How a cable channel born to challenge HBO became a global streaming brand
Launched in 1994 to compete with industry giants, Starz transformed from a TCI-owned cable multiplex into a complex international streaming entity. Its history spans from early, heavy financial losses to a massive 2016 acquisition by Lionsgate, navigating the volatile shift from traditional television to the modern digital-first landscape.
Starz debuted on February 1, 1994, as a multiplex service designed by TCI and Liberty Media to rival HBO and Showtime. The network was born from a strategic need to capitalize on Universal Pictures film rights acquired in 1993. Despite its ambitious launch, the startup faced severe financial headwinds, accumulating US$203 million in total deficits and annual losses of US$150 million by 1997. To mitigate these losses, TCI transferred its majority stake in the operating entity, Encore Media Group, to Liberty Media that same year.
The network's evolution is marked by constant rebranding and structural shifts. Initially stylized as "STARZ!", it dropped the exclamation mark in 2005 during a major corporate overhaul that renamed the entity Starz Entertainment. By 2013, after a spin-off from Liberty Media, Starz became an independent publicly traded company. This period of autonomy was short-lived, as Lionsgate acquired Starz Inc. for $4.4 billion in 2016. This acquisition triggered a massive consolidation of the brand, integrating Encore channels and launching a direct-to-consumer app to compete with over-the-top services like HBO Now.
Internationally, the brand's trajectory was equally complex. Under the name Starzplay, it expanded into the Middle East and North Africa in 2015, eventually securing over 3 million subscribers in the region. However, the international strategy shifted dramatically in 2022 when the service was rebranded as Lionsgate+ in most markets to avoid conflicts with Disney's "Star" brand. This was followed by a rapid retreat from several global territories, including France, Germany, and the UK, between 2022 and 2024. By 2026, the company further decentralized by selling its Indian and Southeast Asian operations to its president, Rohit Jain, while maintaining a licensing agreement for the brand name.
Source: Starz
