Starz Signs New Distribution Deal With Verizon Fios

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In the midst of a blackout on Altice USA cable systems, Starz announced Friday (Jan. 5) that it signed a new agreement with Verizon’s Fios service.

Financial details of the new Starz-Fios deal were not disclosed. Starz described the pact as a multi-year agreement that extends the Fios TV affiliate agreement.

Starz, owned by Lionsgate, said Verizon will continue to offer the full complement of Starz offerings including premium pay TV channels, on-demand and online services.

“Verizon has done a tremendous job in selling our premium services to FiOS subscribers,” said Jeffrey Hirsch, COO for Starz. ”They are an industry leader in offering the best video content for its FiOS TV customers, and we look forward to working with them to enhance the premium experience for their Starz and Starz Encore subscribers.”

Also on Friday, Starz sent Altice USA a cease and desist letter demanding that the MSO stop making false claims to customers about the two companies' carriage negotiations. Starz has been blacked out on Altice USA systems since New Year’s Day, when their existing agreement expired and negotiations did not result in a new deal.

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.