According to a report from The Information, CBS made an informal offer to buy Starz, the premium channel and subscription service for $5B. Starz has reportedly declined the offer, in the the hopes to increase the valuation for the channel. The company had been previously acquired by Lionsgate in 2016 for $4.4 billion in cash and stock.
While less popular than HBO and Showtime, the channel has been quietly building an audience with successful originals like Outlander, Power, Vida, American Gods, and Howards End, as well as films through output deals with studios like Sony Pictures. Starz offers 14 different channels, including Starz Encore, live and on-demand. Their OTT service is $8.99 a month, cheaper than HBO ($14.99) and Showtime ($10.99). The
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Free Trial | Get 50% Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| Starz | + $11 | + $10 | + $9 | + $9 | + $9 | + $9 | + $9 | |
As of last official reports in 2017, Starz had 2 million paid subscribers, but due to its success internationally in UK and Germany, and growth through Amazon Channels and streaming services like PlayStation Vue, Hulu Live TV, and YouTube TV — the company has hinted that it could rival the 8 million subs of HBO NOW.
Starz
- Starz
- Starz Cinema
- Starz Comedy
- Starz Edge
- Starz in Black
- Starz Kids & Family
Starz Encore
- Starz Encore
- Stare Encore Action
- Starz Encore Black
- Starz Encore Classic
- Starz Encore Espanol
- Starz Encore Family
- Starz Encore Suspense
- Starz Encore Westerns