Streaming service Quibi launched this week and its debut was less than stellar. SlashFilm claims that so far, only around 300 000 users downloaded the app. This, despite the fact the new contender at the streaming market comes with a 90-day free trial. And let’s not forget how social isolation created millions of viewers eager for digital content. The article goes on to compare this to the last year’s launch of Disney+, which scored four million installs. But Disney is an entertainment behemoth while Quibi is… Wait, what is Quibi?
Quibi – short for “quick bites” – is a brainchild of Jeffrey Katzenberg, former CEO of Disney. His idea: create a mobile streaming platform offering aforementioned “quick bites” of short-form content a viewer could enjoy while commuting to work or waiting in line. We already covered Quibi in early February, mentioning some of its upcoming shows. There’s Sam Raimi’s anthology horror series Fifty States of Fright, exploring urban legends from various US states. Next, there’s the adventure thriller Survive featuring Game of Throne’s Sophie Turner as the only person who survived a horrific airplane crash in the wilderness. In The Most Dangerous Game, Liam Hemsworth (Westworld) portrays a dying man who, in exchange for loads of money, agrees to be hunted for sport by a sadistic billionaire (Christoph Waltz – Django Unchained). Additionally, there’s an upcoming remake of Fugitive featuring Kiefer Sutherland as well as an action-comedy series Die Hart starring Kevin Hart (Jumanji: The Next Level) and John Travolta (In a Valley of Violence).
