HOT 91.7 FM 50 Cent: Goes to war with Verizon over the STARZ blackout
Written by Ariel Newbold on October 6, 2026
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is a rapper turned TV mogul. His G-Unit Film & Television produces Power, its spinoffs and BMF, all on STARZ. His exclusive STARZ deal ended in 2022, but G-Unit still produces projects there, including Fightland.
What happened and the timeline:
• Wednesday, September 30, midnight Eastern: STARZ and Verizon’s carriage deal expired. Verizon Fios customers woke up Thursday without STARZ channels, STARZ On Demand and the STARZ app.
• STARZ’s side: It says Fios customers lose the Power universe, Outlander, P-Valley, S.W.A.T.: Exiles and its movie library. STARZ president Alison Hoffman says Verizon removed the network.
• Verizon’s side: It says STARZ sells directly to consumers for as little as $2.50 a month while demanding Verizon customers pay double that amount, and it calls STARZ’s claims “baseless.”
• October 1: 50 Cent blasted Verizon and its CEO on Instagram and told Power fans, especially in New York and New Jersey, to switch providers.
• Status: As of October 1, no new deal had been announced.
It’s the third time 50 has gone public in a carriage fight. He did it against AT&T in 2015, called Comcast out in 2019, and Optimum dropped STARZ in 2017.
