A new, unified app from Starz that supports the premium programmer’s new OTT subscription offering and serves as a TV Everywhere platform for Starz’s pay TV partners has expanded its reach with a version that runs on select Android TV devices.
The app, which provides on-demand access to Starz original series such as Black Sails, Outlander, The Girlfriend Experience and Power and hundreds of movies (Star Wars: The Force Awakens is coming to Starz later this year), is now offered on Android TV-powered devices such as the Google Nexus Player and certain models of connected TVs from Sony.
The Android TV expansion adds to other platforms supported by the new Starz app, including the Google Chromecast adapter, Apple TV (fourth-gen and newer), iPhones and iPads, and most Android smartphones and tablets.
Starz launched the new app in April, offering a streaming platform that supports the network’s $8.99 per month OTT service – sold via the Apple App Store and Google Play -- while also supplying authenticated access to viewers who get the service from a pay TV provider. (Early on, Comcast is not authenticating subs for the new Starz app, but does provide access to Starz content via the MSO’s Xfinity TV and Xfinity TV Go apps.).
The new Starz app also delivers content (for streaming and downloading) from the Starz sister networks, Movieplex and the recently rebranded Starz Encore.
Amazon also sells Starz subscriptions as an add-on, for $8.99 per month, to Amazon Prime members.
The flagship Starz service has about 24 million U.S. subs, and Starz Encore has 32.4 million subs.
