Beirut, March 26, 2019: Under the patronage and attendance of the Minister of Telecommunications, H.E. Mohamad Choucair, “STARZ PLAY” the premium video streaming service was launched on Tuesday the 26th of March, at Eau De Vie, Phoenicia Hotel. The launch event was also by the CEO of Ivy Circle Mr. Imad Tarabay the exclusive distributor of STARZ PLAY in Lebanon, the CCO of Alfa Mr. Assad Kairouz, Danny Bates, COO and Co-Founder of STARZ PLAY and senior executives from Mobi, Terranet, Ogero and various telecommunications companies and the press. During the event a signing ceremony was held to declare the partnership between STARZ PLAY and Alfa, managed by Orascom TMT. STARZ PLAY, the premium streaming service, is now active in Lebanon and thousands have already subscribed.
STARZ PLAY, the premium streaming service, offers a broad range of Hollywood movies, TV programs and documentaries as well as exclusive series. All content is available simultaneously with the USA releases such as Vikings, Power, Big Bang Theory, in addition to Arabic content and children content. STARZ PLAY is now available to Terranet and Mobi subscriber and soon will be on offer to Alfa subscribers as “Alfa STARZ PLAY”.
Imad Tarabay, CEO of IVY Circle declared: “We are thrilled to launch “STARZ PLAY”, in partnership with Mobi, Terranet and Alfa. This shows the level of excitement the market has for STARZ PLAY services. Viewers can watch all their favorite shows at their convenience – when they want, on any device they want, wherever they want”.
Kairouz commented on this partnership, noting that it is part of the digital transformation of Alfa and its leadership in the world of content, pointing out that “the launch of partnerships that contribute to the provision of rich and premium content to users is at the heart of our strategy and we have been pioneers in launching similar partnerships for years.” He also pointed out that “This partnership provides subscribers with content for entertainment that adds joy to their lives as part of our role as a “happiness provider”, adding to the music content as well as the sports content which we offer through the Alfa Sports app,” he said. He affirmed that “This service was achieved thanks to the Alfa network and the high speeds that we offer, which are ranked third in the Middle East and Africa, according to global reports”.
Danny Bates, COO and Co-Founder of STARZ PLAY, announced, “We are delighted to partner with mobi, Terranet and Alfa in delivering premium content to their subscribers across Lebanon. With the broad selection of blockbuster movies, same-time-as-US series including Starz Originals, Arabic and kids’ content, we are confident of becoming the number one video streaming choice in Lebanon”.
The Minister of Telecommunications, Mohammad Choucair congratulated Alfa and IVY Circle on this important initiative that is at the heart of the government’s work to shift towards the digital economy saying: “Today, we are in a new era defined by the digital world, and the growth and prosperity of our country is governed by the progress achieved in the field of communications and information technology. Therefore, it must be emphasized today that the Ministry of Telecommunications strongly believes in partnering up with the private sector as a driver for developing growth and progress.”
He continued, “We are confident that the STARZ PLAY platform will be a strong competitor in this market, and will be an added value, whether through content or prices, especially since the contract signed with Alfa will provide important offers to subscribers. We hope that with such platforms we will see more local productions benefiting from additional channels to sell the local movies, series, and programming to worldwide audiences.”
The service which has been launched in Lebanon offers for a price of $5.99/month and gets access to the services’ 10,000 hours of premium content with the ability to stream from multiple devices such as mobile, tablet, Smart TV’s, PlayStation, Android TV, Apple TV and many other devices. To test the service, visit www.mobi.net.lb/sp and get 7 days of free access.
About STARZ PLAY
STARZ PLAY (www.starzplay.com) is a subscription video on demand service that streams Hollywood movies, TV shows, documentaries, kids’ entertainment and same-day-as-the-US series – plus dedicated Arabic and Bollywood content – to 19 countries across the Middle East and North Africa. The service carries thousands of premium titles including exclusive STARZ Original content such as Power, Outlander, Spartacus and The White Queen.
STARZ PLAY allows subscribers to watch its full HD and 4K content via most internet-enabled devices, smart TVs and game consoles, and is widely available on regional IPTV services. Its iOS and Android apps – installed on more than three million devices – also allow downloads for offline playback.
STARZ (www.starz.com), a Lionsgate company (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) and State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) are the lead investors along with media and technology investment firms including SEQ Capital Partners and Delta Partners.