History of Quibi in Timeline

Quibi was a short-lived, short-form streaming service founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg and led by CEO Meg Whitman. Launched in April 2020 with $1.75 billion in funding, it aimed to deliver mobile-friendly content. However, Quibi failed to meet subscriber targets and shut down in December 2020. Its content library was later sold to Roku for under $100 million. The platform became known as a high-profile failure and was widely mocked.

August 2018: Quibi Founded as NewTV

In August 2018, Quibi was founded as NewTV by Jeffrey Katzenberg and led by Meg Whitman as CEO.

October 2018: NewTV Renamed Quibi

In October 2018, NewTV was officially renamed Quibi.

July 8, 2019: BBC Studios Invested in Quibi

On July 8, 2019, BBC Studios announced its investment in Quibi.

March 9, 2020: Quibi Filed Lawsuit Against Eko

On March 9, 2020, Quibi filed a lawsuit against interactive video developer Eko, seeking a declaration of non-infringement of Eko's patented technology. Eko subsequently filed a countersuit.

March 2020: Quibi Partnered with Bell Media

In March 2020, Quibi announced a partnership with Bell Media, a Canadian telecommunications company. Bell Media would produce Canadian news and sports content for Quibi via CTV News and TSN.

April 6, 2020: Quibi Launched in the US and Canada

On April 6, 2020, Quibi launched in the United States and Canada. An ad-free U.S. version of the app was made available in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and Germany. TechCrunch reported 300,000 downloads on launch day.

April 2020: Quibi Announced Launch

In 2019, Quibi announced it would launch in April 2020 with two pricing tiers.

May 3, 2020: Elliott Management Funded Eko's Lawsuit

On May 3, 2020, Elliott Management announced it would fund Eko's lawsuit against Quibi in exchange for equity in the company.

July 2020: Quibi's Subscriber Conversion Rates Reported

In July 2020, Sensor Tower reported that about 8 percent of Quibi's early wave of users had converted into paying subscribers.

September 2020: Quibi Looked for Potential Acquirer

In September 2020, Quibi was reportedly looking for a potential acquirer, raising more funds, or becoming a public company via a shell corporation.

September 20, 2020: #FreeRayshawn Won Two Emmy Awards

On September 20, 2020, Quibi's series, #FreeRayshawn, won two Emmy Awards.

October 21, 2020: Quibi Announced Shutdown

On October 21, 2020, Quibi announced it was shutting down, just six months after its launch. The news was confirmed by Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman, citing financial irresponsibility and the impact of the pandemic.

November 2020: Reasons Suggested for Quibi's Shutdown

In a November 2020 article, reasons suggested for Quibi's shutdown included misjudgment on programming and technology features appealing to young consumers, and high advertising spending. The platform's failure inspired widespread mockery.

December 2020: Quibi Shut Down

In December 2020, Quibi shut down after failing to meet subscriber projections.

January 3, 2021: Roku in Talks to Acquire Quibi's Library

On January 3, 2021, it was announced that Roku was in advanced talks to acquire rights to Quibi's library.

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January 8, 2021: Roku Announced Acquisition of Quibi's Programs

On January 8, 2021, Roku officially announced that all of Quibi's 75 programs would be streamed on their platform, The Roku Channel. The content was acquired for less than $100 million.

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