ESPN to Launch Daily Sports Show on Quibi in 2020

Jeffrey Katzenberg’s mobile-only streaming service will feature shows 10 mins or less

Jeffrey Katzenberg
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ESPN is bringing a new daily sports highlights show to Quibi, the upcoming mobile-only streaming service founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg, the company announced on Monday.

“We’re excited to partner with ESPN, the premiere brand in sports reporting, to deliver a daily curated sports highlight show that gives the audience on-the-go exactly what they want — all of the biggest moments in the world of sports — and all of it in under 10 minutes,” Katzenberg said in a statement.

The show will launch in April 2020, which is when Quibi is slated to debut. ESPN will become the exclusive sports partner of Quibi as part of the deal. The sports network join NBC News in providing quick-hit news shows as part of Quibi’s “Daily Essentials” — a category CEO Meg Whitman called the “anchor” of the service.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The New York Times reported that Quibi will pay ESPN — which already has its own streaming service, ESPN+ — to produce the show and license it back to Quibi.

“Wherever fans are having a conversation around sports, ESPN wants to be there,” Connor Schell, EVP of Content at ESPN, said. “We’re looking forward to taking the best of what we do and delivering it in a way that resonates with Quibi subscribers looking to be informed, entertained and engaged around the sports news of the day.”

Quibi has greenlit dozens of shows from a number of big stars, including Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez, Tyra Banks, Don Cheadle, Stephen Curry, Anna Kendrick, Idris Elba, Lorne Michaels and Seth Meyers, among others. The Los Angeles-based company added another show last week, a horror anthology series that will feature “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” star Rachel Brosnahan and Christina Ricci as well.

Quibi shows will only be available on mobile devices, with each episode running no longer than 10 minutes. The app will cost viewers $4.99 per month for ad-supported viewing, or run $7.99 for ad-free viewing when it debuts next spring.

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