Quibi - Big Money and Little Value

A few weeks back I had a discussion with some friends regarding a new subscription media platform called Quibi. Its marketing budget certainly allowed for some new coverage leading up to launch but I was ever more sceptical about its functions and success. Providing exclusive content and value to customers has been the foundation for various streaming services. I will happily pay monthly fees for a hassle-free streaming experience across multiple devices from Netflix, Amazon and others. Yet when a new platform such as Quibi comes along with similar pricing, I was left befuddled as to what their edge could be. Short form content is cool, other social media platforms are pushing bite sized media if you look at IGTV for instance.

Quibi were pushing adaptive rotation technology that would allow users to rotate their phone and gain a different view of the media. This really didn’t sit well with me as a killer app feature. Viewing content that is cropped in portrait mode is either saying the rest of the wider picture really doesn’t matter or you’re just going to miss out. Content is king though and regardless of this gimmick, people will pay if they enjoy content on the platform. With dwindling launch numbers however, this doesn’t seem to be the case. In fact, since their initial press release I had forgotten all about the application until catching wind of their active approach to block in-app screenshots and sharing of their content to other social media websites. Things are not going well for this glorified video platform to say the least.

Their app downloads in the Play Store currently sit at around 1 Million with various comments. Reading through reviews, it would appear that the company are trying to build a user base through free trials. An initial 90 day scheme (ended as of April 30) would be enough to rope in initial numbers but user retention will be a different story in my opinion. Other comments point out poor app performance with servers bugging out and general queries as to why content isn’t available to view on other platforms. Like you know, a big screen television at home to watch with other people. Quibi holdings commented that they would be looking into Chromecast and Airplay solutions but this is just evidence of Quibi’s shortcomings. For a project that seeks to deliver “Quick bites. Big stories” in a form that is convenient to users, their approach could use some work. Limitation of accessibility introduces friction to the user experience. A web application with multiple users as Netflix has done would probably be better over mobile streaming to bigger screens but then what of their killer app technology that is supposed to the core of all things quick and big? Well, I think that speaks for itself.

Katzenberg can blame COVD-19 all he wants, but the billion dollar app suffers from poor execution and poor unique selling points. Perhaps it’s a case of big bags, small ideas. The team might need to go back to the drawing board with this one. Quibi have lots of work to do if they want to gain footing in current media streaming market. The company wants to get users talking about their shows but have seemingly blocked sharing to other networks. Subscription tiers priced WITH ads is another gripe that I’d rather be without, but that’s just my view on the current situation.

I’ll be taking a look at how the platform fares again in a few months to see if they are able to gain traction and what changes are made, if any. If you’ve used Quibi, I’d like to hear about your experience so far, positive or negative. Drop a line (or a few) in the comments.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/11/business/media/jeffrey-katzenberg-quibi-coronavirus.html

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