While Netflix is acquiring less US content in the first window, focusing instead on Originals, Amazon Prime and StarzPlay continue to engage in Multi-Market SVOD deals for US content on a similar level to previous seasons
This provides a quick route to many international markets for distributors but can make it much harder for them to sell their titles in the second window, with both Netflix and Amazon being strict about second window destinations not receiving enhanced catch-up
StarzPlay on the other hand is clearly open to second window services having enhanced catch-up rights, whether for their own Lionsgate titles (Ramy received stacking from Channel 4 in the UK after StarzPlay) or third party acquisitions (Years and Years from StudioCanal was made available as boxset by ZDF in Germany after StarzPlay)
As a result distributors can potentially get more value from their second window sales if they opt to sell to StarzPlay rather than Netflix or Amazon in the first window
For UK Content StarzPlay has been the most active SVOD to engage with Multi-Market deals over the past two seasons, with two of these being co-productions between its US Pay Channel Starz and UK services - The Rook, co-produced with Liberty Global’s Virgin Media and The Dublin Murders, co-produced with RTÉ and BBC One
Meanwhile both Netflix and Amazon are opting to engage in more co-productions with UK services rather than simply acquiring the international rights
While StarzPlay’s acquisitions across all of its territories are managed centrally there are still some first window acquisitions local only to particular markets (e.g. Killing Eve from Endeavor came to StarzPlay in Germany)
The service also benefits from its close relationship with its parent company Lionsgate with a decent proportion of their titles (represented below as an average per market) coming from the distributor
Not all Lionsgate content is destined for StarzPlay by default with titles such as last year’s ‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’ going to a number of third party buyers (both SVOD and Broadcast services) across several Show Tracker markets
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