Epix Finally Rebrands as MGM+ in International Territories; Strikes European Content Deal with Lionsgate
Despite rebranding the premium cable channel EPIX and its subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) cohort EPIX NOW as MGM+ in the United States way back in January, the platform has still been operating as EPIX internationally until now. That changes this week, as MGM+ International is set to roll out in Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, and The Netherlands.
The price for the service will remain the same at €3.99 ($4.37 USD) per month. The service offers a wide selection of original programming, from the gritty crime drama “Godfather of Harlem” to the World War II historical action epic “SAS: Rogue Heroes.” MGM was acquired by Amazon in March 2022, and the e-commerce giant has been busy updating all facets of the company, including the MGM+ rebrand.
Additionally, International MGM+ users will soon have access to content that subscribers in the United States don’t have. That’s thanks to a new content distribution deal with Lionsgate, which will allow MGM+ to carry content from the cable channel/streaming service conglomerate Starz. European audiences will soon be able to use their MGM+ subscriptions to watch “Black Mafia Family,” the “Power Book” franchise, and much more.
“We are making further content investments to capitalize on the strength of the iconic brand [internationally] and accelerate our growth as a premium international SVOD service,” Prime Video Studios VP Chris Brearton said. “Our strategic deal with Lionsgate marks a further commitment to the MGM+ brand by Amazon.”
In the U.S., viewers will have to be satisfied with the MGM+/Starz bundle that is currently being sold by outlets like YouTube TV and Prime Video Channels. This bundle allows audiences to purchase the two services on the same bill and save $3 per month, but it will not allow you to watch one streamer’s content with the other streamer’s interface.
The international streaming deal between Lionsgate and MGM comes amidst a period of tough decisions for the former company. Lionsgate has been trying to determine what it will do with Starz; either spin off the cable channel/streamer into a separate entity that it can sell or keep those products and spin off its movie studio instead.
Whatever Lionsgate intends to do with Starz in the future is beyond the control of European audiences. They now get to enjoy Starz content as a part of their MGM+ subscription, as the EPIX brand fades into the mists of streaming history.
MGM+
MGM+ is a video streaming service that features original TV shows like the Emmy-winner “Godfather of Harlem,” the romantic adventure “Billy the Kid,” the contemporary sci-fi horror thriller “FROM,” and dramas “Rogue Heroes” and “Belgravia.” The service also has a library of Hollywood movies. This same service was previously called EPIX NOW.