First of All, How Do You Pronounce Quibi?
Quibi is pronounced kwih-bee. The name is short for “quick bites.”
What is It?
Quibi is a platform for short form videos, each only a few minutes long, designed for viewing on mobile devices. The service was founded by former Disney and DreamWorks chief Jeffrey Katzenberg.
When the platform launches, it will initially be in partnership with T-Mobile. T-Mobile has 83.1 million customers, giving Quibi a great opportunity to debut with a huge subscriber base.
What’s On It?
Quibi CEO Meg Whitman has said there will be over 7,000 titles available at launch. From the titles already announced, it looks like content will span all genres including comedy sketches, sci-fi originals, reality shows, and rebooted versions of MTV shows.
It isn’t all scripted series and lifestyle content. Quibi also wants to be a source of news. NBC News, BBC News, ESPN, Telemundo, TMZ, and Vox will all contribute to the lineup.
An estimated $1 billion will be spent on content within the first year.
Why Such Short Videos?
“You leave the house every morning with a little TV in your pocket. It’s called your smart phone,” Whitman said in 2018. “During the day, you have these in-between moments. Ten minutes here, 15 minutes there, where you want to see something great.”
When Does it Launch?
Quibi is set to launch on April 6, 2020.
How Much Will It Cost?
Quibi will reportedly charge $4.99 with ads and $7.99 for an ad-free version.
Why Are So Many Celebrities Talking About It?
If you’ve heard a lot of Quibi lately, it’s likely because of the celebrities talking about the platform on social media. The company is bringing in big name talent to create content for the short videos.
Some of the celebrities who have already signed on include Chrissy Teigen as a judge for small claims cases in Chrissy’s Court, Idris Elba taking on stunt driving in Elba vs. Block, and Jennifer Lopez participating in a pay it forward experiments with Thanks a Million.
Will It Survive?
Katzenberg and Whitman have been clear that they aren’t looking to compete with streaming services like Netflix. Instead, they want to focus on “a new type of content,” that will change the way viewers watch content on mobile devices. The survival of Quibi will depend on whether viewers are receptive to the new format and original content Quibi produces.
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