• by Alex Weprin , October 17, 2017

NBCUniversal and Snap, parent company of Snapchat, are partnering to create a new digital content studio that will primarily create mobile-first shows for Snap’s platforms.

NBC and Snap have an equal stake in the new studio, which will focus on scripted shows as well as other genres of video programming.

Lauren Anderson, most recently senior VP of prime-time programming for NBC Entertainment, will join the studio as Chief Content Officer.

The companies also announced that the new studio had signed a development deal with Donut, the creative shop of brothers Mark and Jay Duplass. The Duplass brothers have written and directed a number of films, including "The Skeleton Twins," as well as TV shows like HBO’s “Togetherness” and "Room 104.”

It was not immediately clear how advertising on shows that come out of the studio will be sold, though presumably it will be like other original programming running on Snapchat, with the two companies sharing ad revenue.

NBCUniversal invested $500 million in Snap as part of its initial public offering, and has "seen consistent audience growth and engagement on the platform,” said Maggie Suniewick, president, NBCUniversal Digital Enterprises, in a statement.

Sean Mills, head of original content for Snap Inc., said the company viewed "scripted as the next exciting chapter to dive into."