STRZA Starz - Series A

By Austen Hufford 

Starz's series "Outlander" may be set in 18th-century Scotland, but Tuesday the company moved into the streaming-focused 21st century.

On Tuesday morning, Starz released new smartphone-tablet applications that let users watch and download shows and movies without having a cable TV subscription, the latest network to do so as companies seek viewership from those who have cut their cable cord or never had a cable subscription in the first place.

Starz, which was founded as a premium, movie-focused television network, previously didn't let non-television consumers access its offerings.

In December, Amazon.com Inc. said subscribers to its own Amazon Prime video streaming service could access Starz content for an additional fee.

In order to access Starz's new $8.99 digital plan, subscribers sign up with its mobile apps and then they get full access to its programs, including on laptops and desktops. Monthly subscriptions to Netflix cost between $7.99 and $11.99 and subscriptions to HBO's streaming service HBO Now costs $14.99.

The number of pay-TV households will fall at an accelerating rate for at least the next four years, reaching a 1.4% decline in 2019, eMarketer estimates. By that year, eMarketer estimates that almost 23% of U.S. households won't pay for traditional TV.

"Our programming will now be more widely available to the 20 million broadband only homes of cord nevers, cord cutters and cord shavers, including millennials and other underserved consumers who need other viable subscription service options," Chief Executive Chris Albrecht said.

Twitter Inc., meanwhile, obtained the global rights to stream online 10 of the National Football League's Thursday night games, the league said Tuesday, in a push to make more games available to cord-cutters and globally.

In a move to increase adoption, Starz also said that its "Outlander" season two premier would appear on its streaming service two days ahead of its television showing.

Shares of Starz fell 2% to $25.20 and are down $23% in the last three months.

Write to Austen Hufford at austen.hufford@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 05, 2016 11:10 ET (15:10 GMT)

Starz - Series A (NASDAQ:STRZA)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jun 2024 to Jul 2024

Starz - Series A (NASDAQ:STRZA)
Historical Stock Chart
From Jul 2023 to Jul 2024