Snapchat is "working to forge media-rights deals with sports leagues and broadcast networks, including the NCAA and Turner, so it can feature live sports in its 'Our Story' feature, starting with the NCAA Final Four," according to sources cited by John McDermott of DIGIDAY.com. The partnership will "begin with the Final Four, but there are plans to expand it to other NCAA sporting events in the future." A source said that Snapchat is looking to "sell brand sponsorships for these stories and plans to split ad revenue among the sports leagues, the broadcasters and itself." Sources said that Turner is "close to finalizing sponsorship deals for the Final Four Stories." While the Final Four deal "involves both the NCAA and Turner, it’s an exception." In almost all other instances, Snapchat is "looking to create media-rights deals with just the sports leagues." Snapchat has been "creating these sports-related Stories guerilla-style, without the explicit permission of the leagues themselves." However, the problem is sports leagues are "famously cautious about how and where their games are broadcast." By looking to "establish media-rights deals with leagues and their broadcast partners, Snapchat is attempting to legitimize Stories and avoid any media-rights infringement issues." Despite working with some broadcast nets, Snapchat is "not planning to splice in game footage recorded by those networks." Stories will "remain entirely user-generated and curated by Snapchat’s own team, but now with the approval of the leagues and, when needed, the leagues’ broadcast partners." This news is "just the latest instance of Snapchat’s quick maturation from 'sexting app' to media and tech industry darling." With its push into live sports, Snapchat is "poised to become a TV network, a publishing network, a social network, an original media creator and an e-commerce platform, all within one self-contained app" (DIGIDAY.com, 3/11).
