Roku Acquires Quibi’s Global Content Distribution Rights





Roku Acquires Quibi’s Global Content Distribution Rights
In addition to the full range of titles that had previously premiered on Quibi, more than a dozen new programs will make their exclusive debut on The Roku Channel.
[via press release from Roku]
Roku Acquires Quibi’s Global Content Distribution Rights

The Roku Channel to Gain Exclusive Original Programming Featuring Biggest Names in Entertainment

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Roku, Inc. (NASDAQ: ROKU) announced today that The Roku Channel will become the exclusive place to stream more than 75 premium shows and documentaries that Quibi created in conjunction with Hollywood’s leading studios and production companies. Roku acquired the exclusive global distribution rights to Quibi’s award-winning shows and will make the content available for free on an ad-supported basis in 2021 to all Roku users.

The Quibi content includes Emmy award-winning scripted series, alternative and reality programming and documentaries featuring stars such as Idris Elba, Kevin Hart, Liam Hemsworth, Anna Kendrick, Nicole Richie, Chrissy Teigen, and Lena Waithe. In addition to the full range of titles that had previously premiered on Quibi, more than a dozen new programs will make their exclusive debut on The Roku Channel.

The Roku Channel is the home for free and premium news and entertainment and in Q4 2020 reached U.S. households with an estimated 61.8 million people. The Roku Channel experienced rapid growth in Q4 2020 doubling household reach year over year and was a top 10 channel in both streaming hours and active accounts.

“The Roku Channel is one of the largest and fastest growing channels on our platform today and we are consistently expanding the breadth and quality of our free, ad-supported content for our users,” said Rob Holmes, Vice President of Programming at Roku. “Today’s announcement marks a rare opportunity to acquire compelling new original programming that features some of the biggest names in entertainment. We’re excited to make this content available for free to our users in The Roku Channel through an ad-supported model. We are also thrilled to welcome the incredible studios and talented individuals who brought these stories to life and showcase them to our tens of millions of viewers.”

“The most creative and imaginative minds in Hollywood created groundbreaking content for Quibi that exceeded our expectations,” said Quibi Founder Jeffrey Katzenberg. “We are thrilled that these stories, from the surreal to the sublime, have found a new home on The Roku Channel.”

“Quibi championed some of the most original ideas and inventive storytelling, and I’m so proud of what I was able to create for the platform,” said Veena Sud, creator, writer, director and executive producer of the popular Quibi series The Stranger. “I’m so excited to now be able to share this thriller with millions of streamers on The Roku Channel.”

The transaction will deliver a distinctive array of premium content geared towards the highly coveted 18-35 age demographic, further building out The Roku Channel’s diverse lineup of more than 40,000 free movies and programs and 150 free live linear television channels.

Following an internal restructuring by Quibi, Roku acquired Quibi Holdings, LLC, the company that holds all of Quibi’s content distribution rights. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About Roku, Inc.

Roku pioneered streaming to the TV. We connect users to the streaming content they love, enable content publishers to build and monetize large audiences, and provide advertisers with unique capabilities to engage consumers. Roku streaming players and TV-related audio devices are available in the U.S. and in select countries through direct retail sales and licensing arrangements with service operators. Roku TV(TM) models are available in the U.S. and in select countries through licensing arrangements with TV brands. Roku is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. U.S.A.

This press release contains “forward-looking” statements that are based on our beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to us on the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements include but are not limited to the content, benefits, features, timing and availability of the Quibi content library on The Roku Channel; the opportunities that marketers are seeking; and the features, benefits and reach of The Roku Channel and the Roku platform. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially are detailed from time to time in the reports Roku, Inc. files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2020. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on Roku’s website and are available from Roku without charge.

“America’s No. 1 TV streaming platform” is based on hours streamed according to Kantar, Nov. 2020.

Roku is a registered trademark of Roku, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries. Trade names, trademarks and service marks of other companies appearing in this press release are the property of their respective holders.



An Open Letter from Quibi





An Open Letter from Quibi
Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman announce they are winding down the business and looking to sell its content and technology assets.
[via press release from Quibi]
An open letter to the employees, investors, and partners who believed in Quibi and made this business possible –

We started with the idea to create the next generation of storytelling and because of you, we were able to create and deliver the best version of what we imagined Quibi to be. So it is with an incredibly heavy heart that today we are announcing that we are winding down the business and looking to sell its content and technology assets.

Quibi was a big idea and there was no one who wanted to make a success of it more than we did. Our failure was not for lack of trying; we’ve considered and exhausted every option available to us.

While the result was not what any of us wanted, we did accomplish a number of things and we are very proud of what the talented Quibi team has built with the blood, sweat, and tears that they poured into this business over these past two years.

We opened the door to the most creative and imaginative minds in Hollywood to innovate from script to screen and the result was content that exceeded our expectations. We challenged engineers to build a mobile platform that enabled a new form of storytelling – and they delivered a groundbreaking and delightful service. And we were joined by ten of the most important advertisers in the world who enthusiastically embraced new ways for their brands to tell their stories.

With the dedication and commitment of our employees and the support we received from our investors and partners, we created a new form of mobile-first premium storytelling.

And yet, Quibi is not succeeding. Likely for one of two reasons: because the idea itself wasn’t strong enough to justify a standalone streaming service or because of our timing.

Unfortunately, we will never know but we suspect it’s been a combination of the two. The circumstances of launching during a pandemic is something we could have never imagined but other businesses have faced these unprecedented challenges and have found their way through it. We were not able to do so.

Which brings us to this moment. As entrepreneurs our instinct is to always pivot, to leave no stone unturned – especially when there is some cash runway left – but we feel that we’ve exhausted all our options. As a result we have reluctantly come to the difficult decision to wind down the business, return cash to our shareholders, and say goodbye to our colleagues with grace. We want you to know we did not give up on this idea without a fight.

Our goal when we launched Quibi was to create a new category of short-form entertainment for mobile devices. Although the circumstances were not right for Quibi to succeed as a standalone company, our team achieved much of what we set out to accomplish, and we are tremendously proud of the award-winning and innovative work that we have produced, both in terms of original content and the underlying technology platform. Over the coming months we will be working hard to find buyers for these valuable assets who can leverage them to their full potential.

We want you to know that we got up every day and genuinely loved coming to work with the most remarkable and passionate team that we have ever assembled. We will be forever proud of the extraordinary partnership we were able to forge between the best of Hollywood and Silicon Valley.

All that is left now is to offer a profound apology for disappointing you and, ultimately, for letting you down. We cannot thank you enough for being there with us, and for us, every step of the way.

Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman

https://quibi-hq.medium.com/an-open-letter-from-quibi-8af6b415377f



Video: “Murder Unboxed” – Official Trailer – Quibi





Video: “Murder Unboxed” – Official Trailer – Quibi
The streaming service’s latest original drops today.
[via press release from Quibi]
Murder Unboxed | Official Trailer | Quibi

No Quibi? Download now and try 2 weeks free: https://link.quibi.com/yt



Video: “Big Rad Wolf” – Official Trailer – Quibi





Video: “Big Rad Wolf” – Official Trailer – Quibi
The rise and fall of the infamous American Apparel is now streaming on Quibi.
[via press release from Quibi]
Big Rad Wolf | Official Trailer | Quibi

Millennials get ready for some *deep* memories to be unlocked. The rise and fall of the infamous American Apparel is now streaming on Quibi. https://link.quibi.com/BigRadWolfYT #BigRadWolf



Video: “Big Rad Wolf” – Teaser Trailer – Quibi





Video: “Big Rad Wolf” – Teaser Trailer – Quibi
The rise and fall of the infamous American Apparel is coming to Quibi on October 19.
[via press release from Quibi]
Big Rad Wolf | Teaser Trailer | Quibi

Millennials get ready for some *deep* memories to be unlocked. The rise and fall of the infamous American Apparel is coming to Quibi on October 19. #BigRadWolf



Video: “Last Looks” – Official Trailer – Quibi





Video: “Last Looks” – Official Trailer – Quibi
Narrated and executive produced by Dakota Fanning, “Last Looks” investigates the real crimes that have shaken the fashion industry.
[via press release from Quibi]
Last Looks | Official Trailer | Quibi

Narrated and executive produced by Dakota Fanning, Last Looks investigates the real crimes that have shaken the fashion industry. Featuring in-depth interviews, evocative recreations, and immersive timelines, Last Looks charts the sequence of events that led to the crime, and explores each scandal’s impact on society and culture.



Video: “The Expecting” – Official Trailer – Quibi





Video: “The Expecting” – Official Trailer – Quibi
AnnaSophia Robb, Rory Culkin, and Mira Sorvino star in this edge-of-your-seat sci-fi thriller about a mysterious pregnancy and the potential dark secrets surrounding it.
[via press release from Quibi]
The Expecting | Official Trailer | Quibi

AnnaSophia Robb, Rory Culkin, and Mira Sorvino star in this edge-of-your-seat sci-fi thriller about a mysterious pregnancy and the potential dark secrets surrounding it. Fear is brought to life.



Video: “50 States of Fright” New Episodes – Official Trailer – Quibi





Video: “50 States of Fright” New Episodes – Official Trailer – Quibi
New tales will be released from Iowa, Washington, Colorado and Missouri starting today.
[via press release from Quibi]
50 States of Fright New Episodes | Official Trailer | Quibi

50 States of Fright explores stories based on urban legends from every state, taking viewers deeper into the horrors that lurk just beneath. This horror anthology series launched in the spring, showcasing stories from Michigan, Kansas, Oregon, Minnesota and Florida. New tales will be released from Iowa, Washington, Colorado and Missouri starting September 28th.



Video: “Wireless” – Official Trailer – Quibi





Video: “Wireless” – Official Trailer – Quibi
From executive producer Steven Soderbergh comes a suspense thriller like no other, as the viewer takes the story into their own hands.
[via press release from Quibi]
Wireless | Official Trailer | Quibi

On a sparsely traveled road deep in the Colorado mountains, college student Andy Braddock (Tye Sheridan) drives to a New Years Eve party to try to rekindle a relationship with his ex-girlfriend. Distracted by his phone, Andy collides with a snowbank and hurtles into a ravine. Wounded and alone, Andy turns to his quickly dying cell for rescue, but help is far from a phone call away…

From executive producer Steven Soderbergh comes a suspense thriller like no other, as the viewer takes the story into their own hands. Two narratives play out simultaneously: watch horizontally for a cinematic view; twist vertically to experience Andy’s phone as your own, as he fights to stay alive. An immersive experience awaits, powered by Quibi.



Video: “Singled Out” Season 2 – Official Trailer – Quibi





Video: “Singled Out” Season 2 – Official Trailer – Quibi
The series is set to return with all-new episodes every weekday starting Monday, September 7.
[via press release from MTV]
Singled Out Season 2 TRAILER | Returns Monday, Sept. 7th

ABOUT SINGLED OUT – ONLY ON QUIBI:

Hailed as a pop culture classic, Singled Out hooks up a new generation of love-seeking singles of all genders and orientations in ten bite-sized episodes. Reflective of today’s dating landscape, where everyone is connected, the series hosted by Keke Palmer and Joel Kim Booster brings online dating to life with a twist — the main dater is linked to the pool of diverse singles through social media.