When it launches on April 6, Quibi will join the likes of Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime and HBO Now as a premium video-streaming service. Quibi, which is short for “quick bites,” will deliver 10-minute videos (called quibis) rather than the more longer-form programming consumers are accustomed to seeing on the aforementioned platforms. Quibi will be available on mobile devices as an app, and will allow for seamless viewing in either a horizontal or vertical format.
Expectations are strong for Quibi, indicated by the funding the startup has received, as well as the number of brands wanting to align with the platform. Sources report that Quibi has already sold out of ads for the first year, selling over $150 million in advertising to a platform that does not even have a user base yet.
Quibi will be developing content from big names to grow subscriptions. Quibi’s Instagram feed is showing previews of content featuring Chrissy Teigen, LeBron James, Demi Lovato, Reese Witherspoon, Offset, Nicole Richie, Usher Raymond, Kevin Hart and Jennifer Lopez, to name a few. Quibi will also be using nostalgia to amass fans by bringing old Millennial favorites back to life. A Quibi production called “Singled Out” is a revival of MTV’s “Singled Out” from the 1990s. Quibi is currently holding open casting for “Legends of the Hidden Temple,” a popular Nickelodeon show from the 1990s.
Here’s what we’re wondering as we watch this platform launch:
How will Quibi differentiate? There’s another short-form game in town and it’s called YouTube. Users can share YouTube videos with other people, and a lacking a subscription won’t prevent viewing it. There’s no free version of Quibi. Costs will be $7.99 per month, or $4.99 per month with ads.
As time spent on Quibi increases, what platforms will decrease? We will be watching to see if time spent on Netflix, Hulu, YouTube or social channels decrease.
How will ads be integrated into the platform? Facebook notoriously inserted in-stream video ads right into the middle of video content without any natural break in the content, creating a poor user experience, regardless of how relevant the ad was. Will Quibi’s ad load, format and targeting be something that both advertisers and users find mutually valuable?