Snapchat taps stars like Serena Williams and Arnold Schwarzenegger to make new streaming TV shows
- Snap is unveiling new "creator shows" featuring a mix of internet and mainstream stars like FaZe Banks, Emma Chamberlain, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Serena Williams.
- The announcements come as Vidcon, the annual online video conference, kicks off in Anaheim Wednesday.
- The time spent watching Snapchat Shows every day more than tripled over the last year, Snap says.
Snap, the maker of Snapchat, announced a new slate of "creator shows" featuring stars of the YouTube generation like FaZe Banks and Emma Chamberlain — and some names that might be more universally known, like Serena Williams.
The announcements come as online video conference Vidcon kicks off Wednesday in Anaheim, featuring big-name YouTubers and internet stars like Liza Koshy, David Dobrik and Rhett & Link. Facebook also announced ways it's trying to court creators with new updates to how they can make money on the site, and hosted its own "Creator Day" in Malibu Tuesday.
As younger generations flock to online content, the major social media platforms are trying to court creators and their massive audiences. Snap launched more than 50 shows and publisher stories during Q1 2019 and saw ad formats like unskippable ads on its original shows help boost revenue growth in the period, Reuters reported in April.
Snap's shows begin airing Wednesday and feature creators including Emma Chamberlain, Loren Gray, FaZe Banks and Baby Ariel. Stars with perhaps a more mainstream audience will have shows too, like Serena Williams, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kevin Hart.
According to a Snap spokeswoman, the time spent watching Snapchat Shows every day more than tripled over the last year, although the company hasn't provided more specific viewing stats. Those "Shows" are meant to feature visual, short-form storytelling and can be viewed on Snapchat's Discover page.
The new creator shows will include "Glow Up with Loren Gray," which will include advice and beauty tutorials and "Rules of Success with Arnold Schwarzenegger," which will feature motivational advice. Some of the shows aren't named yet.
Disclosure: CNBC parent NBCUniversal is an investor in Snap.