BBC Studios has invested in Quibi. The production arm of BBC Studios recently won its first commission from Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman’s soon-to-launch shortform video platform, for nature series “Fierce Queens. The company has now also taken a small stake in the business.
BBC Studios confirmed the deal. “We are pleased to have concluded an investment in Quibi and we both see good opportunities to work together on future projects,” it said. It would not break out the size or value of its investment.
BBC Studios is the production, distribution, and commercial arm of U.K. pubcaster the BBC. It makes content for the BBC and, now, for third parties too. Its “Fierce Queens” series on Quibi will focus on female animals.
BBC Studios joins U.K. commercial broadcaster ITV as a U.K. investor in Quibi. Other backers include Disney, Fox, NBCUniversal, WarnerMedia, and Viacom.
The mobile-only streamer is set to launch April 2020. It has already booked $100 million in advance ad sales with brands including Google and PepsiCo. The platform has greenlit a raft of series across different genres including a Steven Spielbgerg horror, a Liam Hemsworth action series, and a remakes of MTV’s “Punk’d.”
U.K. trade magazine Broadcast first reported the news of the BBC Studios investment in Quibi.