Josh Hendrickson
Hey, do you remember Quibi? That’s the “Quick Bites” service that promised short-form content perfect for your phone or tablet. We forgive you if you already forgot about Quibi, considering it died after just six months of operation. Roku will raise Quibi from the dead, and stream its content for free on the Roku Channel.
Roku says the acquisition gives it access to 75 premium shows and documentaries that Quibi created, including series featuring Idris Elba, Kevin Hart, Liam Hemsworth, and more. The former streaming service didn’t last long, so not every show it created made it to air. That means Roku will debut multiple new series. That may even include Steven Spielberg’s After Dark Horror show.
All the Quibi content will show up on the Roku Channel, which hosts free and premium news and entertainment. It offered over 100 free live tv channels at last check-in and over 100,000 movies and TV shows. The Quibi content is a small drop in that bucket, but it does make for original programming. You won’t have to pay to watch Quibi content, but you will have to watch ads. That still sound better than paying for yet another streaming service. Roku didn’t say exactly when Quibi content will reach the Roku channel, just that it will happen sometime in 2021.
Source: Roku
