BBC's Planet Earth II hopes to tame North America with six episode Snapchat show
BBC Worldwide looks to be making good on the broadcaster’s wider promise to become “digital first” sealing a deal with Snapchat that will see exclusive, shortform content shared through the platform.
David Attenborough visits the meerkats / BBC
As the beloved David Attenborough-led documentary Planet Earth II looks to air on BBC America and BBC Earth (in Canada) later in February, the corporation has tapped into Snapchat to generate buzz around the launch.
A six-episode show created for the mobile app will air from 17 September on Snapchat, a day before the main show launches on TV – a draw that bolsters a stream of content on the app which reportedly reaches158m active users each month.
Nick Bell, vice president of content for Snap, said: “For millions of Snapchatters, our app is their first screen - and this will be their first introduction to the unbelievable cinematic quality, storylines and stunning visuals of the Planet Earth franchise.
“We saw a unique opportunity to work with BBC Worldwide to reimagine Planet Earth II for our platform. We can’t wait for our community to get to experience it.”
Tim Davie, chief executive of BBC Worldwide, added: “Through this partnership we’re collaborating with Snap to take a truly digital-first approach to landmark natural history — exclusively for this innovative mobile platform.”
He added that the move adds fresh life to the series which has already endured a successful run in the UK.
As another first, it is the first content on Snapchat that will have been recorded with two microphones, creating a more cinematic stereo system.