Quibi unveils daily show with Complex Networks, sells out of advertising spots

Quibi has ordered a daily hip-hop show from Complex Networks, and revealed it has sold out of advertising spaces for its first year.

The untitled hip-hop programme is being produced by Complex Networks and Den of Thieves with Gunpowder & Sky and is set to explore music but also subjects such as clothing and art.

The series will premiere in April, when the new service launches, with new episodes airing Monday to Friday. It will form part of Quibi’s Daily Essentials strand of programming, which is also set to be home to shows from companies such as ESPN and The Weather Channel.

The short-form streaming service has also said it has sold out all advertising spaces for its first year, which was valued at $150m. Companies including T-Mobile, Taco Bell and PepsiCo are all onboard with deals that provide one year of exclusivity in their respective categories.

The news comes six months ahead of Quibi’s launch and off the back of an intense commissioning spree, which has seen shows such as suicide-focused drama The Now and natural history series Fierce Queens given the greenlight.

The service is set to launch on 6 April in North America, ahead of a global roll out, with two tiers of pricing: $4.99 with short ads, and a commercials free offering at $7.99. The startup will spend around $1 billion on content in its first year, and another $470 million in marketing and promotion. Backers include Disney, NBCUniversal, WarnerMedia, Lionsgate, the UK’s ITV, Liberty Global and China’s Alibaba.

However, Quibi has also had several senior execs depart the company, including content executive Janice Min who left just 10 months after joining the platform.