Epix Is Getting Rebranded As MGM+, Which Was Inevitable
The Epix streaming platform is about to get a whole new facelift, one that looks awfully familiar to their mother channel. Beginning January 15, 2023, the streaming outlet and pay cable networks Epix and Starzplay are going to be rebranded as MGM+, in honor of the parent company's name. The new name is a result of Amazon's $8.5 billion acquisition of the MGM company last March.
"We have felt for some time that this is the best service that many people have never heard of," Epix president Michael Wright told Variety. Wright has held the presidential title since 2017 and will now serve at the helm of MGM+. "Other than individual shows, the service has never been marketed," he said. "Now you have this incredibly powerful, loud name that means something to people." Wright has a point. If it wasn't for the partnership the company had with Blumhouse Television that is responsible for the button reading "Watch with Epix. Start your 7-day free trial" when trying to watch some of their new releases on Prime Video, I'd have no idea the streamer even exists.
"You could spend five years and $100 million trying to launch a new brand, and you wouldn't have the brand equity that you get with MGM," Wright continued. "It's really something of a gift." The MGM+ rebrand makes complete sense, especially given the legacy of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer brand, but why stay on the path of yet another streaming service when Amazon, who now owns MGM, already has Prime Video?
Another one gets a plus
Wright told Variety that the addition of the "+" is to indicate the streaming offerings that will now be a part of the existing MGM channel. The platform will be a part of Amazon's streaming avenues, with Prime Video and the ad-supported Freevee, which is the new name for IMDb TV. "We occupy a lane those two don't," Wright said. "We live in a hybrid space; we are a linear service as well as a digital service." As of publication, there doesn't seem to be any plan to bundle MGM+ with the parent streamers, instead continuing to serve as an add-on to Prime Video the same way Epix already functions.
MGM+ will be available for $5.99 a month, one of the lowest prices of the current services available. "We're less expensive than anybody else, and that was by design," Wright said. He also mentioned that Amazon is looking to help boost the platform's offerings, but was unable to give any additional details on just how that will look. The streamer will follow the catchphrase, "television for movie lovers," as a way to highlight their high-quality media output. Epix's flagship programs like "The Godfather of Harlem," "From," "Billy the Kid," and "Rogue Heroes" will continue on the platform.