The Encore name in Starz Encore Group LLC is bowing out as the premium-cable movie service rebrands its channel lineup, changes its corporate moniker and comes up with a new logo.
The big changes don't become official until March 31, 2005, to give distributors plenty of time to incorporate them into marketing materials.
The new company name is Starz Entertainment Group, and the STARZ! channel names will become the lower case, exclamation point-less "Starz," but the changes are more than cosmetic.
The new Starz will repackage its lineup of channels, including replacing Starz Theater with Starz Edge, a film channel that will target the 18-34 male demo. It will also combine its Starz Kids and Starz Family channels into a single channel, and will add a Starz Comedy film channel.
The Encore name may be leaving the title, but it will now be affixed to each of the Encore suite of channels, i.e. Encore Westerns, Encore Mystery.
The changes come on the heals of its largest sub gain--950,000 for the second quarter--since 1998, and an average 25% ratings gain over all its channels over 2003.
The name changes are as follows:
Old New
STARZ! Starz
STARZ! Theater Starz Edge
STARZ! Family Starz Kids & Family
STARZ! Cinema Starz Cinema
Black STARZ! Starz In Black
STARZ! Kids Starz Comedy
Encore Encore
True Stories Encore Drama
Love Stories Encore Love
Mystery Encore Mystery
Action Encore Action
WAM! Encore Wam
Westerns Encore Westerns
