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Epix will relaunch its streaming service as MGM+ next year
Epix is relaunching its streaming service and TV channel in 2023 as MGM+ — yes, it's yet another 'plus' service.
Apple TV Channels offers free Epix until May 2nd without signing up
Apple is joining Roku and others in offering free access to premium TV, albeit with a slight twist. From now until May 2nd, Apple TV Channels is making Epix content free to watch without a subscription -- you won't have to sign up for a trial and risk racking up charges later. You'll also see extended, month-long trials for a host of familiar services that include Showtime, A&E, History Channel Vault and Smithsonian Channel Plus.
Roku is giving away 30 days of premium video
Add Roku to the list of companies offering free premium TV trials to keep people entertained while they stay at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. It's launching a Home Together initiative that provides extended 30-day trials of familiar networks and services. Epix, Showtime, Hallmark and A&E Crime Cental are among the more conventional services on tap. FitFusion, Gaiam and Grokker can help you stay in shape while the gym is closed, while specialty stations like Acorn TV and Smithsonian are also available.
Comcast, Verizon make some on-demand viewing free
Comcast and Verizon (Engadget's parent company) have been scrambling to help people stay online during the COVID-19 pandemic, and now they're giving customer more to do with that access. On Comcast, subscribers with Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex now have preview access to on-demand videos from several premium TV networks and streaming services for at least 30 days. Epix and Showtime are the highlights if you're looking for pure entertainment, but there's also CuriosityStream (for 60 days), History Vault, Kids Room, The Great Courses Signature Collection and The Reading Corner to keep your family educated, while DOGTV and Grokker respectively provide pet programming and exercise.
Epix is the latest streaming channel to launch on Amazon Prime
MGM's premium cable network, Epix, has come to Amazon Prime for $5.99 a month.
iOS 12.3 is out now with overhauled TV app
Just seven weeks after rolling out iOS 12.2, Apple has released iOS 12.3. The biggest update this time around is a major refresh of the TV app ahead of the Apple TV+ streaming service debuting later this year. Through the new-look app, you can subscribe to various TV networks through Apple TV Channels and watch their shows all in one place.
YouTube TV costs $50 per month after another price hike
YouTube TV isn't immune to the latest wave of rate hikes plaguing the streaming world. The Google-owned service has announced that it's raising the base monthly price to $50 ($55 if you subscribe directly through an Apple TV), effective immediately for new subscribers and from May 13th onward for existing customers. You'll at least get something for your trouble, though, as YouTube TV will finally offer a host of additional channels.
Epix Now streaming service expands to Roku and Amazon Fire TV
Last month, the MGM network Epix launched a standalone video streaming service called Epix Now. Initially, it was available on Apple TV, Android and iOS. But as of today, it's also available on Roku and Amazon Fire TV, too. This will give more customers access to the network's four live channels, original shows and movies. The expansion will also help Epix Now secure a better foothold in the living room, where Roku and Amazon Fire TV have a stronghold.
Epix is the latest TV holdout to launch a streaming video service
Epix has been one of the TV industry's more conservative outlets. Where HBO, Showtime and other premium services launched stand-alone streaming services a while ago, Epix has insisted that you subscribe to a TV package to sample its wares. Now, however, it's ready to buck tradition. The MGM-owned brand just launched a $6 Epix Now service that provides all four of the network's live channels as well as on-demand access to original shows (like Berlin Station and the Batman-based Pennyworth) and "thousands" of movies.
Roku's free movie and TV channel is adding premium subscriptions
The Roku Channel has become a hit by offering free movies and TV shows. Now, Roku is taking the next logical step by adding premium subscriptions for 25 providers, including Showtime, EPIX and Starz. Starting late in January, Roku users will be able subscribe to those networks with a few clicks of their remote, afterwards their content will appear at the top of the Roku Channel.
Epix is the first US network to stream 4K content within its apps
If you're about eye-watering clarity when it comes to home entertainment, get yourself an Epix subscription. The network has announced that from today it'll be offering Ultra HD content on its platform -- the first such offering from any premium network in the US. The service launches with a select number of movies and original programs, including a raft of old-school James Bond films and newer additions such as Arrival, Star Trek Beyond, Transformers: The Last Knight and the Epix original series Get Shorty.
Epix's mobile app casts to smart TVs without a set-top box
Premium channel Epix is adding a feature to its mobile app letting users cast its shows and films straight to smart TVs, no set-top box needed. Where others like HBO have relied on casting through specific devices, like Chromecast or Roku, Epix has partnered with wireless tech provider Vizbee to stream content directly to smart televisions from LG, Sony, Vizio and others. It also syncs up to connected devices like Sony Blu-Ray players, while future platforms like TiVo and Xbox will get linked up in the coming weeks.
MGM spends $1 billion to take full control of the Epix channel
Epix has long been the baby of four studios (Lionsgate, MGM, Paramount and Viacom), but it's about to have just one parent. MGM has bought out the stakes of its partners for just over $1 billion, giving it full control over the internet-friendly, movie-focused TV channel. The move will still see Lionsgate and Paramount supplying first-run movies as part of "multi-year" deals, so don't panic about a sudden dearth of content -- this is more about a changing media landscape than any kind of feud.
Lionsgate and Starz join forces to compete with HBO, Netflix
In an effort to compete with the likes of HBO and Netflix, Lionsgate Entertainment and Starz are joining forces. The former is picking up the latter for $4.4 billion in cash and stock, according to The LA Times. The deal seems mutually beneficial. With it, Starz gets some industry cachet (and a bunch of cash) that could help it attract projects that'd otherwise go toward HBO and Netflix. If that means more like the fantastic Ash vs Evil Dead, hey, alright.
Preview premium channels for free on Verizon FiOS
Verizon announced a new perk for its FiOS customers on Monday that will allow them to preview HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, EPIX or Starz for up to 48 hours. The offer will be available on not only live TV but also for On Demand titles and through the Fios Mobile App. While you'll be able to preview each channel individually, you'll only be able to do so once a year. Still, it beats waiting for those randomly timed free preview weekends.
EPIX enables mobile downloads for offline movie watching
Joining the likes of Google Play Movies and iTunes, streaming content provider EPIX announced on Tuesday that it will allow subscribers to download movies onto their mobile devices for later playback, whether or not there's an available internet connection. The feature will reportedly be available on iOS and Android devices as well as Amazon's Kindle, beginning this month. Available titles will include The Hunger Games, James Bond and Star Trek. There's no word on limits to how many titles subscribers will be able to concurrently download or how long they'll be able to keep each one.
Those Netflix movies you lost just went to Hulu
Hulu is about to get a load of well-known movies like Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation, Interstellar and Wolf of Wall Street. The US company confirmed the rumor that it will now stream content from Epix, the service owned by Viacom and movie studios Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate. Netflix used to carry films produced by the group, but said earlier today that it wouldn't renew its Epix deal (that only affects content in the US, not the UK). The change means the content will be available to a much smaller streaming audience -- Hulu recently said it has 9 million subscribers, compared to the 65.6 million on Netflix.
Netflix hopes you won't mind losing access to some big movies
Here's hoping that you weren't bent on watching The Hunger Games: Catching Fire or World War Z on Netflix -- if so, you don't have much time to do it. Netflix has confirmed that it won't renew its longstanding movie deal with Epix, which will lead to many Lionsgate and MGM titles disappearing from the service come September. The company hopes you won't mind, though. As Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos points out, there are legions of original shows lined up -- Netflix is betting that you'll be too busy watching Narcos to worry that a favorite flick just disappeared.
Xbox One snags Epix streaming app
Epix is now on Xbox One. That sounds simple enough, but now try saying it five times in a row, as fast as you can. Yeah, that's what we thought. It might be difficult to say, but it's definitely true: Epix, the movie and TV streaming app from Paramount, Lionsgate, MGM and Viacom, is out today on Xbox One. Epix specializes in movies, concerts and comedy specials, and it's available from most cable companies in the US. It's already out on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Roku, Android and iOS devices, among others. Epix promised its app would show up on Microsoft's newest console all the way back in March 2014, and almost exactly one year later, here we are. It's sort of like HBO Go on the PS4, but not as many people were waiting for it.
Sling TV getting more on-demand content thanks to Epix (update)
Dish's Sling TV is great for cord-cutters, but sometimes TNT and TBS won't cut it. The service is about to fill the gaps by tying up with Epix, a premium content channel co-owned by Viacom, Paramount and other studios. It'll carry all four of Epix's channels for scheduled viewing along with its streaming service, letting cable-haters watch recent cinema, classics and Epix original programming. Dish hasn't revealed the Epix price yet, but the basic Sling TV service runs $20 and sports, news and kids add-in packs are $5 a pop. Epix is also a $5 add-on from providers like Time Warner Cable. Update: This post originally reported that Sling TV didn't yet have on-demand content. The streaming service already offers movie rentals and the ability to start currently airing programs once they've started. The Epix partnership expands the existing catalog, and the text has been edited to correct the error.
