According to Quibi CEO Meg Whitman, Quibi has exceeded its plans in its first full week of service.
The mobile video service, which hook is 10-minute episodes of exclusive scripted and unscripted series, hit 1.7 million downloads during its first week. There was some concern that when it launched on April 6 it would be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic but apparently it didn’t hurt downloads at all.
What this number doesn’t tell us is how many people signed up for the app, which is offering a 90-day free trial and a year-long free trial for T-Mobile customers with an unlimited plan. Once the trial ends, Quibi will cost $5 with advertising and $8 without advertising per month. Quibi has raised $1.75 billion to create a mobile-first streaming video service. The service isn’t relying on libraries of licensed hits and well-known IP but rather on 50 new shows that launched at the start of service, including news-driven programming called Daily Essentials. The hope is that those of us who consume content on our phone, will flock to the service and help it grow.
Quibi is expected to launch slower than its competitors such as Disney+ and Netflix but they are very happy with the start, citing that 80% of people who started a Quibi show last week watched the entirety of the first episode.
