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Quibi launching Hollywood ‘on the go’ streaming amid lockdown
LOS ANGELES, April 5, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Quibi, the multi-billion-dollar
streaming platform launching Monday, is betting it can transform
entertainment with short, Hollywood-quality clips to watch “on the go” —
even as much of the world is trapped at home.
Industry legends and stars from Steven Spielberg and Guillermo del Toro to
Jennifer Lopez and Reese Witherspoon have lined up to make movies and shows
for the youth-focused, smartphone-only service.
Tapping into the boom in mobile video viewing, all content will be
delivered in clips of no more than 10 minutes — or “quick bites.” Every show
must be made in both horizontal and vertical formats, automatically flipping
between the two as viewers rotate their phones.
But Quibi’s plans were set long before the coronavirus pandemic prompted
stay-at-home orders for billions of people around the globe — meaning nobody
is quite sure how to measure success in the months ahead, its CEO told AFP.
“Honestly, we don’t know, because we are launching in unprecedented times,”
said Meg Whitman, who previously led eBay. “I don’t think any of us have ever
seen anything quite like this.”
While presumably fewer people will now watch during commutes or coffee
breaks, self-isolation could prompt its own need for quick distractions,
Quibi executives say.
“People still have in-between moments — it’s just different,” said
Whitman. One such a moment, she suggested, could come when an exhausted
parent takes a pause from homeschooling children.
“I live on Zoom calls all day,” she said, referring to the popular remote
conferencing software. “But occasionally I’ll have 10 or 15 minutes between
Zoom calls (and) I’ll watch a Quibi.”
– ‘A little crazy’ –
A formidable lineup — 50 shows at launch, with 175 originals in its first
year — helped make Quibi’s decision to stick with its long-established April
6 launch a lot easier, said Whitman.
Big Hollywood names have committed to work with Quibi thanks to its
founder, Jeffrey Katzenberg, a towering figure in Tinseltown who ran Disney
Studios for a decade and co-founded DreamWorks.
“We had enough content in the bank,” Whitman said.
Launch movies such as psychological thriller “Survive” — starring “Game of
Thrones” alumna Sophie Turner — and Liam Hemsworth’s dystopian “Most
Dangerous Game” are expected to draw early subscribers.
After an initial batch at launch, one “chapter” will be released per day,
with the aim to rekindle the “water-cooler moments” of traditional
television.
New scripted content is already scheduled through late fall. But amid the
deep uncertainty facing Hollywood, what comes next is anyone’s guess.
“We certainly hope the production will be back online soon,” said Whitman.
“We just don’t know… You have to tolerate ambiguity well.”
Quibi also aims to keep users coming back with daily news, sports and
entertainment shows — a genre far harder to produce at a time when studios
are closed across the US.
“It’s been a little crazy,” admitted Whitman, who said many shows will
broadcast from hosts’ homes rather than specially constructed studios.
“Two weeks ago, we thought maybe four or five of these ‘Daily Essentials’
would actually not be able to get into production for us,” she said. “But
they’ve all come on.”
– ‘$100,000 a minute’ –
Subscriptions will cost $5 monthly with ads, or $8 without. But with cash
short for many as unemployment surges, Quibi last month extended its two-week
trial period to a 90-day offer.
Quibi must also compete for younger viewers’ time with millions of free —
often user-generated — videos hosted by YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and
Instagram.
The assumption is that, just as HBO transformed television with its premium
subscription content, Quibi can get people to spend if the quality is high
enough.
“We pay up to $100,000 a minute for our premium long-form movies and
chapters,” said Whitman.
“What we will produce for the money that we are spending is very different
to the incredible creativity of people who are producing shows for $500 a
minute,” she added.
Quibi’s eye-watering budgets are more comparable to longer-form streaming
platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and Apple TV+, with HBO Max
and Peacock set to join the fray shortly.
But Whitman insists Quibi — aiming to create “the next big wave of story-
telling” — does not view those as direct rivals.
“There were movies, there was television, there was streaming,” said
Whitman. “And now maybe there is this new way to tell stories for mobile, in
Hollywood-quality ways.”
BSS/AFP/GMR/0945 hrs