Both Snapchat and Facebook are getting 8 billion daily video views, as the social photo app continues to attract big name brands.
Recode first reported the figure, citing an ‘unnamed source’ who attended Morgan Stanley’s Tech, Media & Telecom conference in San Francisco and who heard Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel present the revised figure there.
Spiegel told the gathering of bankers and investors, who asked not to be identified because the information is private.
If true, the 8 billion figure is five times greater than the company counted a year ago, Spiegel reportedly.
Snapchat’s app has more than 100 million daily users who spend an average of 25 to 30 minutes on the app each day, Spiegel told the audience.
By comparison, Facebook last reported 8 billion daily video views in November 2015, though it is likely that the figure has increased since then.
Snapchats “stories” feature has contributed greatly to its surge in daily video views. It’s also worth noting that the company’s partnerships with publishers—a feature called “discover”— has boosted its video traffic figures.
The Sun will join the growing throng of publishers on Snapchat Discover as part of a renewed push to ensure its content is distributed as widely as possible.
News UK’s daily tabloid will make its bow on the messaging app later this year when its articles will appear in the form of Snapchat Stories. After 24 hours, the stories will disappear and are replaced with fresh content.
“The future of news brands is going to be a variety of revenue streams and it’s not going to be the cover price anymore,” said editor Tony Gallagher at the Newsworks Shift conference yesterday (1 March).
The move will see The Sun’s content compete against the likes of the Daily Mail, Vice and Mashable in what is fast becoming a crowded space. In just over a year since it launched, Snapchat Discover has gone from 11 to around 20 publishers, though many have said it’s a hard environment to stand out.
“A lot of time has gone into Snapchat and we think that the irreverence that we bring to the party will be a perfect fit for Snapchat Discover,” added Gallagher.
