According to company owner Meg Whitman, the short video streaming app Quibi reached 1.7 million downloads in the first week.

The application can play clips in 10 minutes or less and launch on April 6.

Quibi is only available on smartphones and tablets, but the company said it is accelerating plans to make the application playable on TVs as well.

In an interview with CNBC, Ms. Whitman said she did not think the launch was hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.

Ms. Whitman said: "It turns out that there are moments between people at home." Ms. Whitman was the CEO of HP. "We don't actually think this will hurt us."

Some analysts have predicted that Quibi will be difficult to attract users due to the corona virus blockade. With so many people staying at home, people hope that viewers will like longer videos, which can be viewed on larger devices.

Quibi's "Quick bite" video is advertised as an ideal choice for a short break or commute.

The application's screening time is 10 minutes or less, and the movie is divided into multiple parts. The viewer can watch the program on the mobile phone, and the Turnstile function can make the video displayed in full screen in portrait or landscape.

But the company is planning to quickly track a program so that Quibi videos can be viewed on a larger device-this will make it easier for the group to watch the program together.

Quibi started its service with a 90-day free trial period, which means that nearly 2 million users have not yet paid for the application.

In the US and Canada, Quibi will provide an ad-supported version of the app for $ 4.99 (£ 3.99), and an ad-free version for $ 7.99.

Although the company initially stated that it will not be able to enter other markets until later this year, the ad-free version has already been launched in countries such as the United Kingdom and Germany.

Whitman said that the average age of the Quibi audience so far is more than 30 years old.

The number of subscribers is slightly higher than the 1.5 million forecast by analysts. However, this number is still far less than the 10 million registered users that Disney + received on the first day.

Ms. Whitman and Quibi founder Jeffrey Katzenberg said they want the app to compete with TV and movie streaming services such as Disney Plus and Netflix, and social media video platforms such as YouTube and Tiktok.