Encore Celebrates 25 Million Subscriber Milestone

Encore Celebrates 25 Million Subscriber Milestone

From '9 to 5' to 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' - Great Movies Since 1991 Launch

Original Channel Has Evolved Into Seven Encore Theme Channels - a Movie for Everyone 24/7

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- All movies and nothing but movies -- that is what keeps movie lovers tuning into Encore. Starz Entertainment Group LLC (SEG) announced today that Encore, the company's first channel, recently reached the milestone of 25 million subscribers.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050920/LATU085 )

Robert B. Clasen, CEO of SEG, was recently in New York City where the news was delivered to the crowds in Times Square. "This milestone demonstrates the continuing power of movies to draw audiences," said Clasen. "Encore has evolved from a channel with favorite older movies to the destination for a wide range of movies from 'Driving Miss Daisy' and 'Weird Science' to the 2004 Academy Award(R) winner for Best Picture, 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.'"

Encore launched in April of 1991 with the airing of "9 to 5" starring Dolly Parton and Jane Fonda, and in just five years, garnered ten million subscribers. In 2002, that number doubled to 20 million. Now, just three years later, Encore has surpassed 25 million subscribers. Today, Encore is more than just a channel -- it's a network comprised of seven distinct channels, each offering its own unique and compelling content for all movie lovers.

Starz, SEG's network of six channels offering first-run, hit movies, presently boasts 14.1 million subscribers.

Clasen noted that because all satellite and most cable customers receive Encore via digital transmissions, the service has plenty of room to grow as the universe of digital homes expands. "We expect our growth to continue for many years to come as more and more of the remaining analog cable subscribers convert to digital," he added.

And exactly how many is 25 million? It is: - Nearly one fourth of the nation's 110 million TV households - Half of the approximately 50 million digital TV homes in the United States - Enough to ensure that at any given moment in prime time, approximately 1.2 million people are watching an Encore channel.

Encore provides movies, all movies and nothing but movies. The greatest selection of movies you want to see and see again.

Encore Westerns takes you back to the American frontier. All western all the time.

Encore Mystery will keep you guessing. Movies that challenge your instincts or prey on your worst fears.

Encore Action brings the adrenaline rush to your door. Movies with high- impact excitement.

Encore Wam is for teens. Providing a cool place to see great movies and teen entertainment.

Encore Drama brings you powerful stories. Movies that reflect the uncertainty of life.

Encore Love seduces you. Movies that stimulate your heart and mind.

Starz Entertainment Group LLC (SEG) is the largest provider of premium movie services in the United States with approximately 179 million pay units. SEG offerings include the Starz Encore Movie Pack with 13 digital movie channels and more than 750 movies per month, Starz HDTV, Starz On Demand, and Starz Ticket, an on-demand premium Internet movie subscription service available on the broadband platform. Starz Entertainment Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation, www.starz.com.

Contact: Allyson Taylor Jonathan Taylor Starz Entertainment Group The Lippin Group (720) 852-1122 (323) 965-1990 allyson.taylor@starz.comjtaylor@lippingroup.com

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050920/LATU085 AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Source: Starz Entertainment Group LLC

CONTACT: Allyson Taylor of Starz Entertainment Group, +1-720-852-1122, allyson.taylor@starz.com; or Jonathan Taylor of The Lippin Group, +1-323-965-1990, jtaylor@lippingroup.com, for Starz Entertainment Group

Web site: http://www.starz.com/

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