As part of a major rebranding initiative, come April 5 Starz and Starz Encore will come together under the flagship Starz brand. The network hopes that the alignment of both networks under the single master brand will mean simpler access to the networks’ multi-platform content for subscribers and offer advertisers more unified marketing opportunities all around.
In a statement, Jeffrey Hirsch, Starz president of global marketing and product planning, said that the rebrand is about sticking to its fan-first ethos and offering better opportunities for distributors
The new Starz Encore channels will have a new look and logo, as of Monday. Each channel will now have “Starz” in the brand name and all Starz original content will now be available to Encore subscribers. The Starz service now has 14 distinct linear channels, with 11 in HD. They’ll offer about 5,000 movie titles and television episodes every year, including nearly 2,200 movies. Linear TV, on-demand, and online are all offered in the monthly subscription.
Starz viewers are super fans. To tap into their base, Starz partnered with branding agency Troika, whose Research & Insights department “specializes in understanding fans and fandom.” Overall, 85 percent of adults consider themselves fans of something and 70 percent identify specifically as fans of a certain TV series, according to Starz’ statement. To tap into this, the rebrand includes a new look for Starz: Obsessables, which airs content, including original programming, aimed at viewers who ” watch more closely, discuss more fervently and evangelize more effectively.” We’re talking Star Wars, Outlander, and Ash vs. Evil Dead audiences.
Simplification is always a good thing, right?