STARZ VIEWERSHIP SPIKES 44% WITH A 142% INCRESE IN NEW SUBSCRIBERS

Starz has seen an increase in viewership and new sign-ups amid the implementation of social distancing restrictions in the U.S..The app saw a 44% jump in average viewership and a 142% increase in new customers since the stay-at-home orders were enforced as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. According to Nielsen, the number of minutes spent viewing streaming content grew by about 8.5 billion minutes for the week of 6 April compared to the week prior. The 169.9 streaming minute total is now the most weekly minutes streamed since at least the beginning of March 2020. Shares of Lionsgate, the parent company of Starz, have risen more than 40% in the last month, in part because of the success of Starz. 

On Thursday on CNBC’s “The Exchange,” Starz CEO, Jeff Hirsch assured that upcoming new releases won’t be delayed or suffer any impact from production shutdowns in the entertainment industry at large. Even as production in Hollywood is on pause, Hirsch doesn’t foresee any release interruptions for the platform. Upcoming new episodes of shows aren’t expected to face any impact from production shutdowns in the entertainment industry at large. Hirsch explained that technology is being used to house virtual writer rooms, and editing is continuing so that shows that are done being filmed can finish their post-production work. “We usually work a year in advance,” Hirsch said. “So most of our shows that will come online this year are in post [production]. So, we don’t see us having an interruption this year.”

The app, which usually costs $9 a month, is currently discounted to $5 a month for three months. In addition to “Outlander,” Starz is also home to “American Gods,” “Vida,” “The Spanish Princess” and “Dublin Murders,” among other titles. Similarly, Disney recently announced its rival streaming service Disney+ now had more than 50 million subscribers, which was twice the amount reported in February. “It’s a hit-driven business, but I think the world has changed significantly from the days where one hit show could make a network,” Hirsch said. “And now you need a portfolio approach, with the click-in and click-out world that you have in the digital apps today. So, it’s really the portfolio approach of content that keeps consumers on the service coming back week after week after week.”