Buyer Database · Buyer / Distributor · Updated
Starz
Newly independent Starz is consolidating around franchise drama and fully owned originals while targeting adjusted OIBDA profitability and U.S. OTT subscriber growth post-Lionsgate split.
Current mandate
Starz is operating as a newly independent streamer following its completed split from Lionsgate, and its current programming posture reflects that transition directly. The network is expanding its slate of fully owned dramas, as evidenced by the greenlight of an untitled black rodeo family drama (8x60') and the UK boxing drama Fightland, while simultaneously deepening its franchise universe with a series order for Power: Origins. On the acquisitions side, the company picked up rights to Miranda July's novel "All Fours" for series development, with Plan B producing, and acquired the five-part docuseries Magic City: An American Fantasy. The company recorded a restructuring charge of $177.4 million tied to a reassessment of its content portfolio, signaling active curation rather than expansion for its own sake.
Over the past twelve months, Starz has pursued a recognizable pattern: franchise extension (Power universe), literary IP adaptation (All Fours), international co-production drama (Fightland, Blood of My Blood Season 2), and targeted docuseries acquisition (Magic City). Budgets are not publicly disclosed on individual titles, but the strategic emphasis on fully owned content suggests a preference for projects where Starz controls downstream rights. The comedy Minx and its second season also appear in the acquisition record, pointing to selective appetite outside pure drama when the IP fits the brand.
Starz does not operate an open submission portal. Access runs through established production companies and represented talent. Plan B's attachment to All Fours is a useful model: a recognized producer bringing packaged literary IP. Decision makers tracked across the organization number 137, and deal velocity over the most recent 30-day window registered 3 signals, indicating an active but selective buying posture. Writers and producers seeking consideration should approach through literary representation or established production partners with projects that fit the network's adult drama and franchise-extension priorities.
Signature peaks
- ~$200M Adjusted OIBDA Target (2025) — Company-stated calendar 2025 goal; reflects post-restructuring profitability focus
- $330.6M Quarterly Total Revenue — Most recent reported quarter; adjusted OIBDA of $93.3M in same period
- ~70% DTC Share of Subscriber Base — Analyst-noted figure; limits exposure to volatile ad market
Mandate dimensions
- Genre focus
- thriller, drama
- Territory focus
- US and Canada
- Budget tier (observed)
- Not disclosed
- Access pattern
- Represented talent and established production companies. Packaging with a recognized producer is the documented pathway, per the All Fours model (Plan B attached). No public open submissions process identified.
- Deal structure
- Fully owned drama preferred (per stated slate expansion strategy); rights acquisitions for literary IP adaptation; international co-productions for drama series. Budgets not publicly disclosed on individual titles. No disclosed acquisition price on any recent deal.
Recent acquisitions
-
All Fours
Plan B has come on board to produce All Fours, the series in development based on Miranda July’s buzzy novel ... which Starz acquired earlier this year.
-
All Fours (rights to Miranda July’s novel)
“Starz has acquired the rights to Miranda July’s propulsive, sexy and irreverent novel…”
-
Black Rodeo (untitled drama)
-
Blood of My Blood (Season 2)
-
Fightland
-
Jackson exited overall deal at Starz
-
Magic City: An American Fantasy
Starz has picked up the five-part docuseries Magic City: An American Fantasy
-
Minx
Market context
"We delivered significant U.S. OTT subscriber gains, growing the total subscriber base in the U.S. by almost 2%." — CEO Jeffrey Hirsch
Starz is operating as a newly independent streamer following its completed split from Lionsgate, and its current programming posture reflects that transition directly. The network is expanding its slate of fully owned dramas, as evidenced by the greenlight of an untitled black rodeo family drama (8x60') and the UK boxing drama Fightland, while simultaneously deepening its franchise universe with a series order for Power: Origins. On the acquisitions side, the company picked up rights to Miranda July's novel "All Fours" for series development, with Plan B producing, and acquired the five-part docuseries Magic City: An American Fantasy. The company recorded a restructuring charge of $177.4 million tied to a reassessment of its content portfolio, signaling active curation rather than expansion for its own sake.
Common questions about Starz
Does Starz accept unsolicited scripts?
Based on available signals, Starz does not operate a public unsolicited submissions process. Recent acquisitions, including the rights to Miranda July's novel All Fours (with Plan B attached to produce) and the greenlit black rodeo drama, all trace to packaged projects brought in through established production companies or represented talent. Writers without representation or a producing partner attached are unlikely to find a direct path to the development team.
What budget ranges does Starz commission or acquire at?
Starz does not publicly disclose per-title budgets on individual acquisitions or greenlights. The network's stated financial target of approximately $200 million in adjusted OIBDA for calendar 2025, combined with a $177.4 million restructuring charge tied to a content portfolio reassessment, suggests disciplined spending rather than open-ended commissioning. Fully owned drama formats (such as the 8x60' black rodeo project) indicate a preference for controlling costs through ownership rather than licensing.
Does Starz acquire from film festivals?
The acquisition record over the past twelve months does not surface festival-circuit pickups as a primary sourcing channel. Starz's recent activity skews toward literary IP adaptation (All Fours), franchise extension (Power: Origins), international drama co-production (Fightland, Blood of My Blood Season 2), and docuseries acquisition (Magic City: An American Fantasy). Festival acquisition is not ruled out, but it is not the dominant pattern visible in current deal flow.
How do you get a project to Starz?
The clearest access pathway is through a recognized production company or literary representation. The All Fours acquisition illustrates the model: Starz acquired rights to Miranda July's novel, and Plan B subsequently came on board to produce. The network tracks 137 decision makers across its organization, and recent deal velocity (3 signals in the most recent 30-day window) suggests an active but selective buying posture. Packaging a project with a producer who has an existing Starz relationship is the most reliable route.
What genres is Starz prioritizing right now?
Current greenlight and acquisition activity points to adult drama as the core mandate, specifically franchise-adjacent drama (Power: Origins), international drama (the UK boxing series Fightland), and culturally specific family drama (the untitled black rodeo project, described as an 8x60' series). Literary IP adaptation is also active, per the All Fours acquisition. The comedy Minx appears in the acquisition record, indicating selective openness beyond drama, but the dominant signal is premium drama with strong identity and franchise potential.
Is Starz actively buying and commissioning right now?
Yes. Starz recorded 5 unique deals in the most recent 90-day window and 2 in the most recent 30 days, with a deal velocity score of 3 over the past month. The most recent tracked signal is dated late June 2026. The company greenlighted at least two new dramas (Fightland and the black rodeo project) in the spring of 2026 and has publicly stated it is continuing to expand its slate of fully owned dramas, indicating an ongoing commissioning posture rather than a pause.
Adjacent buyers in this lane
- Focus Features — Focus Features is doubling down on experiential brand-building and festival acquisitions to court th
- Roadside Attractions — Roadside Attractions is a North American boutique distributor actively acquiring festival-originated
- Fox Entertainment — Fox Entertainment is running a deliberate, low-volume acquisition strategy built around creator-led,
- 20th Television — 20th Television is actively building its overall-deal roster and deepening its animation pipeline, w
Related reading
Match your script to Starz
This is a public snapshot of Starz, kept current from trade-press signals. Inside ScriptMatch, upload your script to see whether Starz fits, why, and exactly how to reach them. Start a free 7-day trial or try the free buyer-match tool.