Roku said that the Roku Channel will become the exclusive place to stream Quibi’s content after a deal to buy the shuttered service’s distribution rights.
Roku said that will make the content available for free on an ad-supported basis in 2021 to all Roku users. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The deal includes more than 75 shows and documentaries featuring Idris Elba, Kevin Hart, Liam Hemsworth, Anna Kendrick, Nicole Richie, Chrissy Teigen and Lena Waithe. In addition to the full range of titles that had previously premiered on Quibi, more than a dozen new programs will make their exclusive debut on The Roku Channel.
“The Roku Channel is one of the largest and fastest growing channels on our platform today and we are consistently expanding the breadth and quality of our free, ad-supported content for our users,” said Rob Holmes, vice president of programming at Roku, in a statement. “Today’s announcement marks a rare opportunity to acquire compelling new original programming that features some of the biggest names in entertainment. We’re excited to make this content available for free to our users in The Roku Channel through an ad-supported model. We are also thrilled to welcome the incredible studios and talented individuals who brought these stories to life and showcase them to our tens of millions of viewers.”
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“The most creative and imaginative minds in Hollywood created groundbreaking content for Quibi that exceeded our expectations,” said Quibi Founder Jeffrey Katzenberg in a statement. “We are thrilled that these stories, from the surreal to the sublime, have found a new home on The Roku Channel.”
Earlier this week, Roku announced it now has 51.2 million active accounts according to its preliminary estimated data for the fourth quarter ending Dec. 31, 2020. The company also said the Roku Channel now reaches U.S. households with an estimated 61.8 million people, which it said is double the audience from the same quarter of 2019.