Lionsgate is rebranding international streamer, StarzPlay, to Lionsgate Plus in 35 countries.
These countries include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK in Europe; Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela in Central and South America; and Australia and Japan in the Asian-Pacific.
In the U.S. and Canada, the service will remain Starz. StarzPlay Arabia will remain in place in the Middle East and North Africa, while Lionsgate Play will stay put in South and Southeast Asia.
The announcement came on the same day that MGM announced it was rebranding its streaming service, Epix, to MGM Plus around the world.
Lionsgate, which acquired Starz for $4.4 billion in 2016, is also considering selling a stake in its studio business, CNBC reported Wednesday, as opposed to spinning off Starz, which it had been reported to be considering.
Starz’ rebrand to Lionsgate Plus is accompanied by a new brand look and graphics package that rolled out globally on Thursday, September 29.
“We recognized the potential of the global [over-the-top] OTT market early, and over the last few years we have built an incredible global streaming service, which has become a destination for audiences seeking premium, provocative programming,” said Jeffrey Hirsch, president and CEO of Starz, in a statement. “Operating under Lionsgate Plus internationally brings a distinct and differentiated identity in an increasingly crowded international marketplace and builds on the brand equity in the Lionsgate name that our extensive research has proven is strong around the world. Even with the separation of Starz and the Lionsgate studio business, the Lionsgate brand will continue to be valuable to the ongoing success of our international platform.”
Programming available on Lionsgate Plus includes such series as Gaslit, starring Sean Penn and Julia Roberts; the Power franchise; and period dramas such as The White Queen, The Spanish Princess and The Serpent Queen. Upcoming is new series Dangerous Liaisons based on the film of the same name.