Starz Returns to Verizon Fios After Carriage Dispute Ends

Starz is back on Verizon Fios. The network confirmed on Tuesday that all of its channels and on-demand services returned to the platform, ending an outage that began in late September when the two companies failed to agree on new carriage terms.

The resolution restores subscriber access to one of the smaller but distinctive players in premium cable and streaming, whose slate includes the "Power" franchise and the historical drama "Outlander," along with films such as "Michael," "Shelter," "In The Grey" and "Power Ballad," and the series "Fightland."

What does the dispute's end change for viewers?

For Fios customers, the change is immediate and concrete: channels that vanished from lineups in late September are available again, and on-demand libraries are restored in full. Alison Hoffman, president of Starz Networks, cast the deal as a turning point for both companies.

"We are pleased to have reached a mutually beneficial agreement that brings Starz's premium programming to Verizon Fios customers," Hoffman said in a prepared statement. "We remain committed to delivering bold storytelling for women and underrepresented audiences and to serving viewers who value our distinctive programming."

The statement's phrasing signals where Starz sees its market position. The network has built its brand around programming aimed at women and underrepresented audiences, a strategy Hoffman reaffirmed even as the company negotiated its way back onto one of the country's major pay-TV platforms.

The numbers behind the deal

The carriage fight played out against a backdrop of shifting economics at Starz, which has moved its business toward streaming in recent years as traditional cable subscriptions decline industry-wide.

The company closed the October-December quarter with 12.7 million U.S. streaming subscribers, an increase of 370,000 customers from the previous period. Across all platforms, Starz counts 17.6 million subscribers.

Revenue tells a more complicated story. In its most recent fiscal quarter, Starz posted revenue of $307.9 million, down from $317.9 million in the prior period — a decline of $10 million that underscores the pressure the company faces as it balances its legacy cable business against streaming growth.

Investors appeared to welcome the Verizon resolution. In trading earlier Tuesday, shares of Starz rose 13 cents, or 0.57 percent, to $22.93 — a modest gain that nonetheless reflected relief after weeks of blackout on a major distribution partner.

A pivotal week for the company

The restored distribution arrives at a consequential moment. Starz is expected to report third-quarter results on Thursday, October 29, giving analysts and investors a first look at how the late-September blackout affected subscriber counts and revenue.

The quarter's figures will test whether the company's streaming momentum — those 370,000 added U.S. subscribers — can offset the revenue slide and the temporary loss of Fios distribution. For a network of Starz's scale, every carriage agreement matters: at 17.6 million total subscribers, it competes against far larger premium rivals, and distribution fights that larger operators might absorb can weigh more heavily on its results.

The Thursday earnings report will show whether the blackout dented the streaming growth curve or whether the Verizon deal arrived in time to keep the quarter's numbers intact.