Executives at Quibi, a mobile-first short-form video streaming start-up, hailed better-than-expected downloads in its opening week, after it racked up more than 1 million installations in North America following its launch on 6 April.
CEO Meg Whitman (pictured) told CNBC downloads hit 1.7 million in the first week, noting the company had concerns its launch in the midst of Covid-19 (coronavirus) lockdown measures would stymie interest in a service primarily designed to be used while on the move.
Quibi plans to fast track a feature enabling users to view content on a regular TV, she said.
App analytics company Apptopia placed initial downloads a little lower than Quibi itself, at 1.15 million, with 87 per cent in the US and 6 per cent in Canada. There was a broadly even split between iOS and Android users, it noted.
[1]VP of Insights Adam Blacker noted the downloads are a fraction of the 12.5 million enjoyed by Disney+ when it launched in November 2019, but explained Quibi is a new brand offering a unique format and titles. Most rivals, he noted, are established names offering more mainstream content.
Quibi was unveiled by Jeffrey Katzenberg [2], a former chairman of Walt Disney Studios, during CES 2020. Its play is offering short-form videos lasting up to ten-minutes, designed specifically for mobile devices. Initially available free on a 90-day trial, it will then cost $4.99 per month for an advert-supported model, or $7.99 ad free.
A key selling point is a set-up enabling videos to automatically shift from landscape to portrait mode (and vice-versa), though this landed Quibi in hot water after specialist Eko accused the company of patent infringement [3].
[1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Quibi-video-streaming-app-650.png
[2] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/home-banner/netflix-rival-quibi-readies-us-launch/
[3] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/apps/news-apps/netflix-rival-quibi-accused-of-patent-infringement/
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