Snapchat aims to become a hub for news and content surrounding major cultural moments in 2024. Lucy Luke, Snap’s UK Head of Partnerships, outlined the platform’s strategy in a recent episode of “The Media Leader Podcast.”

Luke expressed excitement about working more closely with journalists and creators to produce supplementary content around marquee sporting events. “We call it ‘shoulder content.’ It’s that content that can sit alongside that official Olympic content,” she explained.

Through this type of content, the company plans to offer diverse perspectives beyond the events themselves. “Whether you’re tapping into music, fashion, or the fan moments from this event, we want it to feel really inclusive on the platform,” Luke said.

For the Olympics and Paralympics, Snapchat renewed its partnership with Channel 4 to provide expanded coverage utilizing augmented reality tools. Luke cited last year’s Wimbledon coverage as a model, where the platform offered behind-the-scenes stories from Centre Court, allowing users to try on official Wimbledon merchandise via Bitmoji avatars virtually.

“I’d love to see this happen more in 2024 with some of the other partners that I work with,” Luke stated. The UK election is another major event where Snap hopes to facilitate content from journalists and creators, she added. 

Underpinning this approach is Snapchat’s growing investment in the creator economy. “Last year, we made it a lot easier for creators to monetize on the platform. So with that, we’re getting a lot more interest,” Luke said. “You will see a lot more creator content on the platform as well.”