Snapchat tests Netflix-like home page for shows

Snapchat’s plan to reinvent TV is picking up steam. The company, which hasn’t always had an easy relationship with high-profile users, just announced a new lineup of original “Creator Shows” that will star influencers and celebs, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Serena Williams, and Kevin Hart.

Now, the company is testing a new feature that might make it easier to binge-watch: a dedicated section for shows separate from the main Discover page and other publisher content.

Right now, Snapchat’s shows are integrated in the app’s Discover section. With the test, which was recently spotted by Mashable in the app, an additional swipe over from the Discover page brings up a hidden “Shows” section. 

The new “Shows” page looks much cleaner than the rest of Discover and is similar to what you might expect on a streaming platform. At the top is a promoted show, followed by a queue of recently watched shows and shows you’ve subscribed to. Below that is a grid of the dozens of other series you can find on the platform. 

A Snapchat spokesperson confirmed the company is testing the “Shows” section, but didn’t say whether it might become more widely available. 

It makes sense that Snap would be looking for new ways to highlight its growing slate of original content. The company has spent the last year investing heavily in the short, bingeable shows, with a growing lineup of Snap Originals and other series. 

These investments are paying off, according to Snap, which says time spent watching shows has more than tripled over the last year. The company hasn’t disclosed specific viewership sats, but popular shows can attract a large audience. NBC’s news show, “Stay Tuned,” averaged between 25 million and 35 million monthly viewers last year, Digiday reported, and Snap Original “Bringing up Bahbie,” drew more than 10 million viewers in its first 24 hours, Snap said earlier this year.

That’s despite the fact that Snapchat’s Discover section, which Snap CEO Evan Spiegel once described as kind of like walking around the grocery store “without the aisles labeled,” is still kind of a mess. In the main Discover page, it’s difficult to distinguish between shows and publishers’ daily “editions” (disclosure: Mashable is a Snapchat Discover partner), and there’s no way to browse content by topic.

The new shows section, at least, puts all of Snapchat’s series in one place so you have a destination if you feel like binge-watching. It’s also yet another way that Snapchat is starting to look more and more like Netflix.