Quibi, the short-format mobile only streaming platform that’s had a lot of hype for its 10 minutes or less shows, launched on Monday to much fanfare but according to reports that didn’t translate into many actual downloads.
According to The Wrap, which shared data from Sensor Tower, the platform’s day-one downloads paled in comparison to other streaming services launched within the last year. Quibi had just 300,000 downloads despite offering a free three-month trial to new users which would be, well, everyone that gave the new platform a shot thus far.
Meanwhile, that’s about 7.5 percent of the around 4 million downloads Disney+ saw on launch day when it debuted in November.
As of Tuesday morning, Quibi was the fourth most popular free app in Apple’s App Store in the U.S., and the seventh most popular free app in Canada. On Google Play, the app is ranked No. 81 in the U.S. and No. 96 in Canada.
Several people looking to use Quibi for the first time on Monday took to Twitter to complain about signup issues. Quibi did not respond to TheWrap’s request for comment, but its “Quibi Cares” account on Twitter said the issues were remedied around midday Monday.
As The Wrap notes, the 300,000 downloads is more than six times another very popular platform’s debut, HBO Now. But that debuted a full five years earlier and as a companion to HBO’s premium cable offerings on traditional TV. Quibi, meanwhile, is starting from scratch with $1.75 billion in seed money to create new original programing by way or reality TV shows, documentaries and scripted television. It’s also important to note that unlike other streaming services, which can be accessed through a computer or television, Quibi’s mobile app is the only way to get the quick bites you’re paying for when you sign up.
It’s far too early to say what the numbers mean here, but the lack of a killer app out of the gate is certainly one thing you could blame the relatively low numbers on. Quibi boasts a plethora of shows, but no one program stands out as a must-watch, moment-defining pop culture creator like, say, Disney+’s The Mandalorian. There’s a long way to go and a lot of bites to quickly consume, but it’s not a smash hit the platform was hoping to create on day one.
