Verizon to offer Starz online video service

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Verizon Communications is jumping into the online video fray. The company plans to offer a video download service from Starz Entertainment that provides on-demand access to first-run movies, independent films and other original programming for a monthly subscription fee of $5.99.

The Starz Play service offers a limited catalog of about 1,000 movies -- including ‘Spider-Man 3,’ ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End’ and ‘National Treasure: Book of Secrets’ -- and 2,500 other types of video, such as anime, extreme sports and concerts. It also includes a live, streamed version of its premium Starz TV cable channel.

It’s still early days for online video. Services from Amazon.com, Apple and Netflix have yet to catch on with mainstream consumers who still prefer to watch movies on their big-screen TVs.

Bruce Leichtman, president of Leichtman Research, said the Starz programming helped Verizon offer something a little different than rival high-speed Internet services. Meantime, he said, Starz is smartly wringing some more revenue from its movie titles.

-- Dawn C. Chmielewski

Chmielewski, a Times staff writer, covers Disney, News Corp. and digital media.