A mere eight months after the streaming service launched on April 20, Quibi announced that December 1 would be its final day of service. After that, it's anyone's guess as to where the service's content could end up. Quibi is planning to sell off some of its assets, which means those shows could find a home on any number of other streaming services, and there are some shows definitely worth saving.
Before looking at any specific content, there's the question of Quibi's infamous gimmicks. The service is only available on mobile devices, which is an odd decision when you look at the statistics behind modern streaming services. Netflix told Vox in 2018 that 70 percent of its traffic came from television sets connected to the service as opposed to phones or computers. While the specific statistics in 2020 are unclear, Quibi tethering itself to a single device right out of the gate means it gave up a huge number of potential subscribers who simply don't watch content on their phones.
Then, there's the issue of the meaning behind the company's name. It delivers "quick bites" of content, hence Qui-Bi. All of the service's shows are around 7-10 minutes long, which means a "season" of content could top out at around one or two hours. This isn't a terrible strategy, as there's plenty of times where someone might only want to watch a short episode without committing to long-form content. But by locking in all of their content, Quibi places an artificial constraint on their creators, which undermines one of the strengths of any streaming service. Episodes of typical broadcast television generally have to stay fairly close to 22 or 45 minutes in order to fit into the channel's schedule when combined with ad breaks. A show for Netflix doesn't have any of those constraints, and can have its episodes be whatever length. A show can have 7-10 minute episodes or mimic the more traditional episode lengths audiences expect. Quibi went all in on this gimmick, and unfortunately, it didn't pay off.
However gimmicky Quibi may be, there are a few of its shows worth saving. For example, #FreeRayshawn is a drama starring Stephan James as Rayshawn Morris, a Special Forces veteran trying to find a future for him and his family in the face of an escalating threat from the New Orleans Police Department. In the process, he reaches out to police lieutenant Steven Poincy, played by Laurence Fishburne. Fishburne won an Emmy for his portrayal of Poincy, and Jasmine Cephas Jones received one for her portrayal of Morris' wife. The show took advantage of Quibi's short form nature to create suspense, and told a story especially relevant in our modern political climate.
On the complete other end of the spectrum there's Polygon's Speedrun, a video game news show produced by the gaming news site of the same name. Speedrun features segments hosted by Jimmy Mondal and Mari Takahashi, each of which dives into a different topic in gaming. From the competitive Overwatch scene to the development of the Soulsborne genre, each episode uses interviews with special guests as well as in-depth research to give a quick look at an array of topics from across the games industry. It's also a genuinely entertaining news show, something that can be difficult to pull off for streaming services. Being able to watch Speedrun on a gaming console seems like a natural fit, and it's a shame the show could be lost if it's not picked up.
Quibi founder Jeffrey Katzenberg cited changes in the world since the platform's launch as the reason for its failure. In contrast, it is the decisions made precisely at the platform's launch that set the stage for Quibi's demise. People want the freedom to watch the shows they pay for on whatever device suits them, and showmakers need the creative freedom to decide the right length of the content they produce. But none of that means the excellent content Quibi produced over its short lifespan should go to waste. Other streaming services can't save Quibi, but they can -- and should -- offer a final resting place for the fruits of its labor.