Although Quibi ended last month, the content of the mobile-first service could survive. Roku is reportedly close to closing a deal to buy Quibi’s content catalog.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Roku would acquire the rights to the content of the service started by Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman, but the financial details have not been revealed.
Quibi’s programs and films, which were featured in the app in chapters, would likely become unique original content on Roku, adding to a programming of content produced by other companies. Some Quibi titles include “Court of Chrissy’s”, which saw Chrissy Teigen as a judge in a small claims court, “Most Dangerous Game” starring Liam Hemsworth and a revival of “Reno 911”.
The content would likely find a home on Canal Roku, Roku’s free streaming service.
Quibi has made seven-year licensing agreements with producers to display content on Quibi. While privileged sources say that some contracts prohibit the content from being available on other platforms, sources familiar with the contracts tell the WSJ that the terms will not hinder an agreement to bring the content to Roku.
Although Quibi was unable to get viewers to be interested and engage in its shortened content, closing after just six months, Roku could have better luck with a more established platform and more than 50 million active users.
Jess Barnes