Buyer Database · Buyer / Distributor · Updated
Starz
Starz is a premium cable and streaming network doubling down on wholly owned scripted drama and international co-commissions to maximize global licensing revenue.
Current mandate
Starz is in a deliberate pivot toward full IP ownership, greenlighting wholly owned scripted dramas that can be licensed internationally rather than relying on third-party output deals. The network's strategy is shaped by a broader industry shift in which streamers and linear networks seek to control their content libraries end-to-end. Recent greenlight decisions, including an eight-episode untitled black rodeo family drama and the UK boxing drama Fightland, reflect that mandate in practice. Co-commissions with international partners such as Sky remain a key cost-reduction lever, with trade reporting citing roughly $2.5 million in per-episode savings on co-commissioned titles.
Over the past twelve months, Starz has tracked 186 total records and registered two unique deals in the past 90 days, signaling a selective but active acquisition posture. The network's recent activity spans scripted drama, docuseries (the five-part Magic City: An American Fantasy), and franchise extensions within the Power Universe, including a series order for Power: Origins. The relationship with Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and G-Unit Film & TV remains a defining creative partnership even after Jackson's exclusive overall deal lapsed; Fightland, set in the world of British boxing, is the most recently announced project from that continued collaboration. Starz has also balanced originals with select acquisitions such as Minx and its second season, and the title Will, indicating the network still mixes owned content with licensed fare.
Material reaches Starz primarily through established producer relationships and international co-production partnerships. The network's documented deals flow through production companies with existing ties, such as G-Unit Film & TV, and through co-commission structures with named international partners like Sky. No open submission portal or public pitch program is documented in tracked deal activity; every observed pathway runs through a producing partner, sales agent, or co-production arrangement.
Signature peaks
- ~$2.5M Per-Episode Co-Commission Savings — Cited savings per episode on titles co-commissioned with international partners such as Sky.
- Power: Origins Power Universe Franchise — Series order greenlit as the latest extension of Starz's flagship franchise universe.
- 186 12-Month Activity Volume — Total tracked records over the past twelve months, reflecting sustained market engagement.
Mandate dimensions
- Genre focus
- Not disclosed
- Territory focus
- Not disclosed
- Budget tier (observed)
- Not disclosed
- Access pattern
- Every tracked deal at Starz is observed moving through an established production company relationship or an international co-commission structure with a named partner such as Sky; the most prominently documented producing partner is G-Unit Film & TV, whose active projects include Fightland and ongoing BMF universe extensions. No open submission portal, fellowship, or public pitch program is documented in tracked deal activity.
- Deal structure
- Starz primarily commissions and greenlights wholly owned scripted series, retaining full IP for international licensing; it also enters co-commission arrangements with international partners to reduce per-episode costs, and selectively acquires completed series and docuseries to balance its owned slate with licensed fare.
Recent acquisitions
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Black Rodeo (untitled drama)
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Blood of My Blood (Season 2)
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Fightland
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Jackson exited overall deal at Starz
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Magic City: An American Fantasy
Starz has picked up the five-part docuseries Magic City: An American Fantasy
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Minx
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Power: Origins (Series order)
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season two of the comedy Minx
Market context
Starz is aggressively expanding its slate of fully owned dramas, greenlighting projects like an untitled black rodeo family series and Fightland to fuel international licensing deals.
Starz is in a deliberate pivot toward full IP ownership, greenlighting wholly owned scripted dramas that can be licensed internationally rather than relying on third-party output deals. The network's strategy is shaped by a broader industry shift in which streamers and linear networks seek to control their content libraries end-to-end. Recent greenlight decisions, including an eight-episode untitled black rodeo family drama and the UK boxing drama Fightland, reflect that mandate in practice. Co-commissions with international partners such as Sky remain a key cost-reduction lever, with trade reporting citing roughly $2.5 million in per-episode savings on co-commissioned titles.
Common questions about Starz
Does Starz accept unsolicited scripts?
No unsolicited submission pathway is documented in tracked deal activity at Starz. Every observed deal has moved through an established producing partner, a sales agent, or a co-production arrangement with a named international partner. Writers and producers looking to place material should focus on attaching a production company with an existing Starz relationship, such as G-Unit Film & TV, or working through a literary representative with network access.
What budgets does Starz typically work at?
Starz operates under a total content spend reported at under $600 million annually. Co-commissions with international partners like Sky are a key cost tool, with trade reporting citing roughly $2.5 million in per-episode savings on co-commissioned titles. Individual project budgets on recent greenlights, including the untitled black rodeo drama and Fightland, have not been publicly disclosed, which is consistent with the network's general practice on development announcements.
What festivals does Starz source films from?
Starz's tracked acquisition activity skews toward scripted series originals and co-productions rather than festival-driven film pickups. Recent acquisitions such as Magic City: An American Fantasy (a five-part docuseries) and the Minx comedy series reflect a television-first mandate. Festival sourcing is not a prominently documented pathway in current tracked deal data; the network's primary sourcing appears to run through producer relationships and international co-commission structures.
How do I get my script in front of Starz?
Based on observed deal flow, the most reliable route is attaching a production company that already has a working relationship with the network. G-Unit Film & TV is the most prominently documented producing partner, with active projects including Fightland and ongoing BMF universe development. International co-production partners such as Sky also serve as a documented entry point. No open pitch portal or fellowship program is currently tracked for Starz.
What genres is Starz currently acquiring?
Starz is actively greenlighting wholly owned scripted drama, with recent examples including an eight-episode black rodeo family drama and Fightland, a UK boxing drama developed with G-Unit Film & TV. Franchise drama remains central, as evidenced by the Power: Origins series order. The network has also acquired docuseries (Magic City: An American Fantasy) and comedy (Minx), suggesting a drama-led slate that accommodates select non-drama titles on an opportunistic basis.
Is Starz currently active in the market?
Yes. Starz registered 186 tracked records over the past twelve months and two unique deals in the most recent 90-day window, with a latest signal dated August 2026. Recent greenlight activity, including the untitled black rodeo drama and Fightland, confirms the network is actively commissioning. The strategic focus on wholly owned content and international output licensing deals indicates a deliberate, ongoing acquisition posture rather than a pullback.
Adjacent buyers in this lane
- Beta Cinema — Beta Cinema is a Munich-based international sales agent specializing in arthouse and literary-adapta
- Cineflix Rights — Cineflix Rights is a genre-focused international distributor and co-production financier specializin
- Filmax — Filmax is a Spanish distributor and co-producer with a long track record in genre cinema, currently
- Channel 5 — Channel 5 is a Paramount-owned UK public service broadcaster investing at a three-year content-spend
Related reading
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