Epix, a premium movie channel and joint venture between Lions Gate, Viacom, and MGM has reached a distribution deal with Dish Network.
The carriage agreement between the satellite TV giant and Epix will make the network available to 14.1 million new subscribers. This deal almost doubles the availability of the network as the five other distribution pacts brought the channel to a very limited 16 million homes.
The new channel is expected to become available within the next 2 weeks and will be shown in HD format. DishNetwork customers are expected to get access online and on-demand to films starting this month.
The arrangement highlights DishNetwork’s commitment to providing more quality HD content and is a big step forward for Epix.
Epix was launched in October of last year when CBS’s premium television network, Showtime, announced it would be cutting the fees it paid to show films on its network. Lions Gate, Paramount (a Viacom property), and MGM all left Showtime and to start their own network.
Combined, the three studios have a catalog of over 15,000 films. Epix competes with HBO and Showtime by offering over 200 movies a month.
This is another example of how DishNetwork is working to improve on it’s already stellar reputation as the leading satellite TV provider in the country.