Albrecht to leave Starz

The boss of premium US cablenet Starz is to step down in March after nearly a decade with the company.

Chris Albrecht

Chris Albrecht, who initially extended his stay with the Lionsgate-owned cablenet until 2020 when he added the title of president to his role in 2016, is standing aside.

Announcing the move over the weekend, the net said it will now be run by chief operating officer Jeffrey Hirsch alongside Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer and programming president Carmi Zlotnik.

Albrecht initially joined the channel in 2010 to develop its pay TV operations and original programming. Lionsgate bought the network, which is known for dramas such as The Girlfriend Experience, in December 2016.

Albrecht previously had stints at IMG Global Media and HBO, where he was chairman, CEO and president of original programming at various points.

Albrecht – who served as president and CEO of Starz, with oversight of both the network and distribution businesses – previously served as president of IMG Global Media, heading its global sports production operations, global rights acquisitions and digital media enterprises.

Feltheimer said: “As we complete the first phase of our evolution into a unified company and accelerate our focus on Starz’s international expansion, Chris has decided to step down to pursue other opportunities. I look forward to working closely with him and Jeff Hirsch to ensure a smooth transition and plan the next steps of the company’s continued growth.”

Albrecht added: “As we reach the two-year anniversary of the integration of our two companies and complete the first exciting chapter of our growth together, I’ve decided it is time to move on to new opportunities. I leave Starz in the hands of one of the most gifted executive teams in the business and have great confidence in their continued future success.”