Starz is warning viewers it could disappear from Verizon FiOS. The network said that unless a new distribution deal is reached imminently, Verizon could remove all Starz channels, Starz On Demand and the Starz app.
"Unless an agreement is reached imminently, our viewers should be prepared for Verizon to remove Starz," said Starz Networks president Alison Hoffman. She added that "limiting access to Starz would reduce competition and consumer choice." The network's standalone streaming service would not be affected by a blackout.
The timing stings for fans of the Power universe, Outlander, P-Valley and the newly premiered S.W.A.T. Exiles. Starz ended 2025 with 17.6 million subscribers, roughly three-quarters of them streaming rather than traditional TV.
Key facts:
- Starz warns of potential blackout on Verizon FiOS amid carriage dispute
- At risk: all Starz channels, Starz On Demand and the Starz app
- Starz Networks president Alison Hoffman issued the warning publicly
- Standalone Starz streaming service unaffected
- 17.6 million subscribers at end of 2025, about 75 percent streaming
Why this matters: Carriage disputes used to be background noise. Now they're a window into where the business is really going. Starz is three-quarters streaming, which means it can survive losing FiOS in a way a traditional network couldn't. For actors, the shows caught in the middle, Power, Outlander, P-Valley, are proof that the audience follows the show, not the pipe. The pipe is just real estate.