Roku Could Buy Quibi’s Library Of Bite-Sized Programming

Quibi had a pretty good idea…a stupid name, but a good idea, to produce quick-byte programming for mobile streaming platforms. Well, it would’ve been a good idea if they had saved it for next year, or launched it in 2019, but instead the service debuted in the middle of a pandemic when everyone was staying indoors. Despite a lot of high-profile programming endorse by big celebs, Quibi shut down after just six months. And now all of those shows may have found a new home.

According to the Wall Street Journal, all of Quibi’s content library could be bought by Roku, the most popular streaming player in the country. Advanced talks are underway, and if successful the Roku Channel will get a serious upgrade with exclusive Quibi programs and features.

It’s unclear if Roku plans to keep the bite-sized formatting or not, but I find it hard to believe they would. Also, would this deal include any Quibi shows that were completed but unable to premiere? Does anybody care? Maybe on a larger platform some of what Quibi had to offer, and some of it was genuinely pretty good (not looking at you Chrissy’s Court!) could find new life. The more the merrier, I say.

 

Travis Hopson
Travis Hopson has been reviewing movies before he even knew there was such a thing. Having grown up on a combination of bad '80s movies, pro wrestling, comic books, and hip-hop, Travis is uniquely positioned to geek out on just about everything under the sun. A vampire who walks during the day and refuses to sleep, Travis is the co-creator and lead writer for Punch Drunk Critics. He is also a contributor to Good Morning Washington, WBAL Morning News, and WETA Around Town. In the five minutes a day he's not working, Travis is also a voice actor, podcaster, and Twitch gamer. Travis is a voting member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and Late Night programmer for the Lakefront Film Festival.