DEBUT OF STARZ ORIGINAL SERIES "POWER BOOK II: GHOST" DRIVES 42% INCREASE IN NEW SIGN-UPS AND SETS ALL-TIME VIEWERSHIP RECORD ON THE STARZ APP

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Starz, a Lionsgate company LGF LGF.B))), has a lot to celebrate following the Labor Day weekend, during which a new weekly viewership record was set on the STARZ App, with minutes watched up 91%, 31% more subscribers viewing, and customer engagement 12% above the previous high. This increased viewership was driven by the highly-anticipated series premiere of "Power Book II: Ghost," the first new series in the "Power" Universe from executive producers Courtney A. Kemp and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. Kemp also serves as creator and showrunner on the series.

The premiere of "Power Book II: Ghost" on Sunday delivered outsized performance on the Starz App in the first week after the premiere, driving subscriber acquisition up 42% in addition to viewership that was 36% higher than the final season premiere of the original series, "Power" last summer. The premiere of "Power Book II: Ghost" was also the top performing series across the Starzplay International streaming platform in several markets including the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Brazil. Starzplay is now the official home worldwide of the "Power" Universe. 

STARZ ratings on Sunday, September 6 were up notably compared to the previous four weeks with a 78% lift in Total Day and 156% lift in Primetime and there was significant growth across OTT platforms in addition to the App. As of the end of last quarter Starz had 7.4M OTT subscribers domestically.

"Power Book II: Ghost" dominated social media on premiere night ranking  #1 most social premium cable series AND #1 most social series on broadcast/cable/syndicated networks across all live/new primetime episodes. "Ghost" also trended on Twitter that night.

ABOUT "POWER BOOK II: GHOST"
"Power Book II: Ghost" picks up shortly after the earth-shattering events of "Power" as Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey, Jr.) grapples with a new world order: his father James "Ghost" St. Patrick is dead, and his mother, Tasha (Naturi Naughton), is facing charges for his murder -- even though Tariq pulled the trigger. To earn his inheritance, Tariq has to navigate the rigors of an elite university doing twice the work -- his and that of a high-profile member of the school's basketball team. Truly on his own for the first time in his life, Tariq is forced to split his time between school and hustling to pay for Davis MacLean (Cliff "Method Man" Smith), the fame-hungry defense lawyer who is Tasha's only hope of getting out of jail and escaping prosecution by newly minted U.S. Attorney Cooper Saxe (Shane Johnson). With no better options, Tariq turns to the familiar drug game, entangling himself with a cutthroat family headed by Monet Stewart Tejada (Mary J. Blige). As Tariq tries to balance his drug operation with his grades, love life, and family, he figures out that the only way to avoid the same fate his father met is to become him — only better.

"Power Book II: Ghost" is executive produced by series creator and showrunner Courtney A. Kemp through her company End of Episode and her overall deal at Lionsgate Television and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson through his G-Unit Film and Television. Also serving as executive producers on the series are Mark Canton through his Atmosphere Entertainment MM, End of Episode's Chris Selak and Danielle De Jesus, Shana Stein and Bart Wenrich. Lionsgate TV produces the series for STARZ.

Check out "Power Book II:Ghost" online Facebook Page and follow @GhostStarz on Twitter and @GhostStarz on Instagram. Join the conversation with #PowerNeverEnds and #PowerGhost.

For more information about "Power Book II: Ghost" including access to press materials and show assets, please visit the STARZ Media Room: https://mediaroom.starz.com/

About Starz
Starz (www.starz.com), a Lionsgate company LGF LGF.B))), is the global media company taking the lead in streaming premium content that spotlights a spectrum of women both in front and behind the camera for audiences worldwide. Starz is home to the flagship domestic STARZ^® service, including STARZ ENCORE, 17 premium pay TV channels and the associated on-demand and online services, as well as the proprietary and highly-rated STARZ app. In 2018 Starz launched its Starzplay international premium streaming platform and, coupled with its Starz Play Arabia venture, has since expanded its global footprint into fifty countries throughout Europe, Latin America, Canada, Japan and India. The essential complement to any subscription platform, STARZ and Starzplay are available across digital OTT platforms and multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies around the world. Starz offers subscribers more than 7,500 distinct premium television episodes and feature films, including STARZ Original series, first-run movies and other popular programming.

SOURCE Starz, a Lionsgate company