Move over HBO Max and Netflix, you have new competition in terms of an SVOD service cutting into its own library.
Starz has pulled a trio of titles – “Becoming Elizabeth,” “Step Up” and the only recently launched (and quickly cancelled) “Dangerous Liaisons” series – from its streaming service.
All three series were already cancelled but the move is seen as another example of an SVOD service taking finished shows off their own service.
It follows in the wake of HBO Max pulling the likes of “Westworld,” “The Nevers,” “Raised By Wolves,” “The Time Traveler’s Wife” and more recently, numerous animated titles from its service.
At Warner Bros. Discovery, the move is being seen as part of a tax write-off in the wake of the company’s merger – selling poorly performing titles to advertiser-supported services.
Why Starz is doing so is not so clear, though it could be a part of Lionsgate’s strategy to spin off its studio from Starz. The studio plans to do just that in the next few months with the businesses aiming to be completely separated by the end of the second quarter of this year.
Whether it’ll adopt the HBO Max approach of selling these shows elsewhere to FAST channels and ad-supported streamers isn’t clear.
“Becoming Elizabeth” followed the early life of Queen Elizabeth I (Alicia von Rittberg) and also starred Romola Garai, Jessica Raine, Tom Cullen and Bella Ramsey.
“Dangerous Liaisons” was a new adaptation of the famed work starring Alice Englert and Nicholas Denton. Starz cancelled the series last month and reversed an earlier Season 2 renewal order.
“Step Up,” which Starz picked up from the now defunct YouTube Red, was cancelled in December.
Source: Deadline
