Former Hulu executive leaves start-up Quibi

SAN FRANCISCO — Tim Connolly, the head of partnerships and distribution for streaming video start-up Quibi, has left the company as part of a reorganization.

Connolly, a former Hulu executive who joined in 2018, has exited, and the team that reported to him has been reorganized, according to a person familiar with the matter who declined to be named. The advertising partnerships team will report to Quibi Chief Executive Meg Whitman, the person said.

A Quibi spokesperson declined to comment on the move, which was first reported by Business Insider.

The change comes on the eve of Quibi’s much anticipated launch in April. The Hollywood-based company aims to sell subscriptions to its streaming platform that will showcase quick bites of video, including long-form narratives told in chapters that are about 10 minutes long. The company plans to make money through advertising and subscriptions, charging a monthly fee of $5 with ads and $8 without ads.

The company said that in its first year it will have an ad inventory worth $150 million and that such brands as Google, Walmart and Procter & Gamble have signed on. The ads will appear in 6-, 10- and 15-second pre-roll ads before Quibi videos and in other formats. Whitman believes that about 75% of Quibi customers will opt for the $5 monthly subscription with ads.

Connolly was one of Quibi’s higher-profile hires. He is the former head of partnerships and distribution at the streaming service Hulu and a former Disney executive.

He did not respond to a request for comment.