Three and a half years after Lionsgate announced its plan to separate from Starz, the long-awaited move is finally facing a vote this week as the Hollywood studio looks to unlock more value for shareholders and find more strategic flexibility.
Shareholders of record will be entitled to vote at the meeting in Vancouver, and if the separation is approved by a majority, Starz will begin trading under the ticker symbol STRZ on the NASDAQ in May. The spin-off will bring to an end a combination that began nearly nine years ago when Lionsgate bought Starz in a $4.4 billion cash and stock deal.