QUIBI REACHES 2.7 MILLION DOWNLOADS

Quibi has been downloaded more than 2.7 million times since its 6 April launch. CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg says the number is “encouraging” for a brand that previously had no existing brand recognition. “Under the circumstances, launching a new business into the tsunami of a pandemic, we actually have had a very, very good launch,” he said. “Obviously we are connecting with an audience out there.”

The app reached 1.7 downloads within its first week and 1 million during its second. The service offers a 90-day free trial and costs $4.99-$7.99 per month afterward. The free trial and the free year access for T-Mobile customers with multiple lines have contributed to the rising number of downloads.  Although the app was designed for the opposite of circumstances surrounding the pandemic, intended for quick consumption of high-quality content on the go, Katzenberg assures that “the sooner we get back to that use case, I think, is the one where we actually get to see how successful and valuable Quibi could be to its customers.” 

Quibi is now focusing on “quick bites,” where its shows and movies are released in episodes no longer than 10 minutes. Katzenberg mentioned that the feature to cast to TVs will be added in May in response to complaints from housebound users who are only able to watch Quibi on the smallest screen in the house. “We had always planned to be able to cast to your TV, so we’re going to see if we can accelerate that in the engineering roadmap,” CEO Meg Whitman said. “We’ll eventually get there, but it was never a part of the launch. If we had known about COVID, maybe it would have been.” The app debuted with shows featuring celebrities such as Chrissy Teigen, LeBron James, and Will Forte, among others. The app stated that the most-watched shows are “Most Dangerous Game,” “Chrissy’s Court,” “Flipped,” “Punk’d,” and “Survive.”