Earlier this year we reported that the mobile-only streamer Quibi had an app in the works for Amazon Fire TV. Now Quibi has launched on select smart TVs including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV. This just leaves out Roku and other smart TVs for the moment. This move is the latest in the short-form streaming service’s effort to reach more viewers amid dwindling performance.
Quibi launched earlier this spring as a mobile app designed to give users “quick bites” of entertainment whenever and wherever. But during the height of a global pandemic isn’t exactly the ideal time to appeal to viewers’ busy, on the go lifestyles. Instead, the streamer has had to continuously adapt to a more stay-at-home mindset where users are spending much more time in front of bigger screens.
Shortly after launch, Quibi announced AirPlay and Chromecast support to allow users to watch content on their TVs. The one downside to casting Quibi content on a larger screen is that you’ll lose out on the Turnstyle feature which allows mobile users to switch between horizontal and vertical viewing.
With its turbulent past less than bright future ahead, Quibi is pulling out all the stops to stay afloat amid a sea of new streaming services. Quibi is set to miss the mark on its subscriber goals with new projections are showing the streamer is likely to end the year with 30% fewer subscribers than it hoped for. Sources for Wall Street Journal say that Quibi is on track to end the year with 2 million subscribers, far less than the 7.4 million projected by Katzenberg and CEO Meg Whitman.