The addition of Starz movies further increases the iTS movie catalogue which already includes titles from all the major Studios and several indie providers.

The absence of Starz movies in the iTS to date has been at odds with Starz's otherwise active approach to signing digital distribution deals. Titles from the company's movie library are already available through iTunes' major competitors – Microsoft's Xbox Live Video Marketplace, PlayStation Network Store and Amazon Video on Demand.

In addition to licensing content to transactional services Starz has been exploiting its movies through other digital business models, including Hulu's ad-supported platform and bundled subscriptions from Netflix and Comcast.

Although online movie consumption is currently small compared to physical and traditional TV channels, by distributing content through as many outlets as possible on both a free and paid-for basis Starz will maximize its share of online video revenues. With iTunes accounting for over 80 per cent of US digital retail movie transactions the roll out of titles to the iTS is likely to significantly boost Starz's online revenue stream.