Starz Entertainment Launches STARZ PLAY And ENCORE PLAY Authenticated Online Viewing Options For Pay TV Premium Subscribers First With Cox Communications

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Oct. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Starz Entertainment announced today the launch of the STARZ PLAY and ENCORE PLAY authenticated online services.  The company made the announcement with Cox Communications, the first multichannel video provider to offer the service.  STARZ PLAY and ENCORE PLAY services are available today for all Cox Communications customers in United States.  Starz expects to launch MOVIEPLEX and MOVIEPLEX PLAY with Cox and announce additional launch agreements with its distribution partners in the future.

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Along with the upcoming MOVIEPLEX PLAY, today's launch marks the first suite of authenticated online services for pay TV subscribers to the STARZ, ENCORE and MOVIEPLEX premium channels and services. Through its distribution partners, the PLAY services offer Starz Entertainment premium subscribers in the United States portable and online access to the best of its exclusive premium programming.

Movie and original content featured includes "Spartacus," "Magic City," "Boss," new hit movies from Disney and Sony, and one of the strongest libraries of feature film content available from many Hollywood studios. 

The new PLAY services will be available free to subscribers of the underlying STARZ, ENCORE, and MOVIEPLEX subscriptions respectively.  Each offers subscribers unlimited streaming access to a deep selection of the best in movies and original programming. STARZ and ENCORE are the most popular pair of flagship premium services in the United States with 54.9 million combined subscriptions.

In addition, STARZ PLAY and ENCORE PLAY apps for iPhone, iPad, & iPod touch are available as free downloads from the App Store.  The STARZ PLAY and ENCORE PLAY PC/Mac® interfaces are available at www.starzplay.com and www.encoreplay.com.  STARZ PLAY and ENCORE PLAY are accessible currently through Wi-Fi and broadband connections.  Cellular connectivity and support for Android phones/tablets and gaming consoles are expected to be launched in the future.  

"We are very pleased to partner with Cox in launching the STARZ PLAY and ENCORE PLAY suite of authenticated online products that we believe will bring tremendous value to our premium subscribers," said Chris Albrecht, CEO of Starz, LLC.  "STARZ and ENCORE have long been pioneers in the deployment of advanced services, being the first premium networks to offer authenticated access to our programing through distributors' online platforms.  Now, from big screens to mobile devices, a deep collection of movies and original programming from STARZ and ENCORE provides a winning combination for both our distributors and customers."

"We are thrilled to be the first distributor to provide the STARZ PLAY and ENCORE PLAY suite to our customers, extending the value of Cox TV Online (www.cox.com/tv) across multiple platforms and adding tremendous value to our Advanced TV services," said Mark Greatrex, chief marketing and sales officer, Cox Communications. "What's more, this is a tremendous benefit for our Cox High Speed Internet Bundle customers who now can watch their favorite premium programming anytime, anywhere, all while enjoying the value of Cox's Bundle."  

Features/Functionality of the New PLAY Services

STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY offer robust online access to the best of the quality movie, TV, and original series content offered by the respective Starz Entertainment premium services. With a simple and intuitive layout and design, each application offers new ways to enjoy the wide range of premium content offered on the STARZ, ENCORE, and MOVIEPLEX channels and services.

Family members can "PLAY" everything from great Disney family films to the riveting action and intrigue of "Spartacus" on new platforms other than television. Resume functionality allows the user to seamlessly pick up from where they left off in watching a great movie or TV show on any registered device in the account.

Easy set-up of parental controls provides families with options for limiting content accessibility.  Menus, screens and commands are optimized for touchscreens to provide a fun, but efficient, means to drop down and swipe through the quality content selection and viewership controls.  Facebook and Twitter integrations let fans talk about the latest episode of their favorite STARZ Original series or big hit movie. 

Wide Online Content Selection To Great Movies/Originals

Combined, the STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY services offer approximately 1,500 movies, originals, and additional TV content every month.  

STARZ PLAY offers approximately 400 monthly selections, including 300 movies comprising first-run films from Disney (Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Cars 2, The Muppets) and Sony (The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo, 21 Jump Street, Moneyball) and other great films from a wide selection of Hollywood studios, and 100 episodes of exclusive STARZ Original series, including "Spartacus," "Magic City," and "Boss."

ENCORE PLAY offers about 900 monthly selections, with 300 movies and select originals (Tangled, The Smurfs, "Titanic: Blood and Steel," "Moby Dick"). MOVIEPLEX PLAY (Raging Bull, Godzilla, Ghostbusters) offers additionally about 200 movies every month.

Starz Entertainment is the exclusive subscription television and broadband provider of STARZ Original series including the "Spartacus" franchise, "Magic City," and "Boss," upcoming original series including "Da Vinci's Demons" and "The White Queen," "Black Sails," and quality feature film programming.  Exclusive first-run movies are from leading Hollywood studios including Walt Disney Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Disney-Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, TriStar, Screen Gems, Sony Classics, Anchor Bay Films, and Warren Miller Films. Starz licenses hundreds of feature films from a wide array of independent distributors and a vast collection of classic and favorite titles from most Hollywood studios, including Warner Bros., Fox, Universal, MGM and Lionsgate.

About Starz Entertainment
Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie and original programming entertainment service provider operating in the United States. The company offers 17 premium channels including the flagship STARZ^® and ENCORE^® brands with approximately 20.7 million and 34.2 million subscribers respectively.  Starz Entertainment airs in total more than 1,000 movies and original series every month across its pay TV channels. Starz Entertainment is recognized as a pay TV leader in providing HD, On Demand, HD On Demand and online advanced services for its STARZ, ENCORE and MOVIEPLEX brands.  Starz Entertainment (www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NASDAQ: LMCA).

About Cox Communications
Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet and telephone services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves approximately 6 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers, and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and new media advertising.

Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For seven years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunications; for five years, Cox has ranked among DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com.

SOURCE Starz Entertainment