What Is Quibi? Everything You Need to Know About the 'Quick Bite' Streaming Service
By Jason Cohen - PC Magazine
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Video-streaming services abound, from on-demand platforms like Netflix and Amazon Video to live TV offerings like YouTube TV and Hulu. And we're still awaiting the launch of WarnerMedia's HBO Max and NBC's Peacock later this year.
But what's one more, right? Quibi, which arrives on April 6, will offer TV shows on your phone, 10 minutes at a time, and select T-Mobile customers can try it out for free. But should you add it to your streaming TV lineup? Here's what you need to know.
What Is Quibi?
Quibi is described as a short-form service that offers "quick bites" of content (get it?) that consist of new, 10-minute episodes released every day.
The brainchild of Meg Whitman and Jeffrey Katzenberg, Quibi secured a $1 billion investment in 2018, according to Variety, from Disney, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures, WarnerMedia, ViacomCBS, Alibaba, and others. Quibi has 175 shows in the works, with over 50 available at launch.
Though Quibi touts its approach as unique, it's been done before. Snap Originals, for example, tried shows with five-minute episodes in 2015 and again in 2018. It's still going, but Verizon's similar Go90 service couldn't cut it. Today, the short-form video leaders are undoubtedly TikTok and Instagram, and they're both free.
How Can I Watch Quibi?
Everything on Quibi is made specifically to be streamed on a mobile device. Download the app for iOS or Android, sign up, and content will be ready to stream. Content can be viewed vertically or horizontally, and you can switch back and forth between the two.
Since you'll be watching 10-minute bites of content, everything produced for Quibi is meant to be watched while commuting on the train, waiting in line for your morning coffee, or during a lunch break. To that end, video can be downloaded to your device, so you can watch when there's no internet connection.
What Can I Watch on Quibi?
There are three different types of content available on Quibi: movies broken into seven- to 10-minute chapters; 10-minute unscripted docuseries; and daily curated six-minute bites of news entertainment, and inspiration. Content will fall under genres including drama, comedy, reality and competitions, talks show, and animation.
The platform will offer prestige-level content from filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and Guillermo del Toro. There are scripted projects starring Kevin Hart, Stephen and Robbie Amell, Will Forte, Naomi Watts, Kiefer Sutherland, and Kaitlin Olson. Unscripted series will feature Chrissy Teigen, Zac Efron, Sasha Veloir, Idris Elba, Tyra Banks, Sophie Turner, and Jennifer Lopez.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0aU0BzlBtI
At launch, Quibi will feature scripted and unscripted content. Flipped stars Will Forte and Kaitlin Olson as home renovation experts. Survive stars Sophie Turner as the survivor of a plane crash stuck on a mountain.
Reality shows include Chrissy Teigen's small claims court room show Chrissy's Court and the bizarrely macabre Murder House Flip, which is exactly what it sounds like. The service will also bring relaunches of hidden camera show Punk'd and dating game show Singled Out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWrd4mhGhwg
Quibi will also be home to news programs from outlets like BBC, CBS News, ESPN, NBC, Polygon, Telemundo, The Weather Channel, and Canada's CTV News and TSN. Celebrity and entertainment news will be provided by E! News, Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, TMZ, and more.
Quibi's Launch Lineup
All the Feels by the Dodo
&Music
Around the World by BBC News
Chrissy's Court
Close Up by E! News
The Daily Chill
Dismantled
Elba vs. Block
Evening Report by NBC News
Fashion's a Drag
Fresh Daily by Rotten Tomatoes
Fierce Queens
Flipped
For the Cultura by Telemundo
Gayme Show
Gone Mental with Lior
Hot off the Mic
Last Night's Late Night
Most Dangerous Game
Morning Report by NBC News
Murder House Flip
NewsDay by CTV News
NewsNight by CTV News
NightGowns with Sasha Velour
Nikki Fre$h
No Filter by TMZ: AM
No Filter by TMZ: PM
The Nod with Brittany & Eric
Pop5
Prodigy
Pulso News by Telemundo
Punk'd
The Rachel Hollis Show
The Replay by ESPN
Run This City
Saturday Report by NBC News
The Sauce
Sexology with Shan Boodram
Shape of Pasta
Skrrt With Offset
Singled Out
60 in 6 by CBS News
Speedrun by Polygon
Sunday Report by NBC News
Survive
Thanks a Million
Trailers by Fandango
Weather Today by The Weather Channel
When the Streetlights Go On
You Ain't Got These
Watch more trailers on Quibi's YouTube page.
Still to come are series like Spielberg's After Dark, which can only be watched at night, a revival of Reno! 911, and remakes of The Fugitive, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Varsity Blues, as well as a reboot of the Legends of the Hidden Temple game show.
How Much Does Quibi Cost?
So with all that, how much does Quibi cost? New users can sign up for a 90-day free trial; after that, subscribers pay one of two tiered prices.
During the initial sign-up process, you have the choice of two different subscriptions. The base tier is ad-supported at $4.99 a month, putting it at the same price as Apple TV+. Pay $7.99 per month to eliminate ads.
Users can switch between the two subscription plans or cancel the service altogether at any time within the app's settings. If you're a T-Mobile customer currently paying for multiple lines on the same plan, you can get Quibi for free.
