Starz warns of Verizon Fios blackout as midnight deadline looms

Starz could go dark for Verizon Fios customers on Wednesday night.

The current licensing distribution agreement, meaning the contract that lets Fios carry and sell Starz to its subscribers, expires at midnight ET, Variety reported on 1 October. If no new deal is signed in time, viewers would lose the live channels and catch-up access in one hit.

Starz warned that its channels, Starz On Demand and the Starz app on Fios were all at risk of removal. Starz said it has been negotiating in good faith with Verizon on a new distribution deal. The warning came from Starz Networks president Alison Hoffman.

Verizon said it remains actively engaged in constructive discussions with Starz. It called it disappointing that Starz had publicly signalled a potential removal while talks were continuing. The company said Starz channels were still fully accessible on 1 October.

The dispute centres on price. Verizon accused Starz of attempting to force higher rates that would drive up monthly bills for customers. Neither side has publicly put a dollar figure on its position.

The timing puts a large subscriber base in play. Starz closed the October-December quarter with 12.7 million U.S. streaming subscribers, up 370,000 on the previous period, and 17.6 million subscribers across all platforms, according to the same report. Verizon separately notes on its content agreement information page that, starting on 10 August 2026, certain networks, their content and linked streaming apps may no longer be available in Fios TV packages, Verizon states.

For fans, this means check where you watch. A blackout, meaning removal of the channels from the pay-TV lineup, would affect Fios set-top boxes, on-demand libraries and access to the Starz app through Fios. A deal before midnight keeps everything in place.