Roku buys Quibi library, including never-seen Spielberg show

Roku buys Quibi library, including never-seen Spielberg evidence

(Image credit: Quibi)

Quibi to live another day, as the evanescent streaming service stocked with brusk-course series ("quick bites") is making a comeback, of sorts, on Roku.

Roku announced today that it has acquired exclusive global distribution rights to Quibi'due south content. The 75-plus award-winning shows featuring stars like Chrissy Teigen, Idris Elba, Liam Hemsworth and Anna Kendrick will stream for free on the Roku Channel, with ads, starting onetime this yr.

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Quibi was founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman, who raised $one.75 billion to build the mobile-but platform featuring curt-form movies cut into 5 to 10-minute episodes. Shows could be viewed in horizontal or vertical format with unique "Turnstyle" technology.

The service launched in April but struggled to draw an audition, especially during a global pandemic that kept people at home and non on the go. Quibi also cost $4.99 per calendar month, while the short-class content on TikTok is free.

In our Quibi review, senior editor Henry T. Casey wrote, "With the end of Quibi's 90-day trial, I found myself with piffling reason to keep my subscription."

Afterward half dozen months, in October, the Wall Street Periodical reported that Quibi was shutting downward, making it one of the biggest tech fails of 2020.

Now, Quibi's shows and movies are moving to Roku.

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The library includes unreleased shows, including Spielberg's After Dark, a horror serial that originally would accept streamed only after sunset, and Slugfest, a documentary serial about comic books from the Russo Brothers.

The deal betwixt the two companies, which is reportedly worth $100 meg, only includes distribution rights. The show creators own their work and licensed Quibi to stream the content for vii years. It's unclear if or how Quibi's turnstyle applied science will be displayed on Roku.

The Roku Channel offers over 40,000 complimentary, ad-supported movies and programs and 150 free live linear television channels. It reaches an estimated 61.8 one thousand thousand people.

More: FuboTV review

Kelly is a senior writer roofing streaming media for Tom's Guide, and so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance entertainment writer for Yahoo, Vulture, Telly Guide and other outlets. When she'southward not watching TV and movies for work, she's watching them for fun, seeing live music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.