STARZ CEO says subscribers increased in Q2 despite price hike
STARZ CEO says subscribers increased in Q2 despite price hike
The company’s revenue slipped slightly in Q2, but engagement was the second-highest in the platform’s history.
Things are looking up at STARZ, according to the company’s latest earnings report. The company unveiled its earnings for the second quarter of 2026 on Friday, showing that while revenue may have slipped a bit, it’s still in a strong position as it continues to build out its platform after separating from Lionsgate.
Key Details:
- Trust us: STARZ CEO Jeffrey Hirsch said total subscribers rose in the second quarter, but didn’t provide specifics.
- Minor setback: Net losses hit $189.4 million, but much of it was attributable to a single charge.
- Plenty of excitement: The company talked up a new licensing deal with Netflix and the premiere of “Fightland.”
STARZ CEO Jeff Hirsch shared with analysts that subscribers rose in the second quarter, though he declined to provide specific numbers. The service raised subscription prices to $12 per month in Q2, and Hirsch noted that it was “very rare” for a price increase not to affect churn.
On the revenue side, things weren’t quite so rosy for STARZ. Net losses widened to $189.4 million in the quarter, though a charge of $147.2 million due to the end of STARZ’s output deal with Netflix accounted for much of this total. Revenue beat Wall Street expectations, coming in at $307.9 million.
STARZ president of domestic networks Alison Hoffman took the opportunity to tout the streamer’s new licensing deal to allow Netflix to stream titles from the “Power” franchise. “We think that syndication model actually works for us,” Hoffman said of the deal, explaining that it’s all part of STARZ’s subscriber acquisition strategy.
STARZ executives also made sure to give their new original series “Fightland” a big shout-out. Released last week, the show had the second-best debut of any STARZ original, and Hirsch complimented the show as being perfect for the STARZ audience at an affordable cost. “It’s doing exactly what we designed it to do, which is to serve the audience that we have, lower churn, extend engagement, extend lifetime value,” he said.
STARZ’s second quarter was its second-best in history in terms of engagement. If the streamer can continue to bring subscribers back at the retention level it achieved in Q2, that could just be the beginning for the company as it makes a space for itself among larger streaming services.
STARZ
STARZ offers a subscription video streaming service that gives access to content on the STARZ channel without the need of a cable subscription. With your subscription, you’ll get access to 7,500+ films and episodes, including all of their current originals like “Outlander,” The Serpent Queen,” “BMF,” and “Power.”