Lionsgate-owned streaming service Starzplay has been officially rebranded as Lionsgate Plus (stylized as Lionsgate+) in 35 global territories.
The platform will retain its existing Starz title in the United States and Canada, and will continue to be Starzplay Arabia and Lionsgate Play in the Arab countries and Southeast Asia, respectively, although these versions will also benefit from new design elements and enhancements to a game package. updated graphics.
Despite rumors suggesting Lionsgate is looking to sell stakes in Starz, the company says Starzplay's international rebranding is intended to help differentiate the service in a crowded streaming market.
Welcome to LIONSGATE+ 😏 #LionsgatePlus pic.twitter.com/M1CL39hkSuSeptember 28, 2022
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"Operating under Lionsgate Plus internationally brings a distinct and differentiated identity to an increasingly crowded international marketplace, and builds on the brand value of the Lionsgate name that our extensive research has proven strong around the world," Jeffrey Hirsch, Starz chairman and chief executive officer, he said in a statement.
"Even with the separation of Starz and the Lionsgate Studios business, the Lionsgate brand will remain valuable to the continued success of our international platform."
Following the rebrand, Lionsgate Plus joins several other major streaming services now carrying the 'Plus' affix: Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus and Paramount Plus, to name the three biggest.
Lionsgate clearly believes that its mission to bring "a distinct and differentiated identity" to its streaming service is best served by the name Lionsgate Plus, as opposed to Starzplay, although some consumers have expressed confusion about this decision:
Me: "Starzplay." What a horrible name for a streaming service, "Starzplay". They really couldn't come up with a worse name than that. Starzplay: pic.twitter.com/YcZ99q0zbXSeptember 28, 2022
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Admittedly, Starzplay wasn't much of a name to begin with, but while Lionsgate Plus is certainly a more uniform title (due to its competition), it's not exactly "separate and distinct" in 2022.
The rebranding also risks leaving those in the dark who think Lionsgate Plus is an entirely separate entity from Starz, even though the two platforms share the same slate of content (which includes shows like Outlander, Power and Gaslite).
Lionsgate isn't the only studio to fall into the 'Plus' trap. Epix, the MGM-owned premium cable network, was recently renamed MGM Plus (stylized as MGM+) following Amazon's high-profile acquisition of the James Bond production company in 2021.
For more on the latest streaming-related news, check out our report on Netflix's bold new plan to get you involved in its video games, and our in-depth look at the production issues plaguing Marvel's upcoming Blade movie. .