Lionsgate Entertainment, a Canadian-American entertainment company, completed the acquisition of Starz, a provider of video programming, interactive technology services, broadband distribution, and communications businesses, for $4.4bn. "The combination of Lionsgate and Starz brings significant scale to our portfolio of content and distribution assets and will enable us to compete successfully in today's rapidly evolving global entertainment marketplace. By bringing together complementary resources, premium quality intellectual property and exceptional management, this strategic transaction positions us extremely well to unlock the underlying value of our content to create substantial lasting value for our shareholders," Mark H. Rachesky, Lionsgate Chairman of the Board.