Despite the fact that the entertaining industry is going through an unprecedented shutdown owing to the Coronavirus outbreak, short-form video streaming platform Quibi has kept its date with viewers, and launched on its original date of launch, which is today. Launched with an aim to deliver “quick bites” of video entertainment, Quibi aims to disrupt the world of entertainment as we know it now.
For those not in the know, Quibi is a short form Video on demand service, which will stream content in short, intense episodes, each not more than ten minutes in length. Additionally, to leverage the increasing use of mobile phones as primary, and often the only devices for content consumption across the globe, Quibi has been created as a mobile-only streaming service.
Quibi has big names behind it. It has been conceived and created by founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, who previously co-founded DreamWorks Animation, and has given ten years at Disney Studios. Its CEO is Meg Whitman, who was previously the CEO of eBay and Hewlett Packard.
Quibi also has big money behind it — a whopping $1.75 billion in funded capital, which has allowed it to commission filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, Lena Waithe and Catherine Hardwick for its content library. Quibi begins streaming with 50 shows already finished and ready for streaming in its kitty.
Some of the shows it begins with today are Survive, a plane crash drama with Sophie Turner as lead; A Dangerous Game, which is a dystopian thriller starring Liam Hemsworth, besides a cookery show and a travel show, among others.
More than 25 new episodes will be streamed daily, including quick segments of ‘Daily Essentials’ —news, sports and Infotainment shows, like Last Night’s Late Night from Entertainment Weekly and The Replay from ESPN.
The new streamer had planned to give a free two-week trial to viewers, which, owing to the Coronavirus-induced economic slump, has now been extended to a ninety-day free trial. After the free trial period, viewers can get a monthly subscription for $5 with ads or $8 for an ad-free version.
Now for the all-important question – is Quibi available in India? Yes, it is. Viewers get a ninety-day free trial, after which they can buy a Rs. 669 ad-free subscription.
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