Mobile-only streaming service Quibi officially launches in Australia

US mobile-only short form pop culture streaming service Quibi has officially launched in Australia.

The app (‘kwib-ee’, meaning ‘quick bites’) was founded in 2018 by one-time Disney Studio chief and DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, and launched in America in April.

Its format of “movie quality” short form original shows, already proven on social media, features names as Chance the Rapper, Will Smith, Joe Jonas, Jennifer Lopez, Kevin Hart and Liam Hemsworth.

It is now offered in Australia and New Zealand, for free with ads, or AU$6.99 a month.

“We figure in these times we can give people laughter and a little bit of escapism,” Katzenberg said.

“The shows are made in chapters so everything is under 10 minutes in length, and we have a beautiful new technology that we’ve created so that it makes watching on your phone really really exceptional.”

Using the “turnstyle mode”, Quibi shows are simultaneously shot in vertical and horizontal format, so viewers can switch between the two.

They can also opt to watch choosing different camera angles or guiding the plot’s direction.

Quibi’s Australian arrival comes a month after Foxtel Media’s entertainment, live sports and lifestyle video streaming service Tubi, amped up its local presence.

This too is making inroads during the pandemic lock-ins, with Foxtel Media CEO Mark Frain stating, it “exceeded 200 million hours of view time in April alone representing at 150% increase year-over-year.

 “The tech behind Tubi’s offering has enabled the business to rapidly build audiences across Australia and Mexico.”