Fear for your favorite Quibi shows.
The fledgling streaming platform is shutting down, Cancelled Soon TV has learned.
In a statement provided to Cancelled Soon TV, CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg said:
“Quibi was founded to create the next generation of storytelling. We have assembled a world-class creative and engineering team that has created an original platform fueled by groundbreaking technology and IP, enabling consumers to view premium content in a whole new way. The world has changed dramatically since Quibi launched and our standalone business model is no longer viable. I am deeply grateful to our employees, investors, talent, studio partners and advertisers for their partnership in bringing Quibi to millions of mobile devices.”
Quibi also provided us with the following open letter:
An open letter to the employees, investors, and partners who believed in Quibi and made this business possible –
We started with the idea to create the next generation of storytelling and because of you, we were able to create and deliver the best version of what we imagined Quibi to be. So it is with an incredibly heavy heart that today we are announcing that we are winding down the business and looking to sell its content and technology assets.
Quibi was a big idea and there was no one who wanted to make a success of it more than we did. Our failure was not for lack of trying; we’ve considered and exhausted every option available to us.
While the result was not what any of us wanted, we did accomplish a number of things and we are very proud of what the talented Quibi team has built with the blood, sweat, and tears that they poured into this business over these past two years.
We opened the door to the most creative and imaginative minds in Hollywood to innovate from script to screen and the result was content that exceeded our expectations. We challenged engineers to build a mobile platform that enabled a new form of storytelling – and they delivered a groundbreaking and delightful service. And we were joined by ten of the most important advertisers in the world who enthusiastically embraced new ways for their brands to tell their stories.
With the dedication and commitment of our employees and the support we received from our investors and partners, we created a new form of mobile-first premium storytelling.
And yet, Quibi is not succeeding. Likely for one of two reasons: because the idea itself wasn’t strong enough to justify a standalone streaming service or because of our timing.
Unfortunately, we will never know but we suspect it’s been a combination of the two. The circumstances of launching during a pandemic is something we could have never imagined but other businesses have faced these unprecedented challenges and have found their way through it. We were not able to do so.
Which brings us to this moment. As entrepreneurs our instinct is to always pivot, to leave no stone unturned – especially when there is some cash runway left – but we feel that we’ve exhausted all our options. As a result we have reluctantly come to the difficult decision to wind down the business, return cash to our shareholders, and say goodbye to our colleagues with grace. We want you to know we did not give up on this idea without a fight.
Our goal when we launched Quibi was to create a new category of short-form entertainment for mobile devices. Although the circumstances were not right for Quibi to succeed as a standalone company, our team achieved much of what we set out to accomplish, and we are tremendously proud of the award-winning and innovative work that we have produced, both in terms of original content and the underlying technology platform. Over the coming months we will be working hard to find buyers for these valuable assets who can leverage them to their full potential.
We want you to know that we got up every day and genuinely loved coming to work with the most remarkable and passionate team that we have ever assembled. We will be forever proud of the extraordinary partnership we were able to forge between the best of Hollywood and Silicon Valley.
All that is left now is to offer a profound apology for disappointing you and, ultimately, for letting you down. We cannot thank you enough for being there with us, and for us, every step of the way.
Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman
While Quibi have yet to state what will happen to their TV shows — be it those in limbo like The Fugitive, Dummy, Survive — or those which have been renewed like Die Hart and Reno 911!.
However, sources say that “a number” will be cancelled, while some ‘may find continuation’ on another platform. Stay tuned…
What shows are ALREADY cancelled this season? Check the official cancelled shows 2021/2022 list.
What shows are ALREADY renewed for next season? Check the TV shows renewed 2022-2023 list.
About Reno 911! TV Show
A critically acclaimed, hit series which ran for six seasons on Comedy Central, RENO 911! let viewers ride shotgun with the courageous men and women of the Reno Sheriff's Department as they lay down the law and put their lives on the line. The RENO 911! camera doesn't blink - and when the bullets start flying, the Reno Sheriff's Department will be right behind you.
"RENO 911! holds a special place in our hearts, and it will be a delight to get the original cast back together for 're-boot goofin.' Hopefully Nick Swardson can still roller skate," said Thomas Lennon, writer and star. "Quibi's short format seems custom made for our show."
"We are very excited to partner with Ben, Kerri and Tom, three of the most gifted multi-hyphenates in comedy, to bring more of their iconic series RENO 911! to the world," said Sarah Babineau and Jonas Larsen, Comedy Central's Co-Heads of Original Content. "Fans demanded this for a long time and Comedy Central Productions and Quibi are thrilled to help answer that kind of 911 call."
"I couldn't say it better than Sarah and Jonas, and I for one will sleep soundly knowing RENO 911! is back on the beat keeping our streets safe once again," said Doug Herzog, Quibi.
RENO 911! is produced by Comedy Central Productions (CCP), Comedy Central's new studio-production arm partnering with comedy's best writers, producers and on-screen talent to develop compelling, premium comedy content and bring it to market via distribution partners and buyers on all TV and digital platforms. CCP holds first look development deals with Derek Waters; Paulilu, the production company from Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs; Anthony King; Irony Point, the production company from Daniel Powell and Alex Bach; Stuart Miller; and Donick Cary.
Lennon is represented by Artists First, UTA and Rogers & Cowan. Garant is represented by Artists First and UTA. Kenney-Silver is represented by Artists First and The Gersh Agency. Lennon, Garant and Kenney-Silver are all represented by Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein.
DeVito is represented by Behr Abramson Levy, Stan Rosenfield & Associates and CAA. Shamberg is represented by Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman and CAA. Sher is represented by Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman and CAA.
Keep track of the cancel/renew status of all your favorite TV shows. Discover and bookmark our cancelled shows 2021 list and renewed shows 2021-2022 database.
Wondering how your other Quibi shows are doing? Check out the Quibi 2021 TV scorecard page, where you can find the cancel/renew status of all Quibi TV shows!
How do you feel about this latest Reno 911! news? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and don’t forget to stay tuned for all the renew/cancel 2021-2022 and beyond news!
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