Starz may soon join HBO in ditching cable bundle exclusivity in favor of offering a standalone subscription service.
That's what Starz CEO Chris Albrecht hinted at during an investor call today, according to The Verge.
"While you will hear more from us on this over time, I can tell you now that we have the content right [and] the technology platform and infrastructure in place to ensure that the Starz businesses are positioned to capitalize on these new opportunities, both here in the US and abroad," he said.
He added that it's an "obvious" choice and that Starz and similar companies "stand to gain tremendously" from it, the site reported.
Stand alone, subscribe together
Starz has its own exclusive original content, including Outlander, Black Sails, Da Vinci's Demons, and others, though they aren't quite as strong as HBO's Game of Thrones, True Detective and others.
HBO announced its own standalone streaming service on October 15, and last we heard rumor said it might cost as much as $15 per month.
Allegedly the company doesn't want to compete too hard with its own bundled cable service, but there's a chance it might shoot itself in the foot with that price as well.
No hints yet as to what Starz might charge for its own streaming service, but hopefully it's less than that. It also remains unclear whether these services will truly be standalone or will be bundled with internet service, so here's hoping for more info soon.
