The Starz channel is set to undergo a bit of a makeover to its Encore channels lineup in an effort to serve niche audiences.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the premium network will reshuffle its eight sub-channels with new programming catered towards African-Americans (Encore Black), Hispanics (Encore Español) and baby boomers (Encore Classic) on December 2.
As part of Encore Black’s December launch, the network will highlight Golden Globe-nominated actor, Samuel L. Jackson with the airing of “Freedomland,” “Losing Isaiah,” and “Unbreakable.” The channel will also feature movies and television shows such as “What’s Happening!!,” and “Diff’rent Strokes.”
“The new and improved Encore family of channels and services are aligned to super-serve its many constituent demographic groups,” David Baldwin, executive vp of program planning for Starz,” explained to the entertainment site.
“Growth in Latino and boomer populations and continued over-indexing in TV usage by African-American audiences created marketplace opportunities for us to add incremental consumer value to the Encore services. Along with the new nightly horror block, these enhancements will benefit Encore subscribers for years ahead."
According to the network’s site, Starz and Encore serve a combined 57 million subscribers, making them the largest pair of premium flagship channels in America.