Starz Inc.

Starz Inc.

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Entertainment
Predecessor	Encore Movie Group
Founded	1991
Headquarters	Meridian, Colorado , United States
Area served	United States (premium cable sector)
Key people	Jeffrey Hirsch (President and CEO), Audrey Lee (EVP and General Counsel), Scott Macdonald (CFO), Alison Hoffman (President of Domestic Networks)
Products	Pay television networks including Starz, Starz Encore, MoviePlex
Revenue	$1.631 billion
Operating income	$445 million
Owner	Lionsgate
Parent	Starz Entertainment (subsidiary of Lionsgate)

Starz Inc. is a United States-based entertainment company operating as a subsidiary under Starz Entertainment. While its corporate headquarters are situated in Meridian, Colorado, official documents and press releases list its registered address as Englewood.

The enterprise manages several pay television networks, prominently featuring its primary channel, Starz, alongside affiliated networks such as Starz Encore and MoviePlex. Starz Inc. holds a significant position within the premium cable sector, utilizing its channel lineup to sustain a competitive edge in the marketplace.

Leadership includes President and CEO Jeffrey Hirsch, EVP and General Counsel Audrey Lee, CFO Scott Macdonald, and Alison Hoffman, who serves as President of Domestic Networks. The company reported revenues totaling $1.631 billion and operating income of $445 million, underscoring its robust financial standing in the media industry.

Initially established in 1991 as Encore Movie Group, the organization has undergone various corporate transformations and ownership changes, including affiliation with Liberty Media until 2009 and integration into Starz Entertainment since 2016. Its operational strategy centers on content distribution via proprietary channels and strategic alliances aimed at fostering growth and expanding its international footprint.

Early history

Encore Movie Group was created in 1991 as a fully owned television programming subsidiary formed through a joint venture between Liberty Media and Tele-Communications Inc. (TCI), both under the control of John C. Malone. The premium channel Encore debuted that year on TCI cable systems, followed by the launch of Starz in 1994 and Encore Plex (currently MoviePlex) in 1997. In 1994, the company rebranded itself as Encore Media Corporation.

In 1997, due to significant losses incurred by Starz, TCI reduced its stake in Encore Media Corporation by transferring part of its ownership to Liberty Media but maintained a 20% share until Liberty Media acquired full control following TCI’s merger with AT&T in 1999. Subsequently, the company was renamed Starz Encore Media Group in 1999, then shortened to Starz Encore Group in 2001. It also inaugurated a film and documentary production division named Starz Encore Entertainment.

A corporate restructuring in 2003 resulted in the elimination of 100 positions and the closure of four regional offices. On March 25, 2005, the entity was renamed Starz Entertainment Group (Starz Entertainment, LLC), coinciding with the rebranding of the Starz! network to simply Starz accompanied by a new logo.

As Starz Media

In August 2006, Liberty Media acquired IDT Entertainment’s U.S. operations for $186 million, followed by purchases of its Canadian and Australian divisions in September. IDT Entertainment was integrated into Starz Entertainment Group and rebranded as Starz Media. The company broadened its scope into film production with the establishment of Overture Films in 2006 and later added an arthouse label, Anchor Bay Films, in 2008.

On November 19, 2009, Liberty Media spun off Starz Entertainment Group under the name Liberty Starz. Chris Albrecht assumed the role of president and CEO on January 1, 2010, overseeing operations including Starz Entertainment, Overture Films, Anchor Bay Entertainment, and Film Roman.

In January 2011, The Weinstein Company acquired a 25% equity interest in Starz Media along with a five-year agreement granting distribution rights for new TWC films through Anchor Bay Entertainment and digital streaming access via Starz Digital Media.

Liberty Media announced plans to spin off Liberty Starz into an independent publicly traded company carrying $1.5 billion in debt during August 2012; this transaction was finalized on January 11, 2013. Liberty Starz was renamed Starz Inc., listed on NASDAQ under ticker symbols STRZA and STRZB, replacing Liberty Media within the NASDAQ-100 index. At that time, its portfolio included Starz Networks, Starz Distribution, and a minority interest in Arc Productions.

On March 18, 2013, Kraft Foods replaced Starz in the NASDAQ-100 index.

Acquisition by Lionsgate

On February 11, 2015, John C. Malone, who holds the majority ownership of Starz and Liberty Media, traded a 4.5% equity share and 14.5% voting rights in Starz Inc. for a 3.4% ownership interest in Lionsgate, subsequently joining Lionsgate's board of directors. Shortly thereafter, Starz CEO Chris Albrecht suggested the possibility of a merger with Lionsgate.

Later that year, on November 10, 2015, Malone’s firms Liberty Global and Discovery Communications collectively invested between $195 million and $400 million in Lionsgate, securing a combined 3.4% stake.

By June 30, 2016, Lionsgate reached an agreement to purchase Starz Inc. for $4.4 billion through a combination of cash and stock. This transaction merged Starz’s home entertainment and global television distribution operations into Lionsgate’s existing business units. The acquisition was finalized on December 8, 2016, officially making Starz a subsidiary under the Lionsgate umbrella.

In August 2023, Lionsgate declared its intention to withdraw from the Latin American market and spin off Starz as an independent entity. By November 2023, the company confirmed plans to separate its film and television divisions into a newly public company named Lionsgate Studios, slated to launch on May 14, 2024. At the same time, Starz announced workforce reductions exceeding 10% and outlined its exit from the UK and Australian television markets by the conclusion of the year.

In 2024, Lionsgate will undertake a rebranding initiative to become Starz Entertainment, aiming to distinctly differentiate itself from the newly established Lionsgate Studios.

Starz Networks

The Starz Networks segment includes three premium cable networks along with their multiplex channels, amounting to a total of seventeen channels:

• MoviePlex
  • MoviePlex
  • IndiePlex
  • RetroPlex
• Starz
  • Starz
  • Starz Cinema
  • Starz Comedy
  • Starz Edge
  • Starz in Black
  • Starz Kids & Family
• Starz Encore
  • Starz Encore
  • Starz Encore Action
  • Starz Encore Black
  • Starz Encore Classic
  • Starz Encore Español
  • Starz Encore Family
  • Starz Encore Suspense
  • Starz Encore Westerns