Starzplay is no longer called Starzplay

Date:
Thu, 29 Sep 2022 10:58:56 +0000

Description:
Lionsgate has rebranded its Starzplay streaming service to Lionsgate Plus in international markets.

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Lionsgate-owned streaming service Starzplay has been officially rebranded to Lionsgate Plus (stylized as Lionsgate+) in 35 global territories.

The platform will keep its existing Starz title in the US and Canada and remain as Starzplay Arabia and Lionsgate Play in Arabic countries and Southeast Asia, respectively though these versions will likewise benefit
from new design elements and an updated graphics package.

Despite rumors suggesting that Lionsgate is looking to sell off stakes in Starz, the company says the move to rebrand Starzplay internationally comes
in a bid to help differentiate the service in a crowded streaming market. Welcome to LIONSGATE+ #LionsgatePlus pic.twitter.com/M1CL39hkSu September
28, 2022 See more

Operating under Lionsgate Plus internationally brings a distinct and differentiated identity in an increasingly crowded international marketplace, and builds on the brand equity in the Lionsgate name that our extensive research has proven is strong around the world, Jeffrey Hirsch, president and CEO of Starz, said in a statement.

Even with the separation of Starz and the Lionsgate studio business, the Lionsgate brand will continue to be valuable to the ongoing success of our international platform.

Following the rebrand, Lionsgate Plus joins several other major streaming services now bearing the Plus affix: Disney Plus , Apple TV Plus and
Paramount Plus to name the three biggest.

Evidently, Lionsgate believes its mission to bring a distinct and differentiated identity to its streaming service is better served by the Lionsgate Plus name, as opposed to Starzplay, although some consumers have expressed confusion towards the move: Me: "Starzplay". What an awful name for a streaming service, "Starzplay". They genuinely couldn't come up with a
worse name than that.Starzplay: pic.twitter.com/YcZ99q0zbX September 28, 2022 See more

Granted, Starzplay wasnt a great name to begin with but while Lionsgate Plus is certainly a more uniform title (by virtue of its competition), its not exactly "distinct and differentiated" in 2022.

The rebrand also risks leaving those not in-the-know thinking that Lionsgate Plus is an entirely separate entity to Starz despite the two platforms sharing the same content slate (which includes shows like Outlander, Power
and Gaslit).

Lionsgate isnt the only studio to fall into the Plus honeytrap, mind. Epix, the MGM-owned premium cable network, was recently rebranded to MGM Plus (stylized as MGM+) following Amazons high-profile acquisition of the James Bond production company in 2021.

For more of the latest streaming-related news, check out our report on Netflixs bold new plan to make you engage with its video games , and our deep-dive into the production troubles affecting Marvels upcoming Blade movie .



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/starzplay-is-no-longer-called-starzplay/


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