STARZ Previews New 'Magic' Season with First-Ever Three-Episode Sampling Initiative for Original Series, "Magic City"

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., March 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Starz Entertainment is offering a multi-platform, nationwide sampling of the first three episodes of its highly anticipated, original dramatic series, "Magic City." The first opportunity to enjoy "Magic City" will be on Friday, March 30, on STARZ at 11 pm et/pt, immediately following the season finale of the hit series, "Spartacus: Vengeance" with a sneak preview of the series premiere episode.

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Select multichannel video affiliates will offer additional linear, on-demand and/or online sampling opportunities of the first three episodes  of "Magic City," beginning March 31, one week in advance of the STARZ series premiere on April 6 at 10 pm et/pt. A record
76 million multichannel video households will have access to the sampling opportunities through select cable, satellite, and Telco affiliates in the United States (ties "Boss" sampling benchmark achieved in October 2011).

The "Magic City" three-episode sampling initiative is the first-ever at launch for a STARZ Original series, and follows the record
on-demand and online sampling success of "Spartacus: Vengeance." The first episode of "Spartacus: Vengeance" set a franchise record
8 million total views across sampling and STARZ platforms.

Affiliates offering the first three episodes free on demand starting March 31 include: Comcast's Xfinity TV, DIRECTV, DISH,
Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Charter Communications, AT&T U-verse® TV, Suddenlink Communications, Mediacom Communications Corporation, Armstrong, DIRECTV Puerto Rico, Buckeye CableSystem, GCI, Massillon Cable TV/Clear Picture Inc., Antietam Cable Television, Inc., GVTC, BVU, and Frankfort Plant Board.

Beginning March 31, the three episodes of "Magic City" will also be available on www.starz.com/magiccity, and direct through select STARZ affiliates including Comcast's Xfinity TV (www.xfinitytv.com), DIRECTV (www.directv.com), DISH (www.DISHOnline.com), Verizon FiOS (www.verizon.com/fios), Charter Communications (www.charter.net), AT&T U-verse® TV (www.uverse.com), Mediacom Communications Corporation (www.mediacomtoday.com), and Suddenlink Communications (www.suddenlink2go.com).  The "Magic City" season one three episodes will also be available on the Starz Entertainment "Magic City" Facebook page at www.facebook.com/magiccity.starz, and the DIRECTV, DISH, Verizon FiOS, and Grande Communications Facebook pages.

Users on the go can also view the first three episodes on Comcast's Xfinity TV app (www.xfinity.com/tvapp) for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.

Sneak previews of the first three episode of "Magic City" will air also on DIRECTV's Audience Network and DISH's new Blockbuster Studio channel at channel 102. Each episode will air multiple times during of the week following the episode premiere on the flagship STARZ channel.

"We are very excited to have for the first time a three-episode, sampling initiative with 'Magic City,' a series that looks like nothing else on television, with a gorgeous cast and a rich, cinematic feel," said Nancy McGee, executive vice president, marketing for Starz Entertainment. "We have seen a tremendous appetite for sampling our STARZ Original series premium content, including franchise record viewership for the first episode of Spartacus: Vengeance.' This bold, special sampling initiative will give 'Magic City' viewers a unique opportunity to experience the 'magic' of the new series.  By offering up sampling of the first three episodes, viewers may fully immerse themselves in the plot of the story and the picturesque setting of circa-1960 Miami Beach."  

"We are pleased that so many of our affiliates have chosen to participate in the 'Magic City' sampling initiative and concurrent Spring Free Preview," said Ed Huguez, president of affiliate distribution for Starz Entertainment. "Working with our distribution partners to sample STARZ Original series and preview our unmatched collection of premium channels and services is a large part of the promotional efforts for new STARZ content. They are also a great way to introduce our exciting, compelling content to new audiences."

Spring Free Preview For Cable/Satellite/Telco Distributors

The STARZ and ENCORE Spring Free Preview also provides a special opportunity for non-STARZ and non-ENCORE subscribers on DIRECTV, DISH, Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse TV to preview at least 15 Starz Entertainment premium channels, and great movies/originals on STARZ ON DEMAND, STARZ HD ON DEMAND, ENCORE ON DEMAND, and ENCORE HD ON DEMAND from March 29 through April 2 (dates and availability of channels vary by distributor).

Cable/NCTC and other affiliates participating in the STARZ and ENCORE Spring Free Preview from March 30 through April 1 include: DIRECTV Puerto Rico, Liberty Cable Puerto Rico, HTC , Antietam Cable Television, Inc., Advanced Cable Communications,  BVU, Inter Mountain Cable, Mid-Hudson Cablevision, BLTV (Ben Lomand Connect), WK&T Telecommunications, MH Telecom, and Hawaiian Telcom (STARZ only, 3/31-4/2).

The spring free preview will also showcase the full breadth of STARZ and ENCORE  premium content, including exclusive STARZ Original series and STARZ hit movies such as: Bad Teacher, Battle: Los Angeles, Country Strong, Friends With Benefits, Gnomeo & Juliet, How Do You Know, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Just Go With It, Midnight in Paris (starts 3/30 on STARZ ON DEMAND), Priest, Prom, Soul Surfer, The Green Hornet, The Other Guys, The Smurfs (starts 3/30 on STARZ ON DEMAND), TRON: Legacy, Winnie the Pooh, and Zookeeper.

About "Magic City"
Set in Miami's Miramar Playa Hotel, the alluring new STARZ Original drama stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen,
"Grey's Anatomy," Dibbuk Box), Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace, Max Payne) and Danny Huston (The Kingdom, Children of Men, X-Men Origins: Wolverine). They star alongside an ensemble cast including Steven Strait (City Island), Christian Cooke (Cemetery Junction), Jessica Marais ("Packed to the Rafters"), Yul Vazquez (The A-Team, American Gangster), Dominik Garcia-Lorido (City Island), Kelly Lynch (Drugstore Cowboy, Charlie's Angels) and Elena Satine (Just Go With It).

"Magic City" was created by writer and executive producer Mitch Glazer ("The Recruit," "Scrooged"), who grew up in the glamorous, ominous world of late 1950s Miami Beach, frequenting the lobbies of iconic Miami hotels. Geyer Kosinski (Changeling, The Astronaut Farmer) also executive produces the series along with co-executive producer Ed Bianchi("Deadwood") and Emmy Award® winning producer Dwayne Shattuck ("Mad Men").

The first season of "Magic City" is eight episodes and will debut exclusively on STARZ on Friday, April 6, 2012 at 10pm et/pt.

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 19.6 million and 33.2 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). 

AT&T U-verse^®: Geographic and service restrictions apply to U-verse services. Go to att.com/U-verse to see if you qualify.

For high-resolution images and other press materials please visit the Starz Press Room at www.starz.mediaroom.com.

Contact:

Eric Becker
Starz Entertainment
(720) 852-4065
[email protected]

SOURCE Starz Entertainment