American short-form mobile video service Quibi yesterday launched in the US despite worries that the coronavirus outbreak might impact its viewership.
The company has raised $1.8bn (£1.47bn) for the project intended to rival Netflix and YouTube.
Quibi’s shows are 10 minutes or shorter and movies are broken into segments.
As part of its plans to penetrate and establish its presence in the video service industry, the company has assembled a host of Hollywood and showbiz stars including Idris Elba, Sophie Turner, Steven Spielberg, Chrissy Teigen, and Jennifer Lopez.
Viewers are meant to watch the shows on their mobile phones, and a feature called Turnstile allows the video to stay full screen in both portrait or landscape.
Some shows even encourage viewers to turn the device mid-show to reveal a different angle to the scene.
On social media, Quibi’s launch was met with mixed reviews.
Some of its highly promoted shows – like Punk’d featuring Chance the Rapper and Survive starring Sophie Turner – received praise.
But watching alone on your smartphone – a fundamental feature of the app – was criticised. Users complained they couldn’t share what they were watching with housemates or partners.
The service costs $4.99 a month with adverts and $7.99 for ad-free viewing, although Quibi is giving away a 90-day free trial in the US. The company had said it planned to roll out its services to other countries gradually, but on Monday the ad-free version app appeared to be available in the UK.
Quibi’s chief executive Meg Whitman and founder Jeffrey Katzenberg decided to stick with the 6 April debut in the US despite concerns the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns could impact its target audience. Many analysts expected Quibi viewers to watch while commuting or during a break at work or school, but those activities are on hold for many during government lockdown periods.
Quibi says its target audience is between 18-44 years old viewers already comfortable with short-form storytelling and streaming on their smartphones.
