any number of ideas that YouTube could launch with the NFL.
When Super Bowl 52 was on YouTube TV it drew, by my estimation, over 450 million viewers – a streaming record for a sports event in America.
Something’s miss – but perhaps Snapchat’s just more aggressive. Hopefully, for YouTube, that’s not the case.
Stay tuned.