Epix (TV Channel) - History

History

The announcement of the channel's formation came on April 21, 2008, after negotiations between Paramount Pictures, MGM and Lionsgate Entertainment with Showtime on new film output deals broke down due to the failure between the studios and Showtime regarding an agreement on compensation for providing the channel with each studio's film content. In December 2008, the three studios – as Studio 3 Partners – selected the name "Epix" for their premium channel and on-demand service. MTV Networks was tapped to provide operational support for the channel, including marketing and affiliate services. The channel's initial film output involved Paramount films released after 2008, MGM (and subsidiary United Artists) and Lionsgate releases from 2009 onward, as well as content from the individual studios' film libraries. Though Epix was first announced by Studio 3 Partners as strictly a premium service, it eventually began to seek distribution as a hybrid premium/digital basic channel with its programming being broadcast uncut and commercial-free. The channel also reportedly sought a monthly license fee of $1 to $1.50 per subscriber.

On July 28, 2009, Epix reached its first carriage deal with a television provider, when it signed an agreement with IPTV service Verizon FiOS. Three major pay television providers – cable providers Comcast and Cablevision, and satellite provider DirecTV – formally announced in August 2009 (two months prior to Epix's launch), that they would not carry Epix. DirecTV said regarding its decision not to carry Epix: "We think there are enough of them out there already, we don't see the value of adding another movie channel."

On August 28, 2009, Epix offered a free preview to Verizon FiOS subscribers, showing select films that the channel would offer upon its formal debut. This included the premium cable premieres of Iron Man, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Cloverfield. During this preview, Epix added between five to seven movie selections every three days from the libraries of its three major studio backers. On September 25, 2009, the channel announced plans for an expanded online video-on-demand service, which would be called the "Epix MegaPlex", that was expected offer at least 3,000 film titles beginning in the summer of 2010, while the basic Epix online VOD service would have about 200 titles upon its official October 2010 launch and with a possible expansion to 500 title by the end of 2009.

Within weeks of its October 2009 launch, Epix signed an exclusive first-run agreements with two studios: a deal with Samuel Goldwyn Films to broadcast 20 movies from the studio, and a deal to carry 22 feature films from independent film studio Roadside Attractions.

The Epix television service officially launched at 8 pm ET on October 30, 2009 on Verizon FiOS systems, becoming the first U.S. premium cable channel (not counting multiplex services of existing premium channels) to debut in 15 years since Liberty Media and Tele-Communications, Inc. launched Starz in February 1994. The first program to air on the channel was the film Iron Man, followed by the concert special Madonna Sticky & Sweet Tour: Live from Buenos Aires. The then-single channel service was available to Verizon FiOS subscribers for free for the channel's debut weekend with a monthly subscription to the channel costing $9.99 per month. Epix also provided customers (regardless as to whether or not they subscribed to Verizon FiOS), free previews of the online service using invite codes to access the website's film content that were given on a first come, first served basis each weekend through the end of November 2009.

Cox Communications reached a carriage deal with Epix on January 9, 2010, with the channel becoming available on April 1, 2010 on their TV service in both standard and high definition formats, as well as on demand and online. On January 14, 2010, Mediacom signed a carriage agreement with Epix. This was followed on April 19, 2010 by Dish Network's announcement that it would immediately begin carrying the channel as part of its "PlatinumHD" package, making it the channel's only national distribution partner. On April 29, 2010, Charter Communications began carrying Epix as a package that offers both the channel's video on demand content in standard (150 titles at a time) and high definition (75 titles at a time), along with online streaming for just $10 monthly.

Following its addition to Dish Network, Epix launched its first two multiplex channels on the satellite provider during the year 2010: Epix 2 HD debuted first on May 12, followed by the August 11 debut of The 3 From Epix, which carries movies from the 1970s to the present. In August 2010, Epix signed a distribution deal with Netflix, that would allow movies seen on the channel to become available for viewing on Netflix 90 days after their premiere broadcast on the Epix television channel. On December 31 of that year, Suddenlink Communications reached an agreement with Viacom to carry Epix as part of an overall extension of its agreement to carry channels owned by Viacom subsidiary MTV Networks. On January 3, 2013, Epix entered into a distribution agreement with Sony Corporation to bring its streaming service to the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita gaming devices.