TCA16:Starz Renews ‘The Girlfriend Experience’

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Beverly Hills, Calif. -- Starz has greenlit a second season of its limited drama series The Girlfriend Experience, the network announced Monday at the Television Critics Association summer press tour.

The series, produced by Steven Soderbergh, will feature new characters and plotlines for its 14-episode second season. The first season starred Riley Keough (Magic Mike, Mad Max: Fury Road) as a law student juggling her studies and her secret life as a paid escort.

Starz launched all 13 episodes of The Girlfriend Experience at the same time in April on its Starz digital service. Per Starz, about 40% of the average audience of 3 million viewers per episode of Girlfriend has come from non-linear viewing. Only Power and Spartacus among Starz original series have drawn more non-linear viewing than The Girlfriend Experience. 

“The first season of The Girlfriend Experience allowed us to accommodate all viewing appetites with the traditional weekly episodic premiere schedule as well as a bingeing option for the entire 13 episodes,” Carmi Zlotnik, managing director at Starz, said. “We’re excited to offer Starz subscribers a second season that will explore new GFEs, clients and relationships as we take viewers back into this world that questions the price of intimacy and its emotional consequences.”  

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.