Starz Launches $8.99 OTT Streaming Service With Downloading Capabilities

Starz has joined competitors HBO and Showtime in offering an over-the-top streaming service that will also give viewers the ability to download content directly to their iOS and Android devices.

Starz, which passed Showtime to become the second most-subscribed premium television channel in the United States (after HBO) last March, and now counts 23.6 million subscribers, initially said a streaming service was in the works in January. It officially launches today. Priced at $8.99 per month — which is less than Showtime’s $10.99 offer and $14.99 for HBO Now — the service, simply called Starz, is available on a whole host of iOS and Android devices, with additional partners to come.

While Starz doesn’t yet have an original series with the same cultural cache as HBO (Game of Thrones

) or Showtime (Homeland), it says it will offer roughly 2,400 shows and films every month through the service, including originals like Outlander and Hollywood hits like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, coming later this year.

Up to four users can gain access to the Starz library with a single subscription, and users can download “virtually unlimited” quantities of content, according to the company. Current Starz subscribers can gain access to the app for free after authenticating.

“Our elegant and powerful app is the first in the industry to allow download capability to watch premium content anytime, anywhere, without the need for Wi-Fi access,” said Starz CEO Chris Albrecht in a statement.