While Starz remains dark on Altice USA’s Optimum cable systems, the premium cable network has reached a new multi-year carriage deal with Verizon FiOS, Optimum’s rival in the New York metro area. The deal will continue the offering of Starz pay-TV, on-demand and online services in the 5 million households that get…

Nick Lachey, who was a member of 98 Degrees, and Donnie Wahlberg, formerly of New Kids On the Block, have teamed with Entourage creator Doug Ellin for Encore, a single-camera comedy that would draw on the duo’s experience as ex members of popular boy bands. The project, from producers Eric & Kim Tannenbaum, has been…

As Starz’s parent continues to explore potential sales opportunities, the pay cable network is rebranding itself. Starting April 5, the Encore suite of channels will be renamed to Starz Encore, bringing all nets under the Starz brand umbrella. Also getting a refresh is the Starz logo, with the flagship channel getting…

Eric Avram has been promoted to VP Talent, Booking and ABC News Specialized Units at Disney/ABC Television Group. In the newly created role, he will oversee and coordinate major bookings and special projects for DATG's global TV properties, owned TV stations and radio. Avram also will continue to oversee the…

Starz has made changes to its Encore pack of channels citing the nation's evolving demographics and focusing on groups who over-index in viewing within the premium pay TV category. That translates to shuffling some of the eight Encore-branded channels to target baby boomers, Black and Latino audiences and the company…

BBC Two’s star-studded five-part period drama Dancing On The Edge centers on a black jazz band in early 1930s London and debuts Monday in the UK. We’ve learned that Encore is in negotiations for the U.S. rights to the miniseries that stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matthew Goode, John Goodman, Jacqueline Bisset, Angel Coulby…

Englewood, Colo., October 8, 2012 – Starz Entertainment announced today the launch of the STARZ PLAY and ENCORE PLAY authenticated online services. The company made the announcement with Cox Communications, the first multichannel video provider to offer the service. STARZ PLAY and ENCORE PLAY services are available…

Starz’s new period drama Magic City, set at a Miami Beach hotel in 1959, will premiere on Friday, April 6, the network announced at TCA today. It stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the hotel’s owner. Meanwhile, sibling Encore will air the four-part BBC miniseries The Crimson Petal And The White, an adaptation of Michel…

UPDATE, 12: 00 PM: No word from Starz execs about when they might announce a digital streaming deal to replace the one with Netflix, which expires in February. “There are a lot of conversations going on,” Starz CEO Chris Albrecht told analysts today. “It’s a road that needs to be evaluated almost on a weekly basis.&#8221…

The odd collection of stocks controlled by John Malone’s Liberty Media are enjoying a nice pop today after the company reported generally upbeat 2Q data. Shares of Liberty Starz are up 5.2% at mid-day. The company says that Starz ended the quarter with 19M subscribers — its highest ever and up 200,000 from March. But E…

Ray Richmond is contributing to Deadline’s TCA coverage. Eighty-five-year-old Jerry Lewis took over the room this afternoon during an Encore session at the TCA tour to promote the original feature-length documentary Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis, slated to premiere this fall. Outfitted with a platform and a…

Starz Entertainment’s Encore is taking aim at original programming, unveiling today plans to air the novel adaptation Moby Dick that stars William Hurt, Ethan Hawke and Gillian Anderson as well as a Tom Hardy-starring mini The Take based on Martina Cole’s best-selling crime novel. Moby Dick is a three-hour mini that…