History Creator / Starz

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc TCI]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast; before that happened, ownership was transferred from TCI to sister company Liberty Media, both owned by John Malone. Starz has since been spun off as its own company. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years, [[NetworkDecay it gradually shifted away from that focus, and now is a general movie network]]. Encore broke new ground in the TV world in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex (paving the way for its rivals to do the same). Prior to this, the other big premium networks (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister network (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and Creator/TheMovieChannel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}}, Creator/NewLineCinema, Creator/{{Carolco}} and Creator/{{Disney}}'s sub-labels Creator/TouchstonePictures, Creator/HollywoodPictures and then-Disney-owned Creator/MiramaxFilms, they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel; meanwhile, HBO and Showtime rushed to create their own multiplex services, but none of them really got off the ground until 1999-2000, when digital cable started becoming widespread. In 1996, Starz! got its' own extension, with the launch of Starz! 2, which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz! itself (who now has their very own multiplex) expanded, essentially become the premium TV equivalent of a BreakoutCharacter, with Encore and its "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has multiplex networks of its own) tagging along.

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc TCI]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast; before that happened, ownership was transferred from TCI to sister company Liberty Media, both owned by John Malone. Starz has since been spun off as its own company. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years, [[NetworkDecay it gradually shifted away from that focus, and now is a general movie network]]. Encore broke new ground in the TV world in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex (paving the way for its rivals to do the same). Prior to this, the other big premium networks (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister network (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and Creator/TheMovieChannel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}}, Creator/NewLineCinema and Creator/{{Disney}}'s sub-labels Creator/TouchstonePictures, Creator/HollywoodPictures and then-Disney-owned Creator/MiramaxFilms, they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel; meanwhile, HBO and Showtime rushed to create their own multiplex services, but none of them really got off the ground until 1999-2000, when digital cable started becoming widespread. In 1996, Starz! got its' own extension, with the launch of Starz! 2, which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz! itself (who now has their very own multiplex) expanded, essentially become the premium TV equivalent of a BreakoutCharacter, with Encore and its "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has multiplex networks of its own) tagging along.

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc TCI]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast; before that happened, ownership was transferred from TCI to sister company Liberty Media, both owned by John Malone. Starz has since been spun off as its own company. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years, [[NetworkDecay it gradually shifted away from that focus, and now is a general movie network]]. Encore broke new ground in the TV world in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex (paving the way for its rivals to do the same). Prior to this, the other big premium networks (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister network (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and The Movie Channel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}}, Creator/NewLineCinema and Creator/{{Disney}}'s sub-labels Creator/TouchstonePictures, Creator/HollywoodPictures and then-Disney-owned Creator/MiramaxFilms, they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel; meanwhile, HBO and Showtime rushed to create their own multiplex services, but none of them really got off the ground until 1999-2000, when digital cable started becoming widespread. In 1996, Starz! got its' own extension, with the launch of Starz! 2, which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz! itself (who now has their very own multiplex) expanded, essentially become the premium TV equivalent of a BreakoutCharacter, with Encore and its "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has multiplex networks of its own) tagging along.

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its' group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc TCI]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast; before that happened, ownership was transferred from TCI to sister company Liberty Media, both owned by John Malone. Starz has since been spun off as its' own company. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years, [[NetworkDecay it gradually shifted away from that focus, and now is a general movie network]]. Encore broke new ground in the TV world in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex (paving the way for it's rivals to do the same). Prior to this, the other big premium nets (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister net (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and The Movie Channel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}}, Creator/NewLineCinema and Creator/{{Disney}}'s sub-labels Creator/TouchstonePictures, Creator/HollywoodPictures and then-Disney-owned Creator/MiramaxFilms, they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel; meanwhile, HBO and Showtime rushed to create their own multiplex services, but none of them really got off the ground until 1999-2000, when digital cable started becoming widespread. In 1996, Starz! got its' own extension, with the launch of Starz! 2, which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz! itself (who now has their very own multiplex) expanded, essentially become the premium TV equivalent of a BreakoutCharacter, with Encore and it's "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has multiplex nets of its' own) tagging along.

* Starz Cinema: art-house films, launched in 1999; the only multiplex net not to have been rebranded since its' launch.

* Starz Kids & Family: Focused on family-friendly films and some acquired content from Canada (like ''WesternAnimation/AngelaAnaconda''). Started out as two separate nets, Starz! Family (launched in 1999) and Starz! Kids (launched in 2003); they were merged into one net in 2005.

The [=MoviePlex=] nets include:

Nowadays, Starz is entrenched as the third major premium network, with Encore now being the secondary service, and [=MoviePlex=] being the tertiary service. In comparison to its' rivals, who now tend to focus on original series; Starz continues with movies as the primary focus; they do have some original series, including ''Series/DaVincisDemons'', ''Series/{{Boss}}'', ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'', ''Series/{{Outlander}}'', ''Series/TorchwoodMiracleDay'' (as it was partially set in America), ''Series/BluntTalk'', and the upcoming ''Franchise/EvilDead'' series; but it is not their major focus. Perhaps in reflection of this, they have also expanded beyond premium TV into animation (Creator/FilmRoman), anime (Creator/MangaEntertainment), and video distribution (Anchor Bay Entertainemtn, which holds the video rights to many cult titles from companies like Creator/NewWorldPictures); they've also tried their hand at theatrical distribution with Overture Films, but that venture was not a success and was shut down in 2011.

Nowadays, Starz is entrenched as the third major premium network, with Encore now being the secondary service, and [=MoviePlex=] being the tertiary service. In comparison to its' rivals, who now tend to focus on original series; Starz continues with movies as the primary focus; they do have some original series, including ''Series/DaVincisDemons'', ''Series/{{Boss}}'', ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'', ''Series/{{Outlander}}'', ''Series/TorchwoodMiracleDay'' (as it was partially set in America), and the upcoming ''Franchise/EvilDead'' series; but it is not their major focus. Perhaps in reflection of this, they have also expanded beyond premium TV into animation (Creator/FilmRoman), anime (Creator/MangaEntertainment), and video distribution (Anchor Bay Entertainemtn, which holds the video rights to many cult titles from companies like Creator/NewWorldPictures); they've also tried their hand at theatrical distribution with Overture Films, but that venture was not a success and was shut down in 2011.

Nowadays, Starz is entrenched as the third major premium network, with Encore now being the secondary service, and [=MoviePlex=] being the tertiary service. In comparison to its' rivals, who now tend to focus on original series; Starz continues with movies as the primary focus; they do have some original series, including ''Series/DaVincisDemons'', ''Series/{{Boss}}'', ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'', ''Series/{{Outlander}}'', and even ''Series/TorchwoodMiracleDay'' (as it was partially set in America); but it is not their major focus. Similarly, sports are not part of the schedules on any of the networks either. Perhaps in reflection of this, they have also expanded beyond premium TV into animation (Creator/FilmRoman), anime (Creator/MangaEntertainment), and video distribution (Anchor Bay, which hold the video rights to many old or cult titles from companies like New World, Disney and Universal); they've also tried their hand at theatrical distribution with Overture Films, but that venture was not a success and was shut down in 2011.

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its' group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc TCI]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast; before that happened, ownership was transferred from TCI to sister company Liberty Media, both owned by John Malone. Starz has since been spun off as its' own company. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years, it gradually shifted away from that focus, and now is a general movie net. Encore broke new ground in the TV world in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex (paving the way for it's rivals to do the same). Prior to this, the other big premium nets (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister net (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and The Movie Channel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}}, Creator/NewLineCinema and Creator/{{Disney}}'s sub-labels Creator/TouchstonePictures, Creator/HollywoodPictures and then-Disney-owned Creator/MiramaxFilms, they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel; meanwhile, HBO and Showtime rushed to create their own multiplex services, but none of them really got off the ground until 1999-2000, when digital cable started becoming widespread. In 1996, Starz! got its' own extension, with the launch of Starz! 2, which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz! itself (who now has their very own multiplex) expanded, essentially become the premium TV equivalent of a BreakoutCharacter, with Encore and it's "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has multiplex nets of its' own) tagging along.

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its' group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc TCI]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast; before that happened, ownership was transferred from TCI to sister company Liberty Media, both owned by John Malone. Starz has since been spun off as its' own company. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years, it gradually shifted away from that focus, and now is a general movie net. Encore broke new ground in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex. Prior to this, the other big premium nets (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister net (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and The Movie Channel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}}, Creator/NewLineCinema and Creator/{{Disney}}'s sub-labels Creator/TouchstonePictures, Creator/HollywoodPictures and then-Disney-owned Creator/MiramaxFilms, they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel. In 1996, Starz! got its' own multiplex, with the launch of Starz! 2 (rebranded in 1999 as Starz! Theater) which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz! itself expanded, essentially become the premium TV equivalent of a BreakoutCharacter, with Encore and it's "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has multiplex nets of its' own) tagging along.

The Starz Multiplex (previously known as the Starz! Super Pak) includes:

* Starz Comedy: ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin; launched in 2005, though planned to launch in 2002 but was postponed for some reason.

The reason the [=MoviePlex=] nets somewhat mirror some of the Starz and Encore channels is because they're typically free with normal cable packages, as compared to the Starz and Encore bouquets, which are often bundled together for extra money.

Nowadays, Starz is entrenched as the third major premium network, with Encore now being the secondary service, and [=MoviePlex=] being the tertiary service. Starz is pretty much the same as when it launched, running hit movies, in comparison to its' pay station rivals, who now tend to focus on original series; Starz themselves do have some original series, including ''Series/DaVincisDemons'', ''Series/{{Boss}}'', ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'', ''Series/{{Outlander}}'', and even ''Series/TorchwoodMiracleDay'' (as it was partially set in America); but it is not their major focus, movies are. Perhaps in reflection of this, they have also expanded beyond TV into animation (Creator/FilmRoman), anime (Creator/MangaEntertainment), and video distribution (Anchor Bay, which hold the video rights to many old or cult titles from companies like New World Pictures, Disney and Universal); they've also tried their hand at theatrical distribution with Overture Films, but that venture was not a success and was shut down in 2011.

* Encore Westerns: The main place for Western movies and series;much like the genre itself, it's somehow still kicking.

* Starz [=inBlack=]: African-American movies; started in 1997 as a joint network with Creator/{{BET}}; they dropped out in 2001 when Viacom (then-owner of rival Showtime) bought them; it was then known as Black Starz! until 2005.

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its' group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc TCI]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast; before that happened, ownership was transferred from TCI to sister company Liberty Media, both owned by John Malone. Starz has since been spun off as its' own company. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years, it gradually shifted away from that focus, and now is a general movie net. Encore broke new ground in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex. Prior to this, the other big premium nets (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister net (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and The Movie Channel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}}, Creator/NewLineCinema and Creator/{{Disney}}'s sub-labels Creator/TouchstonePictures, Creator/HollywoodPictures and then-Disney-owned Creator/MiramaxFilms, they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel. In 1996, Starz got its' own multiplex, with the launch of Starz 2 (rebranded in 1999 as Starz Theater) which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz itself expanded, essentially become the premium TV equivalent of a BreakoutCharacter, with Encore and it's "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has multiplex nets of its' own) tagging along.

The Starz Multiplex (previously known as the Starz Super Pak) includes:

* Starz Edge: 18-34 age range movies; previously Starz! 2 and Starz Theater, rebranded in 2005.
* Starz [=inBlack=]: African-American movies; started in 1997 as a joint network with Creator/{{BET}}; they dropped out in 2001 when Viacom (then-owner of rival Showtime) bought them; it was then known as Black Starz until 2005.
* Starz Kids & Family: Focused on family-friendly films and some acquired content from Canada (like ''WesternAnimation/AngelaAnaconda''). Started out as two separate nets, Starz Family (launched in 1999) and Starz Kids (launched in 2003); they were merged into one net in 2005.

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its' group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc TCI]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast; before that happened, ownerhsip was transferred from TCI to sister company Liberty Media, both owned by John Malone. Starz has since been spun off as its' own company. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years, it gradually shifted away from that focus, and now is a general movie net. Encore broke new ground in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex. Prior to this, the other big premium nets (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister net (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and The Movie Channel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and more recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}}, Creator/NewLineCinema and Creator/{{Disney}} (but only their sub-labels at that point: Touchstone, Hollywood and Miramax), they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel. In 1996, Starz got its' own multiplex, with the launch of Starz 2 (rebranded in 1999 as Starz Theater) which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz itself expanded, essentially become the premium TV equivalent of a BreakoutCharacter, with Encore and it's "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has multiplex nets of its' own) tagging along.

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its' group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc TCI]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast; before that happened, ownerhsip was transferred from TCI to sister company Liberty Media, both owned by John Malone. Starz has since been spun off as its' own company. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years, it gradually shifted away from that focus, and now is a general movie net. Encore broke new ground in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex. Prior to this, the other big premium nets (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister net (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and The Movie Channel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and more recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}}, Creator/NewLineCinema and Creator/{{Disney}} (but only their sub-labels at that point: Touchstone, Hollywood and Miramax), they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel. In 1996, Starz got its' own multiplex, with the launch of Starz 2 (rebranded in 1999 as Starz Theater) which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz itself expanded, with Encore and it's "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has multiplex nets of its' own) tagging along.

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its' group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc TCI]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years, it gradually shifted away from that focus, and now is a general movie net. Encore broke new ground in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex. Prior to this, the other big premium nets (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister net (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and The Movie Channel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and more recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}}, Creator/NewLineCinema and Creator/{{Disney}} (but only their sub-labels at that point: Touchstone, Hollywood and Miramax), they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel. In 1996, Starz got its' own multiplex, with the launch of Starz 2 (rebranded in 1999 as Starz Theater) which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz itself expanded, with Encore and it's "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has multiplex nets of its' own) tagging along.

[[quoteright:685:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/5daf914fadad1bce27dddf2a609e0857.jpg]]

[[caption-width-right:685:Taking You Places]]

Nowadays, Starz is entrenched as the third major premium network, with Encore now being the secondary service, and [=MoviePlex=] being the tertiary service. Starz is pretty much the same as when it launched, running hit movies, in comparison to its' pay station rivals, who now tend to focus on original series; Starz themselves do have some original series, including ''Series/DaVincisDemons'', ''Series/{{Boss}}'', ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'', ''Series/{{Outlander}}'', and even ''Series/TorchwoodMiracleDay'' (as it was partially set in America); but it is not their major focus, movies are. Perhaps in reflection of this, they have also expanded beyond TV into animation (Creator/FilmRoman), anime (Creator/MangaEntertainment), and video distribution (Anchor Bay, which hold the video rights to many old or cult titles from companies like New World Pictures, Disney and Universal); they've also tried their hand at theatrical distribution with Overture Films, but that venture was not a success and was shut down in 2011.

The MoviePlex nets include:
* IndiePlex: Much like Starz Cinema.
* RetroPlex: Much like Encore Classic.
The reason the MoviePlex nets somewhat mirror some of the Starz and Encore channels is because they're typically free with normal cable packages, as compared to the Starz and Encore bouquets, which are often bundled together for extra money.

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its' group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc TCI]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years it gradually shifted away from that focus, but it still airs older movies. Encore broke new ground in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex. Prior to this, the other big premium nets (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister net (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and The Movie Channel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and more recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}}, Creator/NewLineCinema and Creator/{{Disney}} (but only their sub-labels at that point: Touchstone, Hollywood and Miramax), they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel. In 1996, Starz got its' own multiplex, with the launch of Starz 2 (rebranded in 1999 as Starz Theater) which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz itself expanded, with Encore and it's "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has two multiplex nets of its' own, [=IndiePlex=] and [=RetroPlex=]) tagging along.

Their multiplex (previously known as the Starz Super Pak) includes:

* Starz [=InBlack=]: African-American movies; started in 1997 as a joint network with Creator/{{BET}}; they dropped out in 2001 when Viacom (then-owner of rival Showtime) bought them; it was then known as Black Starz until 2005.

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its' group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc TCI]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years it gradually shifted away from that focus, but it still airs older movies. Encore broke new ground in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex. Prior to this, the other big premium nets (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister net (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and The Movie Channel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and more recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}}, CreatorNewLineCinema and Creator/{{Disney}} (but only their sub-labels at that point: Touchstone, Hollywood and Miramax), they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel. In 1996, Starz got its' own multiplex, with the launch of Starz 2 (rebranded in 1999 as Starz Theater) which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz itself expanded, with Encore and it's "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has two multiplex nets of its' own, [=IndiePlex=] and [=RetroPlex=]) tagging along.

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its' group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc TCI]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years it gradually shifted away from that focus, but it still airs older movies. Encore broke new ground in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex. Prior to this, the other big premium nets (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister net (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and The Movie Channel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and more recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}} and some other studios, they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel. In 1996, Starz got its' own multiplex, with the launch of Starz 2 (rebranded in 1999 as Starz Theater) which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz itself expanded, with Encore and it's "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has two multiplex nets of its' own, [=IndiePlex=] and [=RetroPlex=]) also gaining viewers.

Nowadays, Starz is pretty much the same as when it launched, running hit movies, in comparison to its' pay station rivals, who now tend to focus on original series; Starz themselves do have some original series, including ''Series/DaVincisDemons'', ''Series/{{Boss}}'', ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'', ''Series/{{Outlander}}'', and even ''Series/TorchwoodMiracleDay'' (as it was partially set in America); but it is not their major focus, movies are. Perhaps in reflection of this, they have also expanded beyond TV into animation (Creator/FilmRoman), anime (Creator/MangaEntertainment), and video distribution (Anchor Bay, which hold the video rights to many old or cult titles from companies like New World Pictures, Creator/{{Disney}} and Universal); they've also tried their hand at theatrical distribution with Overture Films, but that venture was not a success and was shut down in 2011.

Nowadays, Starz is pretty much the same as when it launched, running hit movies, in comparison to its' pay station rivals, who now tend to focus on original series; Starz themselves do have some original series, including ''Series/DaVincisDemons'', ''Series/{{Boss}}'', ''Series/SpartacusBloodAndSand'', ''Series/{{Outlander}}'', and even ''Series/TorchwoodMiracleDay'' (as it was partially set in America); but it is not their major focus, movies are. Perhaps in reflection of this, they have also expanded beyond TV into animation (Creator/FilmRoman), anime (Creator/MangaEntertainment), and video distribution (Anchor Bay, which hold the video rights to many old or cult titles from companies like Creator/NewWorldPictures, Creator/{{Disney}} and Universal); they've also tried their hand at theatrical distribution with Overture Films, but that venture was not a success and was shut down in 2011.

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its' group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc TCI]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years it gradually shifted away from that focus, but it still airs older movies. Encore broke new ground in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex. Prior to this, the other big premium nets (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister net that focused on other things (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and The Movie Channel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and more recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}} and some other studios, they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel. In 1996, Starz got its' own multiplex, with the launch of Starz 2 (rebranded in 1999 as Starz Theater) which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz itself expanded, with Encore and it's "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has two multiplex nets of its' own, [=IndiePlex=] and [=RetroPlex=]) also gaining viewers.

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its' group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[TCI http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc.]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years it gradually shifted away from that focus, but it still airs older movies. Encore broke new ground in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex. Prior to this, the other big premium nets (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister net that focused on other things (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and The Movie Channel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and more recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}} and some other studios, they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel. In 1996, Starz got its' own multiplex, with the launch of Starz 2 (rebranded in 1999 as Starz Theater) which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz itself expanded, with Encore and it's "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has two multiplex nets of its' own, [=IndiePlex=] and [=RetroPlex=]) also gaining viewers.

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its' group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc.]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years it gradually shifted away from that focus, but it still airs older movies. Encore broke new ground in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex. Prior to this, the other big premium nets (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister net that focused on other things (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and The Movie Channel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and more recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}} and some other studios, they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel. In 1996, Starz got its' own multiplex, with the launch of Starz 2 (rebranded in 1999 as Starz Theater) which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz itself expanded, with Encore and it's "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has two multiplex nets of its' own, [=IndiePlex=] and [=RetroPlex=]) also gaining viewers.

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its' group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc. TCI]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years it gradually shifted away from that focus, but it still airs older movies. Encore broke new ground in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex. Prior to this, the other big premium nets (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister net that focused on other things (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and The Movie Channel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and more recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}} and some other studios, they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel. In 1996, Starz got its' own multiplex, with the launch of Starz 2 (rebranded in 1999 as Starz Theater) which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz itself expanded, with Encore and it's "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has two multiplex nets of its' own, [=IndiePlex=] and [=RetroPlex=]) also gaining viewers.

Starz is a premium cable network launched in 1994, specializing in first-run movies. Unusually, it did not start as the first channel in its' group; that honor would go to sister network Encore, which launched in 1991 under the ownership of then-giant cable provider [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tele-Communications_Inc. TCI]], which has since been absorbed into Comcast. Encore started out as a solo channel, focusing on older movies, much like Creator/{{AMC}} back in those days. Over the years it gradually shifted away from that focus, but it still airs older movies. Encore broke new ground in 1994 when it started the first themed premium multiplex. Prior to this, the other big premium nets (Creator/{{HBO}}, Creator/{{Showtime}}) had at least one additional channel for themselves, and a sister net that focused on other things (Creator/{{Cinemax}} and The Movie Channel, respectively) that focused on more obscure titles. Encore's plan was to have 7 different channels focusing on one specific genre (action flicks, westerns, etc.) But when they acquired some rights to first-run and more recent movies from Creator/{{Universal}} and some other studios, they decided to create an 8th channel to show only these movies: [[ExcitedShowTitle Starz!]] It launched on February 1, 1994, primarily on TCI cable systems. However, it and the Encore multiplex continued to grow in the following years, as providers began to pick up the channel. In 1996, Starz got its' own multiplex, with the launch of Starz 2 (rebranded in 1999 as Starz Theater) which had a unique scheduling practice: the same movies each day for a week at the same times, like a movie theater. Gradually, the multiplex and Starz itself expanded, with Encore and it's "sampler" service [=MoviePlex=] (which has since dropped that schedule and now has two multiplex nets of its' own, [=IndiePlex=] and [=RetroPlex=]) also gaining viewers.