Snap Launches Sports Network To Cover Niche Events

After previewing it back in May, Snapchat has now shared more details of its coming “Snap Sports Network,” which will include a team of popular sports creators presenting the latest news on left-of-center sports.

Well, “sports” in this context is a bit of a loose term. As noted, Snap’s Sports Network won’t be focused on the regular sports headlines like you might expect, but will more look to showcase niche offerings, including dog surfing, extreme ironing, professional pillow fighting, and water bottle flipping.

As explained by Snap:

“With 180 million Snapchatters watching sports coverage every month on average, we’re covering sports in our own light-hearted and wacky way and inspiring Snapchatters to engage with unique sports they’ve never tried before. Beginning July 19th through August 7th, Snap Sports Network will consist of six episodes featuring fun, high-energy segments celebrating the latest and greatest in unconventional sports content captured by Snapchatters across the globe.”

Snap’s Sports Network will include a team of four primary anchors, including Kris London and Rachel DeMita, along with other influencers who normally create content around traditional sports.

The program will also offer new sponsorship opportunities, with e.l.f. Cosmetics signing on to sponsor the initial episodes of the series.

It’s a different take on sports, but it could hold appeal with Snap’s audience, and drive more engagement and interest in the app.

As Snap notes, millions of Snap users are already interested in sports content, and these more unconventional events will likely appeal to this cohort, while also sparking new trends and raising interest among the broader Snap community.

It could be a big winner for the app, and clearly, Snap sees potential in the offering as a means to expand in-app interest.

And with the Olympics coming up, now’s a good time for Snap to showcase lesser-known sports to its audience.

You’ll be able to find Snap Sports Network in the Discover section of the app later this week.