It’s surely not because you can’t watch Quibi on your own television. Or that you can’t even screenshot its shows. Or that the shows rarely rise above mediocrity when you actually pay attention to them. But we digress. Jeffrey Katzenberg, co-founder of the new video platform Quibi and noted purveyor of “quick bite†entertainment, told the New York Times in an interview that he blames the failure of Quibi’s launch — which has now dipped far below the top 100 free iPhone apps despite an all-star creative lineup — on the current pandemic ravaging through the world, and only the current pandemic ravaging through the world. “I attribute everything that has gone wrong to coronavirus,†he explained. “Everything. But we own it.â€
Specifically, Katzenberg expressed regret over launching the service in early April, when the coronavirus was just beginning to peak in the United States. He also argued that consumers’ viewing habits have substantially changed due to the overwhelming amounts of time they’re being forced to spend indoors. “Is it the avalanche of people that we wanted and were going for out of launch? The answer is no,†he added. “It’s not up to what we wanted. It’s not close to what we wanted … my hope, my belief was that there would still be many in-between moments while sheltering in place. There are still those moments, but it’s not the same. It’s out of sync.†And as for TikTok, another short-form video service that has maintained and expanded upon its astronomical popularity in recent years, Katzenberg isn’t paying much attention to it. “That’s like comparing,†he scoffed, “apples to submarines.â€