Channel 4 and Snapchat extend and enhance partnership with ‘Snap-first’ programming

7 December 2023

Snapchatters continue to enjoy access to Channel 4’s top shows

Plus, ‘Snap-first’ series and content from Channel 4’s Paris 2024 Paralympic Games coverage                                                            

Channel 4 and Snap Inc. have extended and enhanced their long-term partnership to continue bringing the best Channel 4 programming to Snapchatters, while additionally collaborating on made-for-Snap content.

Snap and Channel 4 will collaborate on new ‘Snap-first’ content. Channel 4 will create a new series, with a built-in Augmented Reality (AR) component – more details will be revealed next year. Additionally, the two will work together on bespoke compilations of shows, such as popular format ‘Body Fixers’.

Building on the partnership, which first began in 2018, Snap will also provide select content from Channel 4’s Paris 2024 Paralympic Games coverage. This builds on Snap’s commitment to publish more high-quality sports content for fans, while it enhances the availability of Channel 4’s award-winning Paralympics coverage, which has been changing attitudes towards disability in the UK since the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Short form clips of Channel 4’s most popular programmes will continue to be made available via Snapchat, including First Dates, Married At First Sight UK, Hollyoaks, Celebs Go Dating, Made In Chelsea, SAS: Who Dares Wins, Tattoo Fixers, Mashed, Celebrity Cooking School, The Big Celebrity Detox, and Absolutely Dyer.

Lucy Luke, Head of UK Partnerships at Snap, said: “Having collaborated with Channel 4 over the past five years, our renewed and expanded partnership is a key part of our strategy to bring diverse and relevant content from world class media brands to our UK community. With the exciting year ahead in sports, the opportunity to bring the Paralympics content to millions of Snapchatters is very exciting, building on our sports offering platform wide. We’re excited to continue to deepen our relationship with Channel 4, working to deliver exciting new formats and continue to innovate together.”

The new partnership with Snap Inc. supports the delivery of Channel 4’s Future4 strategy to prioritise digital growth over linear ratings, diversify new revenue streams and focus on partnerships. The short-form content will be delivered by Channel 4’s Leeds-based 4Studio, Channel 4’s social first content and distribution powerhouse. Snapchat and Channel 4’s commercial team, 4Sales, will share sales rights on the shows.

Joe Harbinson, Senior Distribution & Partnerships Lead, Commercial Innovation, Channel 4, said: “This partnership furthers our bid to serve young audiences and typifies the approach we are taking to reaching viewers, wherever they are. Not only will we continue to innovate in how we adapt formats of our existing programming on new platforms, but we will also innovate by creating bespoke content to maximise the benefits of every platform for viewers and advertisers.”

The new agreement solidifies a partnership which first began in 2018, when Channel 4 was part of the launch of UK shows on Discover, Snapchat’s curated content platform. Across all social channels Channel 4 generated over 3 billion views in the first half of this year alone. This renewed partnership will ensure Channel 4 content continues to reach and impact younger audiences: every day, 75% of 13-to-34-year-olds in 20+ countries are on Snapchat, with over 21 million people in the UK alone using Snapchat every month.