Starz Entertainment to Join Comcast`s On Demand Online Trial

Thu Jul 9, 2009 3:41pm EDT
 
[-] Text [+]
Adds 300 Movies and Original Programming with More to Come, Including HD;
Available Online at No Additional Charge to Starz Subscribers
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. & PHILADELPHIA--(Business Wire)--
Starz Entertainment, LLC, which operates 16 premium movie channels including the
flagship Starz and Encore brands, and Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK)
today announced that selections from the programmer`s vast lineup of premium
content will be available online to Comcast Starz subscribers as part of
Comcast`s On Demand Online trial. On Demand Online is a new service that will
significantly expand the number of top-rated TV choices available online at no
additional charge to cable customers. The trial will initially make 300 movies
and other original programming available to Starz subscribers in standard
definition, with HD versions and more content added in coming months. 

Comcast`s Starz subscribers participating in the trial will have online access
to a wide array of programming including:

* Contemporary feature films suchas Hancock, Vantage Point, You Don`t Mess with
the Zohan, Wall-E, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Step Brothers,
National Treasure: Book of Secrets; Pineapple Express, High School Musical 3:
Senior Year, Righteous Kill, No Country for Old Men and Enchanted.
* Starz original series including "Crash", "Head Case", and "Party Down".

Customers will be able in many cases to see the movies and originals online as
soon as they premiere on the standard Comcast video on demand service and before
they air on the linear channels. The content will be initially accessible on
Comcast.net and Fancast.com. 

"At Starz our goal is to allow subscribers to watch our programming whenever and
wherever they want," said Starz Entertainment President and Chief Operating
Officer Bill Myers. "We are delighted to join with Comcast in this trial of
Comcast On Demand Online. Comcast, with its existing base of millions of Starz
subscribers, robust plant and strong commitment to on demand will be a terrific
partner to help explore the new world of Internet video distribution." 

"Starz Entertainment brings some of the most popular contemporary feature films
to television and we are pleased to partner with them to bring their exclusive
content online to consumers for the first time ever at no additional charge to
our existing Starz customers," said Matt Bond, Executive Vice President of
Content Acquisition for Comcast. "The addition of Starz premium content to On
Demand Online`s quickly growing line-up demonstrates the programming industry`s
desire to meet consumers` increasing demand for content online." 

Starz` participation in Comcast`s technical trial comes on the heels of last
month`s joint announcement between Time Warner Inc. and Comcast which introduced
a set of principles called "TV Everywhere." Developed by the two companies, the
principles are designed to serve as a framework to facilitate deployment of
online television content across the industry in a way that is consumer
friendly, pro-competitive and at no additional cost to subscribers. 

Comcast will begin its technical trial of On Demand Online with approximately
5,000 customers from across the U.S. in the coming weeks - the first national
trial of its kind. A major focus of the trial is to test the Company`s new
"authentication" technology, which will allow customers to receive the same
content online for free that they subscribe to on TV. The service will utilize a
simple log-on system for streaming content and, in the future, will allow for
download content to go. The On Demand Online service will roll-out in phases,
adding new features, functionality and content over time to provide consumers
with a new way to watch television. 

On Demand Online is part of Comcast`s Project Infinity, the company`s long-term
vision to give customers an ever growing amount of video content on multiple
platforms, whenever they want. 

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is the nation's
leading provider of entertainment, information and communication products and
services. With 24.1 million cable customers, 15.3 million high-speed Internet
customers, and 6.8 million Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is
principally involved in the development, management and operation of cable
systems and in the delivery of programming content. 

Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television,
Style Network, Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, ten sports
networks operated by Comcast Sports Group and Comcast Interactive Media, which
develops and operates Comcast's Internet businesses, including Comcast.net
(www.comcast.net). Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor,
whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the
Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in
Philadelphia. 

About Starz Entertainment

Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie service provider operating in the
United States. It offers 16 movie channels including the flagship Starz and
Encore brands with approximately 18.1 million and 31.9 million subscribers
respectively. Starz Entertainment airs more than 1,000 movies per month across
its pay TV channels and offers advanced services including Starz HD, Encore HD,
Starz On Demand, Encore On Demand, MoviePlex On Demand, Starz HD On Demand,
Encore HD On Demand, MoviePlex HD On Demand, and Starz Play. Starz Entertainment
(www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a controlled
subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation, and is attributed to Liberty
Entertainment Group, a tracking stock group of Liberty Media Corporation. 

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Comcast Corporation
Jennifer Khoury Newcomb, (215) 286-7408
jennifer_khoury@comcast.com
or
Comcast Corporation
John Demming, (215) 286-8011
john_demming@Comcast.com
or
Starz Entertainment
Tom Southwick, (720) 852-5821
tom.southwick@starz.com
or
Starz Entertainment
Eric Becker, (720) 852-4065
eric.becker@starz.com



Copyright Business Wire 2009

 

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