Starz (TV Channel) - Channels

Channels

Starz operates six multiplex channels, a high-definition simulcast of all six channels, and a video-on-demand service. Starz packages the Eastern/Central and Pacific/Mountain feeds of the main Starz channel together, allowing viewers to watch the same movie/program three hours earlier or later.

• Starz: The flagship channel; features hit movies and first-run films from Hollywood blockbusters to indie flicks and international pictures, along with some original series.
• Starz Cinema: The destination for movies with enduring themes, films outside the mainstream cinema, and arthouse films; launched in 1999.
• Starz Comedy: Lighthearted flicks and movies that make you laugh; took over the channel space from Starz! Kids in 2005; the channel was originally slated to launch as a separate multiplex channel in 2002, but plans were postponed for unknown reasons.
• Starz Edge: Films for the new generation, aimed at the 18 to 34-year-old demographic; launched in 1996, originally known as Starz! 2 and later Starz! Theater
• Starz In Black: Dedicated to showcasing the best in black cinema and urban entertainment; including first-run hits, classical films, Pan-African films and original productions. Launched in 1997, Starz in Black was previously known as BET Movies: Starz! (when it was co-owned with BET), then renamed Black Starz, when BET was opted out of the venture and purchased by Viacom.
• Starz Kids & Family: Features commercial-free family movies from action and adventure movies to comedies to family treasures, along with some animated and imported live-action children's series; includes "Building Blocks", a weekday morning block of (primarily Canadian) animated series and "Six Block", a weekday evening block of imported live-action series aimed at pre-teens. This channel previously was two services: Starz! Kids (launched in 2004) and Starz! Family (launched in 2000), but both were merged into one channel in 2005. Unlike Encore Family (which replaced Encore Wam in August 2011), Starz Kids & Family will still mix some PG-13 rated films onto its schedule, along with G- and PG-rated films.

In 1994, Encore launched the industry's first "themed" extension - seven additional channels that each focused on a specific genre. Initially, this was to be six channels, but Encore decided to launch its own competitor to HBO and Showtime, dubbed Starz!, acquiring the rights to first-run Universal Studios films.

Each was given its own number to identify itself as an Encore channel (see Encore article for more information). Starz was the notable exception as it continued to use the "Encore 8" branding in its main idents and movie openers until 2002, even as it was separated entirely from the Encore brand and in the late 1990s, given its own family of channels. The first of which was Starz! 2 in 1996, then in 1997, a multiplex channel that served as a joint venture with BET called BET Movies: Starz! 3 debuted, which later became Black Starz! after BET was opted out of the venture and was acquired by Viacom (then owner of Starz's rival Showtime) in 2001. In May 1999, two additional multiplex channels were added; the first was a family movie channel (possibly launched in response to the earlier launch of HBO's own family service, HBO Family) called Starz! Family, which aired only family movies, and the other service was Starz Cinema, a movie channel featuring thought-provoking independent films and movies outside of mainstream cinema. Starz! 2 was also reformatted as Starz! Theater, offering four different movies programmed movie-theater style throughout the week.

In 2004, Starz! Kids was launched, aimed at children ages 2- to 11-years-old, and carried a similar format to that of Starz! Family. Unlike the rest of the Starz multiplex, Starz Kids was launched on individual cable systems instead of nationwide, similar to HBO2 and MoreMax (then Cinemax 2) when they were launched in 1991.

On March 28, 2005, Starz and Encore both underwent major rebrands. While Encore's rebrand involved a slightly modified logo and the addition of the Encore name to all of its channels, Starz's makeover was more dramatic, opting for a completely redesigned logo and cohesive graphics package across all channels. Several channels formats were changed completely. Starz Theater, a channel that showed four Starz films at fixed times all week, changed its name and format, respectively, to Starz Edge, a movie channel for young men (also known as "The New Generation"). Starz Kids and Starz Family were merged into one channel (Starz Kids and Family) to make room for a new channel called Starz Comedy. And to fit in with the new look, Black Starz was renamed Starz InBlack. Starz Cinema was the only Starz channel other than the main channel to keep its original name.

The Starz Multiplex has been given several names over the years, including "Starz Super Pak." The multiplex now has no "official" name, and viewers are simply told they are watching "one of the six Starz channels." An unofficial name for the Starz and Encore channels on Dish Network is the 'Starz Moviepack,' while other providers who bundle all of the channels still use the "Starz Super Pak" moniker.

Effective February 1, 2011, in celebration of Dish Network's 15th anniversary, every Dish customer, whether or not they subscribed to the premium channels, got all seven channels of Starz and the East Coast feed of Encore for free until February 1, 2012.