By Jalyn Mayer, January 13, 2020
Quibi is the next big thing in streaming TV with content exclusively designed for mobile devices.
In a media landscape already dominated by Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, a new streaming service is entering the ring: Quibi.
Quibi is already making waves in the streaming world, months before it even launches. The mobile service is focusing on premium Hollywood-style programming in 5-10 minute clips. Quibi’s Meg Whitman and Jeffrey Katzenberg hope this new format will help attract their target audience, millennials. A recent Microsoft study claims the human attention span is now less than that of a goldfish, Quibi might be onto something with its short format content structure.
Part of the Quibi buzz can be attributed to the incredible number of A-listers already signed on to produce content for the service. Academy Award winners Steven Spielberg and Guillermo del Toro are doing horror projects. Supermodel and Twitter personality Chrissy Teigen is hosting a Judge Judy-style show. Bill Murray, Joe Jonas, and Jennifer Lopez are starring in various projects. With a 1.1 billion budget for content, it is no surprise why major names are flocking to Quibi.
Quibi features three tiers of content: Unscripted, Movies - in short chapters and “Daily Essentials.”
Daily Essentials will cover daily news and information in 5-6 minute clips called “quick bites". NBC News, BBC, TMZ, ESPN, and more have signed on to produce this more news-focused content.
Quibi will feature movies delivered in short chapters that are told in 7-10 minutes. a stark contrast to Netflix’s critically acclaimed The Irishman at three hours and thirty minutes. A new episode will be released daily. The service plans to launch with eight movies to start and then release a new movie every other Monday.
Unscripted content will consist of documentaries and docu-series types of shows about randing from travel, food, fashion and sports and more.
All content will remain available so you can binge-watch just like Netflix. Some shows will have special features like Steven Spielberg's "After Dark" program that will only be available to be viewed after sunset.
That all sounds great - what’s the catch? Unlike other popular streaming services, Quibi will only be available through a mobile app. When asked about this supposed design flaw, Katzenberg responds, “Nobody has made [premium] content that was native to, and only for, the phone. We want to do one thing which no one else is doing and see if we can do it really great.”
Specifically, Quibi will be incorporating new engineering technology to its platform called “Turnstyle,” which fills the entire screen when a viewer switches from portrait to landscape video with seamless transition. Content is viewed in high-def due to the high production value of Quibi’s commissioned projects.
Quibi partners include Google Cloud and T-Mobile, which will be bundling Quibi as part of its services. Google and T-Mobile are rumored to have purchased the first year of Quibi’s ad inventory, worth $150 million.
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