The future of the much-debated Starz name becomes at least a little clearer this week, as we hear news that Lionsgate will be renaming its StarzPlay international streaming platform in 35 non-US markets to Lionsgate+. Blake & Wang P.A entertainment lawyer, Brandon Blake, has more.
Starz and Studio to Separate
This comes as part of a larger move to separate Starz from the studio side of the Lionsgate business model. There’s already been plenty of talk about it being spun off entirely. For now, however, it will operate as a separate, but aligned, entity with the larger Lionsgate Company. The shift to Lionsgate+ will happen as of the first week in October.
A Mismatched Puzzle Piece
Starz seems to be a thorny problem for Lionsgate, who don’t seem quite decided on what to do with the small, but respectable, streaming platform. There’s also some wider debate on their overall separation of their streaming and Pay-TV business. We can assume that this new move, which will create clear and separate entities, will also help them evaluate the studio and Starz assets more clearly for investors. While there’s nothing official, some also believe the tech giants moving into the Hollywood landscape may be eying the wider Lionsgate catalog as a valuable indie studio acquisition.
It’s certainly a unique one, with 17,000 titles which would be particularly difficult to replicate. So it’s understandable that it may look like a ‘just add water’ solution to any entity looking to add an indie studio to their assets simply. We are, after all, still deep in the wider mergers and acquisitions cycle the entertainment world has been going through overall. It could offer them better strategic benefits than trying to remarket Starz, but that will have to wait on more solid evidence.
Currently, the Starz brand will be retained for the US and Canada. StarzPlay and Lionsgate Play will remain as is.
Film and Television 