Not every entry into the Streaming Wars is going to be a major player. In a field dominated by titans like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, it takes a lot to be an immediate contender. Basically, Disney+ and HBO Max are only in the conversation because of the mega-corporations and massive libraries they bring. Quibi, on the other hand, needed to build everything from scratch, and so far, hasn’t made the massive impact that some would have hoped for, especially considering the huge investments the company received before launching. But the problem isn’t the content or the strategy, according to the CEO, it’s the “unprecedented times” that face the US right now that are contributing to the issues.
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Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Quibi CEO Meg Whitman explained why the streaming app has seemingly fallen out of favor with users and dropped out of the Most Popular lists on mobile platforms. You see, it’s not because people are confused by the content (shows are typically seven to ten minutes in length) or mad that they weren’t able to watch on their TVs (a problem that is only now being addressed by Quibi). Instead, a big part of the problem is that Quibi stopped marketing and releasing new shows due to the recent protests and the global pandemic.
“These are truly pivotal and unprecedented times,” Whitman said. “We needed to take the time to step back, be a part of this discussion.”
Once again, the CEO said that the slow growth isn’t something surprising for the company, considering Quibi is trying to pave the way for a new type of streaming option—a mobile-first, “quick bites” platform. So the fact that the app has only been downloaded reportedly 4.6 million times (including the 90-day free trial customers) isn’t a big problem. Instead, it’s just slow growth in a new streaming category.
READ MORE: Quibi Exec Blames “Everything That Has Gone Wrong” With Slow Streaming Launch On Pandemic
“Category creation takes time and we knew it would take time,” she said.
As for the noticeable lack of “hit shows,” Whitman said that everything is relative. And just because Quibi doesn’t have a show that entered the cultural zeitgeist in a way that a Netflix series like “Stranger Things” does comes down to reach. Basically, a smaller platform has a smaller threshold for what it considers a “hit.”
“Remember, we’re a small platform,” Whitman said. “The number of viewers on our platform for a hit show might be different than on another streaming platform, but we do have some hit shows in the context of Quibi.”
So, you see, it’s not that Quibi doesn’t have hits, it’s just that no one watches Quibi, therefore the hits are just…smaller. No disputing the logic, even if it does sound a bit like “corporate speak.”
Clearly, Whitman is doing her best to spin the lackluster news about Quibi into a positive. That’s what CEOs do. But there’s no denying that the Quibi launch has been a disappointment. We’ll just have to see what happens when the country returns to “normal.” Will Quibi flourish or will there be more excuses as to why it’s underperforming?