Barely around longer than one of its episodes, Quibi (short for Quick Bites) the streaming service designed for mobile use only is shutting down just seven months after launching. Ideally the app was meant for people on the go and on their phones, and delivered shows in 5- to 10-minute “chapters”. Basically a gimmick. But they did manage to draw in some big name talent like Jack Bauer Kiefer Sutherland and Anna Kendrick, but I guess that wasn’t enough. The entertainment startup was plagued with problems since its debut in April, an their viewership was way lower than expected. Not to mention a high-stakes patent lawsuit funded by Elliott Management Corp. And I’m sure Covid didn’t help either.
Founder Jeffrey Katzenburg, formerly of the Walt Disney Co. and a founder of DreamWorks, did all he could to revolutionize the way people watch tv, but even in this age of Tik-Tok, it wasn’t enough.
“Our failure was not for lack of trying, we’ve considered and exhausted every option available to us.”
Maybe they will be able to find some buyers for a couple of their “shows” so we’ll see how that goes.
None of this is all that surprising to me. It just seemed doomed from the start.
Did any of you try out Quibi?
