Starz (TV network)
| Starz | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | February 1, 1994 |
| Owned by |
Starz Inc. (Lionsgate) |
| Picture format |
|
| Slogan | Obsessable |
| Country | United States |
| Language | |
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Headquarters | Meridian, Colorado |
| Formerly called | Starz! (1994–2005) |
| Sister channel(s) | |
| Timeshift service |
|
| Website | www |
|
Availability
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| Satellite | |
| DirecTV |
|
| Dish Network |
|
| Cable | |
| Available on most U.S. cable systems | Consult your local cable provider or program listings source for channel availability |
| IPTV | |
| Verizon FIOS | 340–347 (SD) 840 (HD) |
| AT&T U-verse |
|
Starz (stylized as Starz! from February 1994 to March 2005, and STARZ going forward (including its April 2016 rebrand), pronounced "stars") is an American premium cable and satellite television network which serves as Starz's flagship service. Starz's programming features theatrically released motion pictures and first-run original television series.
The headquarters of Starz, and its sister networks Starz Encore and MoviePlex, are located at the Meridian International Business Center complex in Englewood, Colorado. Through March 31, 2016, STARZ's programming was subscribed to approximately 24.0 million television households in the United States.
Starz was launched at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on February 1, 1994, primarily on cable systems operated by Tele-Communications Inc.; the first two movies aired on the network were dramas released in 1992: respectively, Scent of a Woman and The Crying Game. The network was originally operated as a joint venture between TCI and Liberty Media (both companies were controlled by John Malone), with TCI owning a 50.1% controlling interest in the channel.
Starz made its debut as the first phase of a seven-channel thematic multiplex that was launched by Starz (then Encore Media Group) over the course of the succeeding eight months, with the remaining six channels being launched between July and September 1994. The multiplex was intended to only include six channels, however on May 31, 1993, Encore acquired the pay cable rights to telecast recent feature films from Universal Pictures released after that year; as a result, TCI/Liberty decided to create an additional premium pay TV service to serve as a competitor to HBO and Showtime. The network carried the moniker "Encore 8" in its on-air branding as part of a numbering system that was used by Encore's multiplex channels. Early trademark filings indicated that TCI/Liberty originally proposed names including "Applause" and "Stars" for the service (the "s" in the latter was ultimately changed to a "z" in the final naming).
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