The Force Awakens Coming to Starz
by EG
If you've already seen Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens as many times as you want to see it in theaters but want to see it again as soon as it hits TV, you'd better renew your subscription to Starz. Under a deal that the pay TV network has in place with Disney, the latest installment in the Star Wars franchise will air on Starz when the film is finally ready for its TV debut.
The broadcast rights to The Force Awakens had been a cloudy issue for years. The terms of Starz deal gave the network broadcast rights to all of Disney's new theatrical releases through the end of 2015, but Disney had argued that The Force Awakens was not included in the deal. The issue was resolved this week when The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the film is, indeed, included in the deal, and Starz will have exclusive broadcast rights.
Future installments in the Star Wars franchise won't air on Starz, however, since the network's deal with Disney expired with the turn of the new year. Netflix now enjoys the rights to new Disney films, but the studio may once again argue that its Star Wars films are an ala carte option that are not part of the deal. What is clear is that there will be no one-stop shop for all of your Star Wars TV viewing needs.