Epix, a HD PPV and online streaming channel co-owned by three Hollywood film studios, signed a deal this week for carriage of its HD content with satellite operator Dish Networks--immediately giving Epix access to more than 14 million potential new customers.
The Dish deal with the HD film service co-owned by MGM, Lionsgate, and Paramount Studios gives the DBS's firm's subscribers access to a library of some 15,000 mostly newer title movies. Dish also said it gives it a leg up on its larger rival, DirecTV, which claims to have more fulltime HD channels (see related item in this edition).
Films from Paramount, Paramount Vantage, MTV Films and Nickelodeon are included, if they had been released to theaters no earlier than Jan. 1, 2008. Also, titles from MGM, United Artists and Lionsgate released theatrically after Jan. 1, 2009 are part of Epix's catalog.
While Epix has several existing regional agreements with cablers such as Verizon FiOS, Cox Communications, Charter and Mediacom (representing an estimated 30 million homes), the Dish satellite agreement represents Epix's first nationwide deal.
