Quibi is in advanced talks to sell its content catalog to Roku Inc. as the short-form streaming service winds down its operations following an unsuccessful run, the Wall Street Journal reported. Quibi, which was founded by the movie mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg, raised $1.75 billion with an ambitious plan to develop high-end content for mobile phones. But the service, which launched in April, never gained traction and Quibi said in October that it was shutting down. Roku, which sells the most popular streaming-media player in the U.S., is pushing aggressively into content with its own ad-supported app, the Roku Channel, which offers movies and shows produced by other companies. A deal with Quibi would give Roku a roster of exclusive programming. Under the terms the companies have discussed, Roku would acquire rights to Quibi’s library. Financial terms of the proposed deal couldn’t be learned, and the deal talks could still fall apart. Quibi has struck deals with producers that allow Quibi to exhibit their shows on its service for seven years. Some of the contracts suggest that the content can’t be aired on other platforms, some people familiar with the deal terms said. One person familiar with Roku’s view said the contract terms wouldn’t prevent the company from showing the content on its service.
