BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--STARZ, the best overall value in premium pay television and the most watched family of pay TV networks in the United States*, will undergo a landmark transformation on April 5th with the introduction of a new STARZ brand campaign and mission, as well as a repositioning and reprogramming of the ENCORE suite of channels under the STARZ flagship brand.
The single master brand approach across the STARZ and STARZ ENCORE networks will not only align the channels with a unified look and feel, but also strengthen the product offerings by providing one point of entry for subscribers both on-air and on-demand. Unlike other premium TV service bundles, this unified on-air, on-demand and online approach will create tremendous marketing and sell-in opportunities for the distributors of STARZ and new STARZ ENCORE products.
Jeffrey Hirsch, Starz President of Global Marketing and Product Planning, said, “As the insurgent in the original programing landscape, STARZ has made a point of serving the fan first, while staying true to the creators and the powerful stories they tell. STARZ is delivering compelling fan-centric experiences for all types of audiences, whether it’s classic movies and westerns, hit shows like ‘Power’ or series and movies that fans have anxiously awaited for decades like ‘Outlander,’ ‘Ash vs. Evil Dead,’ the upcoming ‘American Gods,’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Harnessing the power and resonance of the STARZ flagship brand and bringing the expansive movie and television series offerings under one brand is good for the consumer and the distributor alike.”
About the STARZ Rebrand
Starz announced today a new look and brand positioning, “STARZ: ObsessableSM,” which reflects the authentic, bold and award-winning original programing from Oscar®- and Emmy®-winning directors, writers and actors that ignites the white-hot passions of diverse “fandoms.” On-air and online, “STARZ: Obsessable” is brought to life with a new elegant logo and graphic identity for the network, designed with the viewer in mind.
Fandom is exploding as a cultural phenomenon. Starz partnered with Hollywood-based branding and marketing agency Troika, whose Research & Insights department specializes in understanding fans and fandom. In a recent quantitative study conducted by Troika, 85% of adults consider themselves to be fans of something and 70% identify as fans of a TV series**.
The STARZ audience is not composed of casual viewers, but rather passionate fan contingents. Fans engage more deeply, watch more closely, discuss more fervently and evangelize more effectively. Across all the STARZ channels, the “Obsessable” brand positioning has meaning and resonance for classic movie lovers, watchers of westerns or passionate fans of franchise movies and original televisions series, like Star Wars, “Outlander,” and “Ash vs. Evil Dead.”
According to Nielsen Social Guide, in 2015 STARZ programming generated more Twitter conversation than that of Showtime (+52%) and Cinemax (+367%).*** Furthermore, STARZ had the largest percentage increase in brand-level social media audience size amongst a competitive set (including HBO, Showtime, AMC and FX) on both Facebook (+123%) and Twitter (+65%).****
About the STARZ ENCORE Networks
On April 5th, Starz will fortify the flagship STARZ ENCORE brand by aligning its ENCORE linear channels and associated on-demand and online services under the newly rebranded master STARZ umbrella. No longer separate brands and experiences, the expansive monthly collection of quality movie and television content that ENCORE has long provided its 32.2 million subscribers will be strengthened with past seasons of STARZ award-winning original series added to the already robust programing lineup.
The new STARZ ENCORE suite of channels will also have a new fresh on-air look and logos for its channels and services, with all offerings to be lead by “STARZ” in their respective brand names (i.e., “ENCORE” becomes “STARZ ENCORE”).
The new STARZ service will now represent up to 14 distinct linear channels (11 in HD) and approximately 5,000 movie titles and television episodes every year, including nearly 2,200 movies. The new STARZ offers more than 1,250 movies and episodes of television programming monthly, with viewing options on linear TV, on-demand and online as part of the low-cost monthly subscription. MOVIEPLEX accounts for the remaining three channels offered by Starz’ multichannel video distributors.
About Starz
Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) is a leading integrated global media and entertainment company with operating units that provide premium subscription video programming on domestic U.S. pay television networks (Starz Networks) and global content distribution (Starz Distribution), www.starz.com. The Starz Networks operating unit is home to the flagship STARZ® brand with 23.6 million subscribers in the United States as of December 31, 2015, with the STARZ ENCORESM network at 32.2 million subscribers. Through STARZ, the company provides high quality, entertaining premium subscription video programming with 17 premium pay TV channels and associated on-demand and online services. STARZ is sold through U.S. multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, telecommunications companies, and other online and digital platforms. Starz offers subscribers more than 5,000 distinct premium television episodes and feature films every year and up to 1,500 every month, including STARZ Original series, first-run movies and other popular movie and television programming. The Starz Distribution operating unit is home to the Anchor Bay Entertainment, Starz Digital, and Starz Worldwide Distribution divisions. In addition to STARZ Original series, Starz Distribution develops, produces and acquires movies, television and other entertainment content for worldwide home video, digital, and television licensing and sales.
* source: Nielsen, full-year 2015 Total Day P2+ Average Audience Live
+ Same Day Projections for premium packs.
** source: Troika
quantitative survey conducted September, 2015. N=385, ages 18-80,
U.S. sample
*** source: Nielsen, 2015, Networks ranked by
Tweets.
**** source: Facebook Insights and Twitter Analytics
