If you've been on 50 Cent's Instagram page today, you will have noticed that he has declared a state of emergency. The cause of extreme concern is that Comcast Xfinity is removing the Starz network from all its packages and bundles, meaning, no more Power for Comcast subscribers.
It was announced on Wednesday that Comcast would be replacing Starz with its competitor, Epix, due to an escalating carriage renewal dispute. Both parties are blaming each other for not being able to settle on a deal. “Starz has been working diligently to reach a fair market distribution agreement with Comcast Xfinity in order to continue providing our shared customers with access to our acclaimed lineup of premium television content. However, months before our contract deadline and in spite of our best efforts to engage in meaningful discussions, Comcast has publicly stated their intention to drop our networks from all packages and bundles, ignoring industry precedent and demonstrating a total disregard for its customers, communities, suppliers and other stakeholders," Starz said in a statement.
Comcast warned its users that they could be losing access to some of their favourite shows - such as Power, Outlander and Vida - as soon as December 10, when all 17 Starz channels are set to be removed. Although the contract between Starz and Comcast has not ended yet, 50 Cent is now claiming that this Sunday's episode of Power could be its last. He shared posts expressing how distraught and frustrated he is that Comcast would do this in the middle of such a successful show's season. Despite all the negotiation troubles between the network and the cable provider, 50 is urging fans to call 888-90-STARZ or go to keepstarz.com to let Xfinity know the great demand there is for the show.
Let's hope that the power of the masses convince Comcast that this move could be a major mistake.
