Draft:Streamiverse Podcast

Streamiverse is a podcast hosted by Rob Dezendorf and Danielle Gibson. Initially launched as Quibiverse, the podcast discussed the short-form streaming service Quibi. However, after receiving a cease-and-desist order from Quibi, the podcast rebranded to "Streamiverse" which Rob and Danielle described as a "podcast rooted entirely in spite of Quibi" and broadened their focus to include all streaming content. The podcast received attention for its critical take on Quibi and the broader streaming industry.

Origins and Early History
Quibiverse was launched in early 2020 by friends Rob Dezendorf and Danielle Gibson. The podcast was created to chronicle and critique Quibi, a new streaming service founded by Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman. Quibi, which stood for "quick bites," aimed to deliver short-form content designed for mobile viewing. The service had a billion dollars in funding and featured content from well-known talent, but it faced skepticism due to its unconventional approach and marketing strategies.

Rob and Danielle, both with backgrounds in film, TV, and technology, created a podcast to explore Quibi's journey. The podcast episodes were designed to be short, mirroring Quibi's content format, and contained commentary and analysis of Quibi's offerings and strategies.

Rob Dezendorf
Rob Dezendorf is a Creative Technologist and the Head of Interactive Studio at Loop, a creative studio known for creating HQ Trivia. He has experience in leading product development and production of interactive media projects, game shows, and live streaming technologies for companies like Paramount, Whatnot, Citizen App, Samsung, and others. Rob has also been involved in various creative and technological projects, including his work with digital art collective Pleasr to create the world's first live Web3 auction house platform, and his previous experience as a product manager and executive producer.

Danielle Gibson
Danielle Gibson has worked in the tech and media industries, including positions at HQ Trivia, Citizen App, and TikTok. At HQ Trivia, she was involved in content creation and production. At Citizen App, she worked on community engagement and safety features, and at TikTok, she focused on content strategy and user engagement.

Cease-and-Desist and Rebranding
In March 2020, weeks after the launch of Quibiverse, Rob and Danielle received a cease-and-desist order from Quibi's legal team. The order demanded that they stop using the name "Quibiverse" and any branding that resembled Quibi. The legal action was noted by some as being strong, given that Quibiverse was one of the few media outlets providing consistent coverage of Quibi.

In response, Rob and Danielle rebranded the podcast as Streamiverse which Rob and Danielle described as a "podcast rooted entirely in spite of Quibi" and broadened their focus to include all streaming content. This change allowed them to continue their examination of Quibi while also exploring other streaming platforms and trends in the industry.

Media Attention
The cease-and-desist incident brought media attention to Streamiverse. Publications like HuffPost and The AV Club covered the story, discussing the conflict between the small podcast and the well-funded streaming service. The rebranded Streamiverse continued to attract listeners with its commentary.

Jeffrey Katzenberg, the founder of Quibi, later appeared on Streamiverse to address the cease-and-desist order. During the interview, Katzenberg stated that the legal action was a mistake and expressed support for the podcast. This episode, along with others featuring Quibi executives, became notable episodes of the podcast.

Timeline of Events

 * Early 2020: Rob Dezendorf and Danielle Gibson launch Quibiverse, a podcast dedicated to discussing Quibi.
 * March 2020: Quibiverse receives a cease-and-desist order from Quibi's legal team, demanding a name change and cessation of any Quibi-like branding.
 * April 2020: The podcast rebrands as Streamiverse, continues its examination of Quibi, and expands its focus to include all streaming content.
 * May 2020: Jeffrey Katzenberg appears on Streamiverse to address the cease-and-desist order, bringing further attention to the podcast.
 * October 2020: Quibi announces its shutdown, marking the end of the streaming service that inspired the podcast.
 * 2021-Present: Streamiverse ceased regular production after the Quibi shutdown but remains sporadically active on Twitter. They have mentioned the possibility of returning to podcasting in the future.

Media Coverage
Rob Dezendorf and Danielle Gibson have been featured and interviewed by various publications about their podcast and their perspectives on Quibi. The podcast has been covered by several media outlets. Some of the publications that have discussed the podcast include:

The Wall Street Journal: Discussed the podcast's coverage of Quibi.

HuffPost: Reported on the cease-and-desist order and the podcast's rebranding to Streamiverse.

Vulture: Covered the podcast's analysis of Quibi's content.

The A.V. Club: Provided coverage of the podcast's episodes and their perspective on Quibi.

The Telegraph: Discussed their commentary on Quibi's business model and the interview with Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Nieman Journalism Lab: Discussed the podcast's coverage of Quibi.

Insider: Featured interviews with Rob and Danielle about their experiences with Quibi.

Slate: Published an article by Rob and Danielle discussing their interview with Jeffrey Katzenberg.