Starz Partners with T-Mobile to Provide Subscribers with Unlimited Streaming of Original Programing and Movies on the STARZ PLAY Platform without Ever Using Up Their Wireless High-Speed Data
LOS ANGELES & BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — November 10, 2015 — Starz today announced a major new partnership with T-Mobile, allowing STARZ subscribers to watch all of the great STARZ Original series, including “Ash vs Evil Dead,” “Power” and “Outlander,” and exclusive hit movies on their smartphones and other mobile devices through STARZ PLAY, the authenticated online TV Everywhere service for STARZ premium subscribers, without ever eating into their LTE data. The partnership also extends the same benefit to ENCORE and MOVIEPLEX subscribers with the companion ENCORE PLAY and MOVIEPLEX PLAY TV Everywhere services. In addition, prospective STARZ, ENCORE, and MOVIEPLEX subscribers will enjoy the same benefit when viewing STARZ Original series sampled on STARZ.com, in addition to other Starz-hosted digital platforms.
Beginning this Sunday, STARZ, ENCORE and MOVIEPLEX subscribers on a qualifying T-Mobile Simple Choice plan will automatically get these and other new benefits with “Binge On.” No hoops to jump through. No need to sign up. It just works. And the best part—it’s available at absolutely no extra charge.
“Starz is excited to enter into this new partnership with T-Mobile, and we look forward to broadening our relationship to bring other new, exciting offerings to our collective customers in the near future,” said Jeffrey Hirsch, President, Global Marketing and Product Planning at Starz. “‘Binge On’ is a game-changing program that provides enormous benefit to both T-Mobile customers and STARZ subscribers who want to watch our premium originals series and the newest movies on their wireless devices without running up their monthly data usage. Binge-watching ‘Power’ and ‘Outlander’ on the road is a worry-free proposition for T-Mobile customers.”
An hour of HD video uses up to 3 GB of data, and an hour of SD video uses roughly 1 GB. On other wireless networks, that could push customers into overages or more expensive plans. With Binge On, STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY subscribers can watch all they want without watching their wireless data on qualified T-Mobile plans. And all other T-Mobile customers can watch up to 3x longer with Binge On thanks to new technology built into T-Mobile’s network that optimizes video for mobile devices and maximizes quality at DVD (usually 480p) or better.
Today, Americans want to watch when they want, how they want and on any device they choose. And more and more Americans are watching on the go on their mobile devices. In fact, the majority of Millennials – 57 percent − now watch more on their smartphones and other devices than they do on TVs.
And, for US wireless customers, watching STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY and other video is now the No. 1 way they use their wireless data. In fact, video now accounts for a full 48 percent of all wireless data used by wireless customers. And mobile viewing is poised to take off in an even bigger way in the coming years. According to forecasts, mobile video usage is poised to surge more than 400 percent by 2020.
“Today, T-Mobile and Starz are unleashing mobile TV and film,” said John Legere, President and CEO of T-Mobile. “Now, with Binge On, subscribers can watch all the STARZ Original series and blockbuster movies they want without ever eating up their high-speed data. Today, we’re fast-forwarding into a future of TV and film where you watch whenever you want, wherever you want, as long as you want. This is what’s next.”
Starting Sunday, November 15th, Binge On will be available to all STARZ, ENCORE, and MOVIEPLEX subscribers who are also Simple Choice postpaid customers. For more information, see www.t-mobile.com/bingeon.
About the PLAY Services
STARZ PLAY device support is available on a wide array of platforms for displays big and small including Samsung Smart TVs, the Roku Platform, Amazon Fire TV & Fire TV Stick, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Android TV, and Chromecast for TV viewing, PCs/Macs, and personal devices including iPhone, iPad & iPod touch and several Android handsets, tablets and other platforms including Fire HD tablets, NOOK HD, NOOK HD+ and select Google Nexus devices including the Nexus 4, Nexus 7, and Nexus 10. For a complete list of supported devices, please visit assets.starzplay.com/devices.
STARZ PLAY offers hundreds of monthly selections, including exclusive STARZ Original series such as “Ash vs Evil Dead,” “Black Sails,” “Flesh and Bone,” “Blunt Talk,” “Power,” “Outlander,” and “Survivor’s Remorse,” among others; as well as great movies, including first-run films from Disney (Big Hero 6, Into the Woods, McFarland USA); Sony Pictures (Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, Fury, The Wedding Ringer, Whiplash, Annie); and other Hollywood studios. ENCORE PLAY offers hundreds of favorites, including current and classic movies and select series (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Equalizer, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Die Hard, “Diff’rent Strokes,” “Magnum, P.I.”). In addition, MOVIEPLEX PLAY also offers every month additional movies (Mo’ Money, Capote, Midnight Cowboy). 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 hit movies, to the epic tale of “Outlander,” and the breakout series “Power” on their smart phones, tablets, laptops and supported connected TV devices. Playlist functionality allows the user to add movies or series to their Play List to watch later or seamlessly pick up from where they left off in watching a great movie or TV show on any registered device in the account. Additionally, STARZ PLAY subscribers can view a live stream of the STARZ premium channel on any PC or Mac.
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 accessible through 3G/4G cellular, Wi-Fi, and broadband connections. The PLAY services have a recommended minimum required bandwidth of 1Mbps, and a minimum 2.5Mbps for an optimal viewing experience. 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.
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 September 30, 2015, STARZ and ENCORE serve a combined 55.8 million subscribers, including 23.3 million at STARZ, and 32.5 million at ENCORE, making them the largest pair of premium flagship channels in the U.S. STARZ® and ENCORE®, along with Starz Networks' third network 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.
About T-Mobile US, Inc.
As America's Un-carrier, T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is redefining the way consumers and businesses buy wireless services through leading product and service innovation. The Company's advanced nationwide 4G LTE network delivers outstanding wireless experiences to more than 61 million customers who are unwilling to compromise on quality and value. Based in Bellevue, Washington, T-Mobile US provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile and MetroPCS. For more information, please visit http://www.t-mobile.com.
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