The whole idea behind Quibi was that it was based around quick bites of content that were meant to be watched on phones, like while riding a bus or waiting for an appointment, but with the pandemic going on, people haven’t exactly been riding buses or waiting for appointments—which Quibi co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg has blamed for the difficulty it has had getting subscribers to sign up. In recent years Netflix has shifted billions of dollars of content budget to making original programming to ensure that it can maximise income from its content. Now, though, Variety says Quibi is in early talks with both Roku and Amazon to develop a Quibi streaming app for Roku devices and Amazon’s Fire TV that would allow you to watch Reno 911!, Dishmantled, and that “Golden Arm” thing on your television. From its 6 April launch, Quibi failed to hit subscriber targets, garnered negative reviews and became embroiled in a mobile technology patent infringement lawsuit financed by the hedge fund Elliott Management. Quibi delivers quick-bite entertainment that fits into any moment of your day. Paid content models, from TV to Netflix, work because consumers want full-length programmes and films. The talks with Amazon and Roku are the latest in a string of attempts to increase viewership since Quibi’s launch. Some Lt. Dangle superfans will fix everything. Earlier this week Quibi had just 500,000 subscribers willing to pay $4.99 a month with ads, or $7.99 without. Quibi may be the first to fail, but it will not be the last, and it will provide a cautionary tale to the glut of services attempting to tap into the streaming boom. Last modified on Fri 23 Oct 2020 06.01 BST, When some of the biggest names in Hollywood and Wall Street linked arms with some of the best-known business executives and tech firms, it looked like their plan to become the Netflix of mobile streaming – with bite-size TV and film content designed to appeal to viewers on the move – would be a sure-fire winner. While there is no doubt that a business targeting mobile on-the-go consumption was always going to be hamstrung with millions staying at home because of lockdown restrictions, many questioned Quibi’s model from the start. No matter what method you use to watch Quibi on your TV, you'll still need to have a phone or tablet with the Quibi app installed on it as well. The brainchild of the hugely successful Jeffrey Katzenberg, the co-founder of DreamWorks, with the former eBay and Hewlett Packard boss Meg Whitman as chief executive, Quibi looked like a no-brainer. Our suggestion: Charge $1 million for the Roku app. However, since launching in April, Quibi has floundered and Katzenberg has consistently blamed the coronavirus for its underperformance. Quibi tacitly acknowledged this with a belated attempt to get the app on to TV platforms including Amazon’s Prime Video and Roku. “[Quibi] brings together the best of Silicon Valley and Hollywood,” Katzenberg boasted. Quick bites of captivating entertainment, created for mobile by the best talent, designed to fit perfectly into any moment of your day.
Backers included all the big Hollywood studios, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Google, Alibaba, the billionaire Carlos Slim, and even ITV. All rights reserved. become the first casualty of the streaming wars, many questioned Quibi’s model from the start. Watch shows featuring the world's biggest stars. As we reported yesterday, the billion-dollar startup might have to raise another $200 million or so by the end of next year in order to stay above water. Download now to start watching. Or at least they are according to Variety’s sources, as the story says a representative for Quibi did not offer a comment on any supposed talks with Roku or Amazon. Now, though, Variety says Quibi is in early talks with both Roku and Amazon to develop a Quibi streaming app for Roku devices and Amazon’s Fire TV that would allow you to watch Reno 911!, Dishmantled, and that “Golden Arm” thing on your television. Pop culture obsessives writing for the pop culture obsessed. “The pandemic gives them a good excuse for their failure, but I think the real problem was that the idea of episodic content in five-minute chunks isn’t what people are looking for on their smartphone,” said Jim Nail, principal analyst at Forrester Research. Bite-size content tends to be the domain of free, mostly user-generated, models, such as Facebook to TikTok. A little over two years ago, Quibi attracted $1.75bn (£1.34bn) from a who’s who of investors clamouring to get on board of what was hyped as the next big thing. Quibi spent a fortune luring star names, from Jennifer Lopez to Steven Spielberg, to create content for the platform. Episodes in 10 minutes or less. Available for everyone, funded by readers. Episodes in 10 minutes or less. “When they want highly involving, high-production content, they want it on their TV screen in 30-minute or longer chunks where they can lose themselves in the story and escape from the craziness that is 2020.”. “Likely for one of two reasons: because the idea itself wasn’t strong enough to justify a standalone streaming service, or because of our timing.”. Roku Streaming Stick +, 3810X, Ser YH0059427035, wifi - Samsung UN55ES6100 “What Google is to search, Quibi will be to short-form video.”. This issue was compounded by Quibi's surprising lack of home-friendly ways to watch its content, with zero major launches on set-top platforms like Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV. Your first 2 weeks are free. Earlier this week Quibi had just 500,000 subscribers willing to pay $4.99 a month with ads, or $7.99 without.