Jeffrey Katzenberg says Quibi will be free for 90 days

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Another new streaming service has joined the ranks of Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, CBS All Access, Apple TV+, and the rest as today marks the debut of Quibi, a short-form service from Jeffrey Katzenberg. As folks aren't likely to cough up more dough for yet another streaming service as many are out of work thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, Katzenberg has decided to make Quibi free for everyone for 90 days.

While speaking with TMZ, Jeffrey Katzenberg said that he hopes Quibi is going to be "something that is going to entertain people, give them a distraction, some laughter, just some levity at a time when we all could use more of that, so Quibi's free for the next 90 days." So if you were hesitant to check out Quibi, now's your chance! The streaming service boasts a wide variety of projects, including action/thriller Most Dangerous Game starring Chris Hemsworth and Christoph Waltz, survival/thriller Survive starring Sophie Turner and Corey Hawkins, Sam Raimi's horror anthology series 50 States of Fright, a revival of Reno 911!, and much more. Here's how the service is described:

With drama, comedy, docs, news, and sports, Quibi brings you new content that is quick enough for any in-between moment, like coffee time, your daily skincare routine, even bathroom breaks. Check your personalized feed to see what’s new, discover trending episodes, or search for shows based on your mood. You’re in full control of what you watch and how you watch it. Vertical, horizontal; no matter how you hold your phone, everything is framed to fit your screen. Access unlimited original content from the comfort of anywhere. Download episodes to view offline when you’re on-the-go. With fresh new shows available every week, you’ll enjoy: Original movies in chapters, told 10 minutes at a time, Unscripted shows and docuseries, Daily Essentials to keep you informed on news, sports, finance, and culture.

Our own Alex Maidy has checked out several of Quibi's launch programs, including Survive. While Maidy says that Survive has an "intriguing premise," he admits that it doesn't always work within Quibi's time constraints. "Of the four episodes available at the time of this review, three end with a tidy cliffhanger that leads into the next chapter," Maidy said in his review. "One of the episodes ends abruptly and seemingly mid-scene which is jarring when the end credits suddenly display. That also means the first minute of the next episode has to revisit the close of the previous one which feels redundant. It may not come across that way if you watch the episodes daily rather than binging them but for me it felt rushed and unfinished."

Will you be checking out Quibi in the next 90 days now that it's free?