Starz recruits WarnerMedia alum Sofia Chang as distribution chief

Sofia Chang

Lionsgate-owned Outlander and Power Book network Starz has hired WarnerMedia alum Sofia Chang as EVP and chief distribution officer.

Based in New York and reporting to Starz’s president of domestic networks, Alison Hoffman, Chang will oversee all of the streaming platform’s sales activities with multichannel video and digital distributors in the US.

Chang is the former president of distribution at WarnerMedia, where she oversaw distribution revenue for all HBO branded digital and linear channels, and is credited for its subscriber and revenue growth, increased market share and improved profit margin. During her time at HBO, Chang was also responsible for overseeing content distribution and revenue in other formats.

Most recently, Chang served as the national CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA where she led the enterprise across all functions including operations, technology, licensing and more. She is credited with playing a major role in reversing membership decline, reducing debt and developing a cultural framework founded on inclusivity.

“Sofia is a well-respected entertainment executive who brings a wealth of experience to Starz along with a successful track record of driving growth in both the linear and digital space,” said Hoffman.

Chang joins Starz amid parent Lionsgate’s plans to separate the company from its studio business to create two publicly traded companies. The proposal has now been postponed to early 2024, following Lionsgate’s acquisition of Entertainment One, with the company’s plans to sell or spin off Starz first revealed in late 2021, barely five years since the studio acquired the company for $4.4bn, though no deal has yet come to fruition.