Can Quibi become the new Netflix or is it a $1.75bn mistake?
The $1.75bn app launches in the US with an array of big stars, including Idris Elba and Jennifer Lopez, and a pivot to seven-to-10-minute episodes
What is a Quibi? A vague unit of 10 minutes or less, we’re told in the many ads now ubiquitous (and much maligned) on YouTube, Instagram and TV. A billionaire-backed attempt to mint a new one-word signature in entertainment, to unite Hollywood prestige and resources with the interstitial, “snackable” bumps of content popularized by lo-fi creators on video platforms and social media networks. More cynically, a deep-pocketed swing to monetize our last shreds of attention with an ironic wink (we’re all on our phones anyway), a way to amuse ourselves until we Either way, with a staggering $1.75bn in funding before its launch this week, Quibi is swinging big on one central question: can it change the nature of streaming?
