Almost 10 million Brits use Snapchat every day

Snapchat is a smash hit in Britain.

The ephemeral messaging app now has almost 10 million daily active users in the United Kingdom, the company confirmed on Tuesday.

The audience figure comes alongside the news that it has signed a "multiyear" deal with Wimbledon to create Live Stories - collections of user-submitted photos and videos - of sports events at the iconic tennis venue.

The user figures were first reported by The Financial Times.

Snapchat says that the UK is its second-largest market in the world. And - perhaps surprisingly, given its reputation as an app beloved by teens - more than 70% of these British users are older than 18.

The app has come a long way since its launch in 2011. Initially derided as a gimmick or a sexting app, it has since become one of the dominant social media players, with more than 100 million daily global users and established publishers like Vice and the Daily Mail lining up to get on its Snapchat Discover platform.