Quibi Trying to Be a Mobile-Exclusive Streaming Option
While many streaming services have become familiar and widespread for home viewing, Quibi will take a radically different approach. Quibi will release on April 6 in the United States and Canada, and it is expected to arrive in other parts of the world in the future.
What makes Quibi different is that it is only available for use on mobile devices. What's more is that the content is short-form, with each program or episode lasting up to ten minutes each.
Quibi was founded by Dreamworks' Jeffrey Katzenberg. Former Hewlett Packard CEO Meg Whitman operates as Quibi's current CEO. Katzenberg and Whitman are looking forward to making Quibi a distinct option in the streaming world, although the mobile-only approach to Quibi may be something to watch.
The Concept
Quibi will use a format that is different from what many might expect. New episodes of Quibi shows will air on weekdays. These episodes will be ten minutes or less each and are intended to be streamed quickly on mobile devices.
Whitman has said in an interview that Quibi could change its platform in the future, depending on what people like. There's a potential that Quibi content could be released all at once instead of incrementally and that it could appear on larger screens in the future. But the group is looking for proper feedback before they can go further.
Big Name Work
Quibi has spent about a billion dollars in getting its programs ready. Part of this comes from how Quibi has hired an immense amount of talent for its programs. Quibi will feature content starring figures like Lebron James, Dwayne Johnson, Tiny Fey, Kevin Hart, Liam Hemsworth, and Idris Elba. Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, and Guillermo del Toro have also been hired to created programs for Quibi.
How Its Programs Appear
Quibi will premiere new shows on Mondays. The service will have 175 shows and 8,500 episodes in its first year.
The Movies in Chapters shows are scripted programs and will be the most prominent programs. Among the most highly-promoted of these shows include Survive, a drama starring Sophie Turner, and a new version of the story the Most Dangerous Game with Liam Hemsworth.
The Unscripted and Docs programs will entail reality and documentary programs. Talk shows, food shows, and game shows will all be a part of the section.
The Daily Essentials shows will be more news and lifestyle-oriented. These will include things like meditation-videos, late-night talk show recaps, and programs from groups like NBC News, the Weather Channel, and the BBC. NBC News will specifically have twice-daily programs that showcase the latest news from the network.
An Extended Test
Quibi is looking to test the streaming waters by offering one of the most generous trials in the industry. Quibi will provide new users with a 90-day free trial where they can see what Quibi has to offer. Customers can then subscribe to Quibi for $4.99 per month with commercials or $7.99 per month for ad-free access. Annual subscriptions will not be available.
