50 Cent has made a call to action as he’s had it up to here again with Starz. Fans are about ready to unsubscribe from the network now that the famed entertainer has just declared his “single status” from the network that houses the Power Universe. With the success that 50 Cent and Courtney A. Kemp have achieved with Starz, this action could without a doubt affect the Starz network’s viewership.
50 Cent’s relationship began with Starz when they bought the Power series and began airing it in 2014. The series ran until 2020 and birthed four spin-offs: Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, and Power Book IV: Force. 50 Cent also developed a new show on Starz that debuted in 2021 called BMF. But although 50 Cent helped Starz gain a massive following in fans and viewership thanks to Power, the entertainer has expressed his disdain with the network in the past. Recently, the “In Da Club” rapper stated his issues with Starz as they apparently have the future of Power Book IV: Force in limbo.
Taking to Instagram, 50 Cent made multiple posts that claimed he was tired of the issues and threatened to leave. In his first post, 50 Cent shared a clip of a man violently stuffing his suitcase. 50 Cent shares with his fans that it symbolized him “packing” his things from the Starz offices. The rapper revealed that his deal with the network is officially over, and it looks like he doesn’t plan to renew it.
Then, 50 Cent shares the news of Starz’s decision to renew their crime drama series Hightown while Force sits in limbo. It should be noted that Force reportedly has brought in the highest ratings for any show on the network. According to The Hollywood Reporter, 3.3 million fans across platforms helped the show break records for the Starz network.
That post was not the only social media sharing of 50 Cent’s issues with Starz. Four more posts would pop up, solidifying the G-Unit rapper’s threats to make his exit if the situation is not rectified. In one post, he directly mentions for his G-Unit Film & Television’s Head of Development Anil Kurian to gather their belongings and make his exit. 50 Cent commands Kurian to remove all signage and anything resembling G-Unit Television from the Starz offices as they are leaving. Another post calls for the department’s Director of Development, Josh Bramer, to gather the scripts. Actor Michael Rainey Jr., who portrays the lead character “Tariq” on Power Book II: Ghost, was commanded to move with alacrity as well as they would be heading elsewhere.
All of the photos share a common thread of bags being packed. Joseph Sikora, who portrays “Tommy Egan” on the Power franchise, can also be seen in the comment section seemingly egging 50 Cent on. Also in the comment section were fans that threatened to unsubscribe from Starz if 50 Cent’s demands weren’t met. Instagram user wrote that it was “Time to cancel my STARZ subscription if you bounce.” Another fan stated, “Just let me know where to take my streaming services too.”
Some fans offered advice for the multi-talented Queens native to take his efforts to where they will be more celebrated. Others suggested for 50 Cent to take the Power franchise over to other streaming platforms such as Netflix or HBO MAX. How this would affect his $150 million deal with Starz that was established in 2018 is unsure. However, with multiple threats of a vast unsubscription from fans, Starz may want to rethink.
Starz is in heavy competition with other streaming giants. Currently, the platform is offering a six-month subscription for just $20. However, the terms of the subscription state that following the 6-month period, prices rise to $43.99 for an additional period. Additionally, for HBO MAX, they offer a $9.99/month plan without ads, compared to an ad-free service of $14.99/month.
Netflix already has a large subscription base in the hundred millions, which would save many fans money. Currently, they offer plans with pricing that ranges from $9.99 to 19.99 for a premium subscription. Others like Amazon Prime offer a yearly plan of $119/year with the option of multiple networks to choose from. Many fans have also suggested that 50 Cent take his talents and create his own streaming platform. “Launch this is 50 streaming network!!!!,” emphatically wrote a fan on Instagram. Multiple others echoed his statements.
