NBC and Snapchat today will debut NBC Sports’ first ever Snapchat lens as part of its Stanley Cup Playoffs marketing campaign titled “There’s Nothing Like Playoff Hockey.” The lens will allow Snapchat users to instantly grow their own playoff beards, as well as lift the Stanley Cup. NBC Sports CMO Jenny Storms said the use of Snapchat fits well with the NHL fanbase. "This is one of the younger audiences in sports consumption, compared to the other major leagues, so Snapchat is a natural fit for who we are trying to reach and what we are doing,” she said. “While the platform does skew younger, during the Stanley Cup Playoffs a larger audience is engaged in the games and our coverage, so this is a relevant sweet spot for this set." Storms said that the network’s marketing campaign around this year’s playoff is its most robust and targeted consumer engagement plan in place, which includes this partnership with Snapchat and other shareable content plans. While this is the first NBC Sports Snapchat lens, the network has collaborated with the social media platform in the past, including around its tentpole events such as "SNF," "TNF," the Kentucky Derby and the Olympics.
