Starz Offering Previews of Spartacus

ENGLEWOOD: Ahead of its January 22 premiere, the Starz original series Spartacus: Blood and Sand will be available for on-demand and online previews starting January 20.

Participating cable and satellite affiliates—Charter Communications, Comcast, Cox Communications, DIRECTV, Insight Communications, Mediacom Communications Corporation and WOW!—will be offering free on-demand sampling opportunities for the first two full episodes. Fancast and Starz.com will have free full-episode streams of episodes one and two available for early sampling on January 20 and January 27, respectively, while iTunes will make available free downloadable podcasts of the first two full episodes on January 22 and January 29, respectively.

Starz Digital Media has launched a Spartacus: Blood and Sand mobile game designed for iPhone and iPod touch with Artificial Life. Additionally, Starz Digital Media, in association with Double Barrel Motion Labs, is bringing to market a four-part Spartacus: Blood and Sand motion comic series. The first three installments of the motion comic series are available now for purchase on the Amazon, iTunes, PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE platforms, with the fourth and final episode of the series available beginning tomorrow.

Digital versions of the Spartacus: Blood and Sand official comic book print series, produced by Starz in association with Devil’s Due Publishing, are available for purchase on iTunes through various iPhone applications, including the newly launched Graphic.ly digital content delivery platform.

In partnership with Men’s Health magazine, the official Spartacus workout is available as a free download at the iTunes App Store. The workout was designed by Men’s Health fitness experts.

"This series will make an impact with viewers due to its unique look and style and incredible performances by its talented cast," said Stephan Shelanski, the executive VP of programming for Starz Entertainment. "We are delighted that the interest from our multichannel video and online affiliates has been so strong and are optimistic that the series will be very well received."

Marc DeBevoise, the senior VP of digital media, business development and strategy for Starz Media and lead executive for Starz Digital Media, added, "This incredible and unique series presented us with several digital opportunities to reach the prospective fan base. Motion comics and mobile games are but two ways that we can promote the new series in advance of its debut and offer additional outlets for meeting the demands of the fans."