Things might be turning around for poor old Quibi, with Variety reporting that its owners may have hit on a revolutionary new way for viewers to consume streaming content: on their televisions. The whole idea behind Quibi was that it was based around quick bites of content that were meant to be watched on phones, like while riding a bus or waiting for an appointment, but with the pandemic going on, people haven’t exactly been riding buses or waiting for appointments—which Quibi co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg has blamed for the difficulty it has had getting subscribers to sign up.
Now, though, Variety says Quibi is in early talks with both Roku and Amazon to develop a Quibi streaming app for Roku devices and Amazon’s Fire TV that would allow you to watch Reno 911!, Dishmantled, and that “Golden Arm” thing on your television. The Amazon talks only “recently picked back up” and the Roku talks are “very early,” so it’s not like you’ll be downloading these new apps tomorrow, but they are at least being considered. Or at least they are according to Variety’s sources, as the story says a representative for Quibi did not offer a comment on any supposed talks with Roku or Amazon.
Of course, even if this does happen, it might not be enough to solve Quibi’s financial woes. As we reported yesterday, the billion-dollar startup might have to raise another $200 million or so by the end of next year in order to stay above water. Our suggestion: Charge $1 million for the Roku app. Some Lt. Dangle superfans will fix everything.