Verizon has removed all Starz channels, Starz On Demand and the Starz app from its Fios TV platform in the US, cutting subscribers off from one of the last remaining independent premium programmers.

The blackout took effect on 1 October 2026, after the two companies failed to renew their carriage agreement. Starz Networks President Alison Hoffman confirmed the removal in a statement and placed the blame squarely on the operator.

"Despite extensive efforts by Starz to reach a renewal agreement and preserve uninterrupted access for Verizon Fios customers, Verizon has chosen to remove Starz," Hoffman said. "Verizon has mischaracterised our position, shown an unwillingness to negotiate and has been unproductive in progressing towards a mutually beneficial outcome."

Verizon has not publicly detailed its side of the dispute, so the commercial terms at stake — licence fees, packaging or bundling conditions — remain unknown. What is clear is the immediate commercial consequence: Fios customers no longer receive the full Starz suite of linear channels, on-demand content or authenticated app access.

Hoffman framed the dispute in broader market-structure terms, arguing that the loss hits an independent studio at a moment when large media and telecommunications conglomerates dominate distribution.

"Starz is one of the few remaining independent entertainment companies in a marketplace increasingly dominated by large media and telecommunications conglomerates," her statement said. "For decades, we have invested in storytelling that reflects a broad range of voices, experiences and perspectives, while championing creators and audiences that have historically been underrepresented in mainstream entertainment."

She argued the drop reduces choice for Verizon's subscriber base. "Verizon's decision to drop Starz deprives its customers of access to a unique slate of programming that cannot be found anywhere else and leaves viewers with fewer choices," Hoffman said.

Content at stake

The timing compounds the commercial damage for Starz. The programmer's slate includes the Power Universe franchise and its upcoming instalment Power: Origins, the new mobster drama Fightland, romantic drama Outlander and its prequel Outlander: Blood of my Blood, the upcoming season of P-Valley, the current season of crime drama S.W.A.T. Exiles and the forthcoming premiere of psychological thriller Tip Toe.

Losing a major distributor mid-run on several of these titles weakens Starz's ability to aggregate audiences around its biggest franchises — a core argument in the company's public positioning.

Starz's claims about programming uniqueness and its readiness to negotiate are, of course, part of the standard public-relations playbook in carriage disputes, where both sides typically wage press campaigns to pressure the other while subscribers absorb the disruption. Verizon has made no equivalent statement in the material available, leaving Hoffman's characterisation of the negotiations uncontested in public so far.

Precedent and pressure

The standoff follows a familiar pattern in US pay-TV. Carriage disputes between programmers and distributors routinely produce temporary blackouts that resolve once one side blinks, often around high-profile premieres that raise the cost of absence for the operator. The Starz slate of upcoming premieres — Power: Origins, Tip Toe and the next P-Valley season — creates exactly those pressure points in the weeks ahead.

For Starz, the dispute underscores its reliance on traditional distribution at a time when the company positions itself as an independent survivor in a consolidating market. For Verizon, dropping a premium channel reduces content costs but risks subscriber complaints and potential churn among viewers attached to affected franchises.

Hoffman said Starz remains open to a deal. "We stand ready to reach a fair agreement that restores Starz to Verizon customers as quickly as possible," her statement concluded.

Whether the channels return before the next wave of Starz premieres reaches the screen will depend on whether the two parties resume the negotiations Starz says Verizon has so far refused to progress.