Update: The New York Times says the deal has been completed. Quibi’s 75 shows and documentaries will appear from free on the Roku Channel through 2021. The deal last for seven years.
Roku is negotiating to buy the content catalog of ill-fated short form streaming video service Quibi, the Wall Street Journal claims.
Quibi, which made short, episodic shows for watching on your phone, launched in April 2020 and shut down in October, giving it a shelf-life as short as the shows it produced.
However, having spent a reported $1 billion+ on approximately 175 shows, with episodes lasting between five and 10 minutes, it seems there’s plenty of content that could be repurposed elsewhere. Roku may be that place.
The WSJ notes that:
“Under the terms the companies have discussed, Roku would acquire rights to Quibi’s library, the people familiar with the matter said. Financial terms of the proposed deal couldn’t be learned. The deal talks could still fall apart.”
If Roku does buy Quibi broadcast rights, it could make shows available on the Roku Channel app.
The idea of sharing Quibi programming on another platform sounds strange at first. However, it’s really no different to other shows that have jumped around different streaming platforms in the past few years.
According to an October article for The Information, Apple was among the companies Quibi contacted before shutting down. Their idea was that Apple might be interested in acquiring Quibi’s content for Apple TV+. However, Apple execs rejected the offer.
Did you ever watch Quibi? What did you think of it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Wall Street Journal
