Starz Digital Media Renews Web Series "How It Should Have Ended" for Second Season, Launches New HISHE Web Video Game Series With Machinima.com

NEW YORK, March 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Starz Digital Media, the digital and on-demand distribution arm of Starz Media, LLC, has renewed the popular, movie parody web series "How It Should Have Ended" (HISHE) for a second season and will expand the HISHE franchise into the video game genre with a new web series, "How It Should Have Ended: Video Games." The new series will be produced and distributed under a limited exclusive distribution agreement with Machinima, Inc. for release on Machinima.com's online video entertainment network for videogamers (www.youtube.com/machinima).

HISHE is a series of online video spoofs that parody the endings of popular films and iconic television series. Starz Digital Media will distribute new, ad-supported HISHE webisodes monthly as part of the HISHE second season at www.howitshouldhaveended.com and the official HISHE YouTube channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/HISHEdotcom.

Launching today, How It Should Have Ended: Halo is the first HISHE: Video Games property on the Machinima.com network. HISHE: Video Games will have the same animated look and feel as the popular, award-winning flagship HISHE web series, and will focus on parodies of plots and characters from best-selling and iconic game franchises.  The Machinima.com network generates more than 50 million monthly unique users and more than 500 million monthly video views.

Under terms of the agreement with Machinima, Inc., the HISHE: Video Games episodes will have an exclusive, five-week online run across Machinima.com's content network, and will then reside alongside other HISHE videos on the HISHE homepage and its dedicated YouTube channel. Machinima will provide its videogames expertise in creating storylines and scripts, and promote the series to its massive global audience.

"How It Should Have Ended has been a real success story for Starz Digital Media, reaching millions of viewers each month. We are very pleased to renew the franchise for a second season and expand into the videogame genre, working with Machinima in creating a second web series," said Marc DeBevoise, Starz Media's senior vice president, digital media, business development and strategy and lead executive for Starz Digital Media. "HISHE's success is a great example of how Starz' innovative approach combines our robust digital distribution capabilities with passionate creators, such as Daniel Baxter and Tina Alexander."

"Our partnership with Starz has allowed us the freedom to focus on developing great content for our fans while giving us the platform to reach a larger, global audience," said Daniel Baxter, HISHE's co-creator. "We are very excited to continue our partnership with Starz, parody more movies, and expand the franchise into video games."

"Our ability to activate significant audience engagement around content we know will resonate with videogamers, makes this partnership a natural fit," said Sanjay Sharma, Machinima, Inc.'s senior vice president, strategy and business development.  "We're excited to bring innovative new content, such as HISHE: Video Games, to our 50+ million fans worldwide."

How It Should Have Ended was the winner of top honors for "Best Animated Web Series" at the 2010 Streamy Awards. Co-created by producer, animator and writer Daniel Baxter and his friend Tommy Watson, their first webisode was a spoof on The Matrix.  Joined by producer/writer/critic Tina Alexander, the team launched www.howitshouldhaveended.com in July 2005, and has created more than 30 videos and approximately 100 million views to-date.  Since partnering with Starz Digital Media in 2009, HISHE has produced a new episode each month, including 2012, Avatar, The Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Twilight, and "Lost."

About Machinima.com

Machinima.com is the dominant video entertainment network for serious gamers around the world.  The number one gaming channel on YouTube, Machinima served over 2 billion video views in 2010 alone, reaches over 50 million gamers monthly, and delivers over 500 million videos a month, and growing.  Machinima.com's global content network features official publisher content, gameplay videos and original content, including over 20 original weekly shows, all aimed at the coveted 18 – 34 year old male demographic.  Machinima.com is fast-becoming a global phenomenon with an ability to capture a cultural sensibility and awareness among a next generation of entertainment consumers and marketers alike. The company is backed by MK Capital and Redpoint Ventures, and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

About Starz Digital Media

Starz Digital Media, an operating division of Starz Media, LLC, is responsible for all digital and on-demand distribution of library content from Overture Films, Anchor Bay Entertainment, Starz Originals from Starz Entertainment, and Manga Entertainment. Through a range of distribution and marketing partnerships with multichannel video providers, Internet distributors and wireless operators worldwide, Starz Digital Media makes its content available under numerous business models including download-to-own/electronic sell-through, video-on-demand, pay-per-view, subscription video-on-demand and ad-supported streaming. The division also programs and supports numerous ad-supported broadband channels and develops games and gaming-related content from many of its properties for distribution worldwide.

SOURCE Starz Digital Media