29 Facts About Epix

1.

Since he joined the network in November 2017, Epix has announced many new series including Godfather of Harlem starring Forest Whitaker, Pennyworth, the origin story of Batman's butler Alfred, Perpetual Grace, LTD starring Ben Kingsley and Jimmi Simpson, Deep State, unscripted series Unprotected Sets executive produced by Wanda Sykes and the return of The Contender.

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2.

Epix and, depending on the carriage of any of the latter services, its three multiplex channels are sold by most traditional multichannel video programming distributors either as premium services or as part of a la carte digital movie tiers as well as by over-the-top MVPDs Sling TV, DirecTV Stream, Philo, FuboTV and YouTube TV.

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3.

Formation of Epix was announced on April 21, 2008, after individual negotiations between Paramount Pictures, MGM, and Lionsgate with Showtime to renew their existing film output deals broke down; each of the three studios disagreed with Showtime over the licensing fee rates for which they wanted Showtime to compensate them to allow future releases to air on the Showtime Networks services.

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4.

Greenberg served as the founding president and chief executive officer of Epix, leading it from its creation in early 2008 through its acquisition by MGM, until he stepped down after a nine-year tenure in September 2017.

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5.

Epix reached its first carriage agreement on July 28, 2009, when it signed a deal with Verizon FiOS.

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6.

On September 25, 2009, the channel announced plans to launch an expanded online video on demand service—to be known as the "Epix MegaPlex"—that began offering a minimum of 3, 000 film titles beginning in the summer of 2010, in comparison to the approximately 200 titles that the basic Epix online VOD service would include in its library upon the streaming service's official October 2010 launch.

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7.

Epix's online offering includes over 3, 000 titles for streaming, available to all subscribers through the network's apps and Epix.

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8.

Epix provided customers—including those that were not Verizon FiOS subscribers—free previews of the online service each weekend through the end of November 2009, permitting access to the website's film content using invite codes given on a first come, first served basis.

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9.

Future of Epix was placed into question through transactions involving Paramount Pictures and Lionsgate during the latter half of 2016.

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10.

At an investor's gathering in early January 2017, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer implied that it would explore strategic options regarding its stake in Epix—including a possible sale that would allow it to focus on Starz, of which Lionsgate completed its purchase on December 8, 2016, Feltheimer stated that Epix "is very valuable and throwing off cash, " and that Viacom and MGM would "realize the value, which ever way we all decide is best for our companies.

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11.

Under MGM control, Epix continued to expand its distribution to conventional pay television providers that originally declined to offer the channel, plugging much of the remaining gaps in its national distribution coverage.

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12.

The agreement stated that Epix would be available on companion vMVPD service DirecTV Now, which began offering the Epix multiplex on August 8, 2019.

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13.

On June 7, 2019, through an agreement between MGM and Amazon, Epix was added to Prime Video Channels as a premium add-on available to Prime Video subscribers.

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14.

On December 11, 2020, MGM and FuboTV announced that Epix would be added to the latter vMVPD effective on that date.

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15.

On September 28, 2022, Epix announced that it would rebrand to MGM+ on January 15, 2023.

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16.

Epix launched its on-demand streaming service to the public on October 29, 2009, one day before the launch of the linear channel.

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17.

Content available on the Epix streaming platforms include recent and older theatrically released films sourced from its content agreements for the linear television service, Epix original programs, and VOD-exclusive film content from third-party library distributors (consisting of independent films, acquired made-for-television movies released between the 1980s and the 2000s, and older theatrical films released between the 1930s and the 1980s).

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18.

Epix Now is an over-the-top subscription streaming service from Epix available online and through apps for Android tablets, phones and Android TV devices, Apple iOS and Apple TV devices, Roku and Amazon Fire TV.

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19.

Epix Now was officially launched on Apple iOS, Apple TV and Android devices on February 10, 2019; apps for Roku and Fire TV devices were launched on March 28, and for Android TV devices on May 31, 2019.

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20.

Epix currently has exclusive deals with major and smaller independent movie studios.

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21.

The pilot was filmed in late summer 2009 in Nashville, with the intent of being picked up to series for a 2010 debut; however, Epix declined to greenlight Tough Trade for a series order.

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22.

Thereafter, Epix remained active in producing other original programming exclusively for the channel, including documentaries, sports, comedy, and music specials.

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23.

On June 30, 2012, Epix launched a monthly comedy special showcase called "Epix Comedy Unbound", consisting of a new special premiering on the final weekend of each month; the first special to be aired as part of the showcase was Jim Norton: Please Be Offended.

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24.

In early 2015, Epix renewed its original scripted programming efforts after a four-year hiatus, emphasizing development of drama series.

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25.

These plans were cemented on January 12, 2015, when Epix hired Jocelyn Diaz—who, immediately prior to her appointment, had served as vice president of production at The Walt Disney Studios, and was previously head of drama development at HBO—as its executive vice president of original programming and development.

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26.

On July 8 of that year, Epix announced its first original scripted project to be picked up as a series, both of which are set for a fall 2016 debut: Graves, a political satire from Lionsgate Television and creator Joshua Michael Stern, about a former American president seeking to repair the damage caused by his administration, and Berlin Station, an espionage drama produced by Paramount Television, about a CIA agent's quest to uncover an information leak at the agency's Berlin office.

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27.

Network would expand its series development in May 2016, when Epix ordered a thriller comedy series based on the 1990 book and 1995 film adaptation Get Shorty—with Ray Romano and Chris O'Dowd tapped to headline its cast—to be produced by MGM Television.

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28.

On March 19, 2011, Epix became the third premium cable channel—after HBO and Showtime—to air professional boxing events with the telecast of a heavyweight title fight between Vitali Klitschko and Odlanier Solis, held in Cologne, Germany.

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29.

Epix serves as the broadcast rightsholder for the Bellator Fighting Championships mixed martial arts tournament, which carries its events over multiplex channel Epix 2, instead of the primary channel.

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