Short-form mobile video platform Quibi is looking to break into the smart TV market via Roku And Amazon Fire TV. And the L.A.-headquartered firm is reportedly already in talks with Roku and Amazon to make that happen, according to Variety. Reports indicate that not only is Quibi looking to build native apps for both platforms.
Quibi’s talks with Roku are still in the earliest stages, according to persons reported to be familiar with the matter. And the company’s founder Jeffrey Katzenberg is said to be close to exiting those talks. The two companies reportedly are facing some difficulty in terms of revenue sharing agreements. But with Amazon, talks have reportedly “picked up.”
That means that users could soon find themselves able to watch the mobile-first subscription content on Amazon Fire TV.
Why is Quibi pursuing the smart tv platforms now?
It isn’t immediately clear why Quibi is looking for smart TV partners right now. And the company has yet to confirm that it’s in talks with Amazon, Roku, or anybody else for that matter. But speculation around the talks points to Quibi’s performance since its early April launch. According to a source-cited Wall Street Journal report, Quibi’s viewership numbers suggest it’s pulled in under 30-percent of its year-one target.
Quibi itself has disputed the figures reported, although Mr. Katzenberg has admitted the numbers fall short. But the company also happened to launch just as governments were starting to tell people to stay home. And its main selling point is that it offers short video content — under 10-minutes — that’s best for watching on-the-go.
That puts the company in a position that’s not great for its marketing. In fact, Mr. Katzenberg also reportedly pointed to that fact alongside the rollout of Apple AirPlay support for Quibi.
So the underlying goal here may simply be to get those figures up to meet expectations.
Those figures are, of course, despite the great deal Quibi is offering to many users. In fact, while the subscription is only around $5 per month — or $10 for an ad-free experience — Quibi is actually free for T-Mobile customers. Or at least the ad-enabled variant is, so long as subscribers have two or more lines on a Magenta plan.
Is this the solution Quibi is looking for?
All of that is setting aside the company’s 90-day free trial and its promise to deliver new episodes daily.
Those are features that would undoubtedly bolster the opportunity for success if Quibi were available on smart TV platforms. Doing so would round-out large screen viewing options following Quibi’s launch of Chromecast support on June 9. And the above-mentioned addition of Apple AirPlay support back in May.
With smart tv platform support, Quibi would offer a service that was not only more accessible. But also more available when and where mobile users want it. That’s a tactic that’s worked well for large screen-first companies and apps such as Netflix, HBO, and others, albeit in the opposite direction — from large-screen to mobile.
Summarily, it will allow users to see their content whenever and wherever they like. That’s whether they were looking specifically for a mobile-first content platform or not.