Lionsgate increases Starzplay’s footprint to over 50 markets
Starzplay began life as an online addition for existing Starz Pay TV channel subscribers in the US, before evolving into the offering of today as a standalone subscription streaming service. Since Lionsgate’s $4.4bn acquisition of Starz in 2016, there has been a focus on ‘Original’ content creation, with all Starz Original series airing exclusively on the streaming platform.
Lionsgate continue their plans for the international roll-out of the Starzplay streaming platform, beginning in April 2015 with their Parsifal International joint-venture (Starzplay Arabia) which serves around 20 Middle East and North African countries. More recently in October 2018 they launched in Pakistan as a joint venture with Cinepax and established a partnership in India the following month to appear as a branded section (Lionsgate Play) on the SonyLIV streaming platform.
According to Starzplay CEO Maaz Sheikh, the MENA region offers significant growth potential, with SVOD revenues expected to reach US$2.1bn by 2024. As such, further investment in content and geographical expansion is planned. It is estimate that Starzplay currently has around 1 million subscribers in the region.
The global expansion was set to pass 50 countries on July 1st, with Starzplay now carried as an Apple TV channel in a number of new markets including France, Italy, Mexico and Argentina. Starz Play was previously available in Europe through Amazon Prime Channels (UK & Germany), integrated with Virgin Media’s cable platform (UK) and is available in Spain to customers of Orange and Vodafone. A subscription to Starzplay is cheaper than its bigger rivals, costing in the region of €5 per month.
Starzplay will offer new Starz Originals exclusively day-and-date with the US following the streaming services launch in new markets. Besides shows from Lionsgate and Starz, the platform also carries acquired content from the likes of Endeavor (The First, Killing Eve), NBCU (The Act) and Paramount (Catch-22).
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