Cecilia Marino, as general manager, leads the Hollywood studio’s international streaming app business in the market.

Starz has launched its international streaming app, Lionsgate Play, in the Philippines.

Cecilia Marino has been tapped as general manager for that market, where she will report to Rohit Jain, managing director of emerging markets in Asia. The rollout of the Lionsgate Play regional service in the Philippines follows the StarzPlay app launching in India, Indonesia and elsewhere in the South Asian market.

“The Philippines is an indispensable market for the South Asian business, and I am confident that the Filipino audience will enjoy Lionsgate Play’s unique and exclusive streaming offering,” Marino said in a statement as a collection of Hollywood content spanning blockbuster films and popular series is headed to that South Asian market.

Lionsgate and Starz are betting the increased dominance of Hollywood films and rising OTT viewership in the Philippines, coupled with only a few premium TV services to meet that demand, will create a market opportunity for Lionsgate Play to succeed with its latest local South Asian footprint.

Said Rohit Jain in his own statement: “We are thrilled to expand into the Philippines where over a third of the population uses OTT services, a trend that has accelerated in the past two years as Filipinos become avid streaming consumers. We see this as a great opportunity to reach and engage with them.”

Marino most recently headed up the integrated sales group at KidZania Manila, a learning and entertainment brand.