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Epix, the pay-TV channel from Viacom, Lions Gate and MGM, will -not- be coming to Time Warner Cable lineups anytime soon.
Why? Because the network ‘cheapened themselves’ when they agreed to get in bed with Netflix, which will offer online video streaming of the three studios’ movies just 90 days after appearing on the channel.
Time Warner Cable Chief Financial Officer Rob Marcus said the network did itself no favors with that deal. He told attendees at the Bank of America/Merrill Lynch Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference that Epix’s online video deal “devalued the channel.”
Epix may have irritated the cable company for another reason — it streams much of its content online for its subscribers to watch anytime they like, outside of the industry’s TV Everywhere project.
Indeed, the majority of cable operators seem to share Time Warner’s sentiment, as the new HD pay channel faces a virtual embargo from the industry’s big players, including Comcast and DirecTV. In fact, Epix’s four million subscribers come primarily from just three companies — Verizon FiOS, DISH Network, and Cox Cable.
http://www.phillipdampier.com/video/Introduction to Epix.flvA short introduction to Epix. (1 minute)
Other stories of interest:
- Time Warner Cable Shrinking Western New York Analog Lineups
- Time Warner Cable Starting “TV Everywhere” and IPTV Trials in NYC
- Time Warner Cable Rolls Over: Makes Agreement With Disney to Raise Your Cable Bill
- Pondering Glenn Britt, CEO of Time Warner Cable
- Time Warner Cable Tries to Control Online Video Onslaught With iPad App to Manage Your Cable TV
Brittish tyranny never ends
They had to make an example out of somebody so nobody else would try to expand their business outside the cable cartel…
NBC took notice and is parroting the same “devaluing” line about having no intention of selling their content for .99 cents on Apple TV.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idCNN2219136720100922
Given that an average consumer is pretty unlikely to shell out $1 to rent a single TV show per day for the entire run, and NBC’s abysmal ratings, I don’t think they have much to worry about anyway.
Its articles like this that makes me happy to be a subscriber/worker with DISH Network. EPIX is definitely one of the greatest channels out there and it makes me even happier to know that I did a great thing previously switching from DirecTV. Not only that but I can afford my bill each month with DISH and have more programming packages to choose from. It’s really great! Go EPIX!
Plus DISH has it in HD, it really doesn’t get any better than that!