Starz Program franchise
2026 filing · February 25, 2026GrowingShares sales figures
Starz Program at a glance
A children's program building confidence, creativity and self-expression, taught at preschools, daycares and after-school sites. At the end of 2025 there were 7 Starz Program locations in the US, 6 franchised and 1 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Starz Program Worldwide LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2016
- 10 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Richmond, Virginia
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $42K–$131K
- A mobile franchise
- Franchise fee
- $39,000
- For one territory of at least 150,000 people; $22,000 for each additional territory
- Royalty
- 8%
- No royalty for the first 90 days, then the greater of 4% of gross sales or $200 a month until day 180, then the greater of 8% or $400 a month in the first year and $500 after that
- Brand fund
- None now
- Not charged at present ($0)
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 7
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 6
- Company-owned
- 1
- Change in 3 years
- +3
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 3
- Most in Virginia, Florida and North Carolina
Support and records
From Starz Program Worldwide LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Starz Program among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Starz Program | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $86,388 | Costs less than 90% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $39,000 | Lower than 58% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 8% | Higher than 85% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 7 | Fewer than 66% of franchises |
How much a Starz Program franchise costs
Opening a mobile franchise costs an estimated $42,150 to $130,625. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital. It is one of the franchises under $50K.
The biggest costs are initial franchise fee ($39,000 to $105,000) and rent ($0 to $8,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $39,000 | $105,000 | |
| Initial training (per person) | $0 | $2,000 | |
| Your travel, living expenses and salaries during initial training | $0 | $3,500 | |
| Initial inventory and equipment | $300 | $4,000 | |
| Branded Signage | $500 | ||
| Computer system and software | $1,500 | $2,500 | |
| Legal and accounting fees | $0 | $3,500 | |
| Insurance premiums | $350 | $625 | |
| Rent | $0 | $8,000 | |
| Additional funds – first three months | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Total | $42,150 | $130,625 | |
Source: Starz Program Worldwide LLC, 2026 filing, page 22
Starz Program franchise fee
The franchise fee is $39,000, for one territory of at least 150,000 people; $22,000 for each additional territory. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Starz Program Worldwide LLC, 2026 filing, page 15
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | No royalty for the first 90 days, then the greater of 4% of gross sales or $200 a month until day 180, then the greater of 8% or $400 a month in the first year and $500 after that. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | Not charged at present ($0). |
| Transfer fee | 10% of the then current initial fee plus training ex- penses |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Starz Program Worldwide LLC, 2026 filing, page 16
Other fees as filed, from page 18. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Starz Program publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Starz Program Worldwide LLC, 2026 filing, page 49
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2025 / 2023–2025. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Starz Program | Typical mobile brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | +50% / +100% | +4.5% / +77% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 0% / 33% | 4.7% / 23% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical mobile brand is the median of the 34 brands in mobile franchises with three years of counts.
How Starz Program compares
Of the 139 mobile franchises on this site, Starz Program is the 23rd cheapest to open and the 74th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Starz Program | Typical mobile brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $42K | $96K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $131K | $167K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $39K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 8% | 7% | 6% |
| US locations | 7 | 10 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 91 of 139 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 139 brands in mobile franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 (−1) | 2 | 0 | −1 |
| 2024 | 4 (+2) | 1 | +2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 6 (+2) | 1 | +2 | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Starz Program Worldwide LLC, 2026 filing, page 51
Where Starz Program locations are
At the end of 2025, Starz Program had locations in 3 states. The most are in Virginia, Florida and North Carolina.
- Virginia4
- Florida2
- North Carolina1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Florida | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| North Carolina | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Starz Program Worldwide LLC, 2026 filing, page 52
Who owns Starz Program?
Starz Program franchises are sold by Starz Program Worldwide LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From Starz Program Worldwide LLC’s 2026 filing, page 11.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Starz Program Worldwide LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 14, bankruptcy on page 14
Starz Program filings
The figures on this page come from Starz Program Worldwide LLC’s 2026 filing, issued February 25, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | February 25, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other mobile franchises
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Starz Program is also on these lists: education franchises.