Apparently, Quibi was just like its content, a flash in the pan

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

If the name Quibi doesn’t ring any bells for you, I wouldn’t worry about it. The short-form, soon-to-be-short-lived streaming service is reportedly exploring its future, including an option to exit stage right.

The streaming service was founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg, who you wouldn’t have bet against before the service launched. I mean, he was chairman of Walt Disney Studios before this. Surely if anyone could make a new streaming service work, it would be him. The same goes for CEO Meg Whitman, who in her long career helmed Hewlett-Packard, eBay, and more. On their names, Quibi raised nearly $2 billion dollars in funds before the April launch, which was then used to snare some top-tier talent in both actors and producers.

Then again, the Quibi recipe doesn’t really fit our pandemic rubric. We’re (mostly) no longer going on public transport, which would have been a great time to watch the bite-sized Quibi episodes. We’re no longer waiting at bus stops or metro stations, traffic jams have pretty much gone away as fewer cars are on the road due to work from home initiatives. Heck, even bathroom breaks are interrupted by toddlers who don’t understand you just need ten minutes of peace.

The numbers don’t match up either. Quibi forecasted seven million paid subscribers at $4.99 each in the first year, and sixteen million in year three. They didn’t even make that first number in people who signed up for the free 90-day trial, as only 5.6 million downloaded the app, and a vague “[we saw] excellent conversion” to paid subscribers is all the service would tell The Verge back in July.

Executive churn, a lawsuit over patent infringement, and fewer people with disposable income all contribute to Quibi’s woes. Is it going to continue, or has the service had its ten minutes of fame? Only time will tell.

What do you think? Have you used Quibi? How do you feel about it? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Netflix is now offering a free selection of movies and shows to everyone, no account needed
• Netflix is testing a new shuffle button because picking something to watch is hard
• NBC’s Peacock streaming service is now available – here’s how to optimize your experience
• HBO Max is now available to the masses – here’s what you need to know

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.