[1] Launched on 1 January 1997 as Plex: Encore 1, its programming consists of recent, as well as older theatrically released motion pictures.

Network until September 1995), a cable channel that was launched in June 1994 by Liberty Media (initial owner of MoviePlex through a joint venture with parent company Tele-Communications, Inc.), which aired "sampler" blocks of programming from other cable channels without full coverage; and Encore Plus, a secondary Encore network that had utilized what came to be MoviePlex's format.

[5] On June 8, 2004, Movieplex launched Indieplex, a companion multiplex channel dedicated to independent films.

On April 4, 2006, at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time, Movieplex launched Retroplex, another companion multiplex channel that focuses on older movies from the 1980s and earlier.

[12][13] On June 30, 2016, Lionsgate agreed to acquire Starz Inc. for $4.4 billion in cash and stock; the acquisition was completed five months later on December 8.

[22] The first-run film output agreement with Walt Disney Pictures expired after December 2015, with the Netflix streaming service assuming the pay television rights in January 2016 (excluding films released by Touchstone Pictures (now 20th Century Studios), which will be retained by Starz through a separate contract).

[26] On July 15, 2021, Starz reached a licensing deal with Universal Pictures for first-run movies 18 months after they stream on Peacock and Prime Video respectively.

[35] In March 2013, MoviePlex reassumed sub-run rights to Paramount Pictures' feature film releases.

[36] Additional Paramount Pictures releases began to be broadcast on MoviePlex starting the following month, such as The Errand Boy, The Stooge and The Bellboy.

[37][38][39] MoviePlex is available nationally on Dish Network,[40] and regionally on select cable systems including Comcast Xfinity until October 27, 2020, Cox Communications, Charter Spectrum and AT&T U-verse.