TV
Quibi is Hoping to Change the Way We Stream Content
While the streaming age is dominated by a select group of companies, one service is hoping to break into the industry thanks to its unique approach to content. Quibi is a new service slated to launch in April and will be the first entertainment platform designed exclusively for mobile devices.
The service will specialize in offering “quick bites” of content, with each video capping out at 10 minutes. The short-form offerings will feature scripted and non-scripted content specially made for viewing on your cell phone. Quibi plans to offer just about every kind of genre you can think of, including comedy, drama, reality shows, documentaries, and news.
Quibi will organize its content into three categories. Scripted titles are being referred to as “Lighthouses” and will contain projects that run somewhere between two hours and two-and-a-half-hours every season, with each being divided into episodes called chapters. Chapters will be released every two weeks.
Unscripted titles will contain Quibi’s selection of reality programming, and will be called “quick bites.” These shows will feature self-confined episodes with a recurring host and theme.
Finally, there will be a handful of “daily essentials” continuing a variety of news, entertainment, and lifestyle content. Some confirmed titles include segments from NBC News and the BBC.
During its first year, Quibi plans to launch 7,000 different pieces of content. Some scripted content includes:
Action Scene – A comedy series starring Kevin Hart, who plays a fictional version of himself. When Hart’s character is passed on for a role in a big-time action flick, he finds himself making his way through various action sequences with the guidance of established Hollywood action icons.
Survive – A thriller about two survivors of a plane crash, starring Sophie Turner and Corey Hawkins (BlacKkKlansman). After their plane crashes, the pair are forced to face one dangerous obstacle after another as they make their way across the wilderness.
Beauty – This docuseries will star Tyra Banks, and will aim to redefine beauty as we know it. The show, which will also be produced by Banks, will focus on societal standards of beauty and their origins.
Killing Zac Efron – The adventure series follows the actor and a guide partner as they head to “the jungles of a remote island” for 21 days with northing but basic survival gear.
With many more shows and content in the works, Quibi is shaping up to feature a diverse range that will likely appeal to a wide range of viewers. If the service sounds appealing to you, you’ll have the chance to try it out on April 6. Subscriptions will be $5 for an ad-supported version and $8 for an ad-free version.
Despite having a unique approach to content streaming, it’s too early to tell if Quibi will be a success. It seems to be trying to encroach in the short-form content arena that is currently dominated by YouTube, though with an already impressive list of programming planned right out of the gate, Quibi certainly has the potential to strike it big with consumers.
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