Starz Ready To "Play" On New Devices - STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, MOVIEPLEX PLAY Support Launched For Barnes & Noble NOOK® HD And NOOK® HD+, Google Nexus Devices, And More

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., May 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Starz announced a vast first wave of new device support for its popular online authenticated TV Everywhere services, STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY.  The launch includes support for popular handsets and tablets on Android and other platforms including NOOK HD and NOOK HD+, and select Google Nexus devices including the Nexus 4, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10.

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Starz has also launched simultaneously availability of the free PLAY platform applications in the Google Play and NOOK Apps storefronts.  For a complete list of supported devices, please visit assets.starzplay.com/devices.  Additional devices and app platforms are expected to launch later this year.  

Lastly, 3G/4G cellular access has been added to the service feature, giving PLAY users an additional connectivity option in addition to broadband/Wi-Fi.  The PLAY services have a recommended minimum required bandwidth of 1Mbps, and a minimum 2.5Mbps for an optimal viewing experience.

AT&T U-verse TV, Cox Communications, DIRECTV and Verizon FiOS currently offer the PLAY services for their premium subscribers to the Starz premium services. Several new distributor launches are expected in 2013.

STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY offer robust online monthly access to approximately 1,500 of the premier movies, originals, and additional TV episodes from the respective Starz premium services. Provided at no additional monthly charge, the three authenticated online PLAY services provide a suite of easy-to-use, online viewing options for STARZ, ENCORE, and MOVIEPLEX subscribers to enjoy the quality original programming and commercial-free movies offered on the respective STARZ, ENCORE, and MOVIEPLEX services.

STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY are also available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch as free downloads from the App Store. The STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY PC/Mac^® interfaces are available at www.starzplay.com, www.encoreplay.com, and www.movieplexplay.com respectively.

STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY and MOVIEPLEX PLAY are accessible currently through cellular, Wi-Fi, and broadband connections. Gaming console support is expected to be launched in the future.  

More about the PLAY Services

STARZ PLAY offers approximately 400 monthly selections, including 300 movies comprising first-run films from Disney (Brave, Cars 2) and Sony (The Amazing Spider-Man, Zero Dark Thirty, Men in Black 3, Hotel Transylvania, Looper) and other great films from a wide selection of Hollywood studios, and 100 episodes of exclusive STARZ Original series, including "Da Vinci's Demons, ""Spartacus," and "Magic City."  ENCORE PLAY offers about 900 monthly selections, with 300 movies and select series (Moneyball, John Carter, The Muppets, Jurassic Park, Air Force One, Waterworld, The Flintstones and "North And South"). MOVIEPLEX PLAY (Bram Stoker's Dracula, I Know What You Did Last Summer, The English Patient, Donnie Brasco, The Amityville Horror) offers additionally about 200 movies every month.

With simple and intuitive layouts and designs, the STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY applications offer fun and easy 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 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. 

About Starz
Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) is a leading integrated global media and entertainment company with operating units that provide premium subscription video programming on domestic U.S. pay television channels (Starz Networks), global content distribution (Starz Distribution) and animated television and movie production (Starz Animation), www.starz.com.

Starz Networks is a leading provider of premium subscription video programming through the flagship STARZ^® and ENCORE^® pay TV networks which showcase premium original programming and movies to U.S. multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies.  As of December 31, 2012, STARZ and ENCORE serve a combined 56 million subscribers, including 21 million at STARZ, and 35 million at ENCORE, making them the largest pair of premium flagship channels in the U.S.  STARZ^® and ENCORE^®, along with Starz Networks' third flagship brand, MOVIEPLEX^®, air more than 1,000 movies monthly across 17 linear networks, complemented by On Demand and authenticated online offerings through STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY.  Starz Distribution develops, produces and acquires entertainment content, distributing it to consumers globally on DVD, digital formats and traditional television.  Starz Distribution's home video, digital media and worldwide distribution business units distribute original programming content produced by Starz, as well as entertainment content for itself and third parties.  Starz Animation produces animated TV and movie content for studios, networks, distributors and audiences worldwide.

Google, Nexus, Android and Google Play are trademarks of Google, Inc.

Contact:

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

SOURCE Starz