Epix And Comcast Set Expanded Carriage Deal For Xfinity

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MGM-owned Epix has reached an expanded carriage deal with Comcast that will extend the premium network’s reach by adding it to the provider’s premium channel package.

The new pact takes effect December 10. The new deal supplements Epix’s existing availability on an a la carte basis, swapping Epix for Starz in the cable provider’s premium package. That means millions of current Comcast subscribers who already opt into a package featuring pay networks like HBO and Showtime — long a staple feature of the pay-TV bundle — will also get Epix included.

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Epix’s library of thousands of films and original series episodes will also be added to Comcast Xfinity pay-TV premium packages. Two days later, on December 12, Epix will launch a curated suite of library channels under the ScreenPix banner. ScreenPix consists of ScreenPix; ScreenPix: Action; ScreenPix: Westerns; and ScreenPix: Voices, a channel dedicated to diverse voices.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed but it fills in a major part of the carriage map for Epix, which launched in 2009 and has accrued about 15 million subscribers. Comcast is the No. 1 U.S. cable operator and its Xfinity platform serves a majority of its 21 million-plus residential video customers. Earlier this year, Epix firmed up carriage with DirecTV and AT&T TV, the successor to the internet-delivered DirecTV Now.

Last winter, Epix also launched its own stand-alone subscription offering, Epix Now. While premium peers Showtime, HBO and Starz have racked up millions of streaming subscribers in recent years, the existence of their over-the-top offerings has sometimes complicated negotiations with distributors. In many cases, the same companies offering video packages are the same ones providing broadband service for streaming, meaning they can profit with or without a traditional carriage deal in place.

“I’m thrilled to welcome this new chapter in Epix’s relationship with Comcast,” Epix president Michael Wright said. “We have a shared commitment to providing viewers an unmatched experience and are excited for Xfinity TV customers to experience Epix’s lineup of new original series.”

“Epix has been a great partner, and we are very pleased to deliver its critically acclaimed originals and vast content library to more Xfinity TV customers,” said Dana Strong, President of Consumer Services for Comcast Cable.

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