Feb. 1, 1994
Starz launches with the movie “Scent of a Woman.”
March 15, 1996
A second Starz channel, Starz Theater, premieres with another Pacino pic — “Carlito’s Way.”
Feb. 1, 1997
Starz launches a third channel, BET Movies/Starz, which is renamed Black Starz in February 2001.
Dec. 31, 1998
Encore Media Group, which
controls the Starz and Encore channels, completes the year with a positive cash flow for the first time.
May 1, 1999
Starz launches two new channels — Starz Cinema (foreign, specialized and other arthouse fare) and Starz Family.
Dec. 15, 1999
Starz is added to the company name, which becomes Starz Encore Media Group. The name changes again to Starz Encore Group on Feb. 15, 2000.
March 8, 2000
Founder John Sie announces Starz’s plan for bringing subscripton video-on-demand to direct broadcast satellite by supplying five movies per month to satellite subscribers.
June 6, 2000
Joe Roth founds Revolution Studios with strategic and financial backing from Starz, which owns 20% of the new venture and exclusive rights to televise the company’s films.
Oct. 11, 2000
Ground is broken on a 275,000-square-foot corporate headquarters in Englewood, Colo., a suburb of Denver.
Sept. 19, 2001
Adelphia cable in Cleveland becomes the first operator to launch Starz on Demand.
Sept. 23, 2003
A comprehensive marketing and distribution agreement with Comcast is announced calling for the rollout of Starz on Demand, Encore on
Demand and Starz HD in Comcast systems.
Dec. 1, 2004
Robert Clasen, the company’s president of sales and marketing, is named president and CEO.
Jan. 3, 2006
Starz launches Vongo, its portable Internet video market. Movies can be downloaded on portable devices.
Sept. 22, 2006
Starz’s first slate of original comedies is announced: “Martin Law-rence’s First Amendment Stand-up,” “Head Case” and “The Bronx Bunny Show.”
Oct. 13, 2006
Starz premieres its first original documentary, “Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film.”
Nov. 13, 2006
Starz announces the formation of Overture Films, integrating theatrical pics with Anchor Bay Entertainment and Starz linear channels.
Jan. 23, 2007
Starz adds “Hollywood Residential” to its original lineup.
July 25, 2007
Starz announces “Starz Inside,” a monthly series of original programs hosted by author and film critic Richard Roeper. First original is “Fog City Mavericks,” a special on the filmmakers of San Francisco.
May 20, 2008
New episodes of “Head Case,” its first original comedy series, are announced.
Oct. 13, 2008
“Party Down,” a new comedy series from producer Rob Thomas (“Veronica Mars”) is announced as premiering in March with the returning “Head Case.”
Oct. 17, 2008
“Crash,” starring Dennis Hopper, premieres on Friday nights.
Oct. 27, 2008
“Spartacus,” an action series from producer Sam Raimi, is announced for a late ’09 premiere.
