Epix Offering Movie Downloads

15 Sep, 2015 By: Erik Gruenwedel

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In a first for a pay-TV channel, subscribers can download content to portable devices, playable without an Internet connection

Epix is going old-school, sort of. The multi-platform pay-TV service co-owned by Lionsgate, Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Sept. 15 announced it would allow subscribers this month to download movies onto portable media devices, including mobile phones and tablets, to play without an Internet connection.

Downloading movies and TV shows — once at the forefront of the digital evolution in home entertainment — has been supplanted in recent years by cloud-based content storage and subscription streaming. Yet, downloads are still considered a competitive edge against SVOD juggernaut Netflix, which just announced it would not renew a license deal with Epix. Amazon Prime Instant Video recently announced that subs would be able to download select content.

“The Epix goal has always been to provide our subscribers with next-level enhancements, elevating how they can access content across devices,” CEO Mark Greenberg said in a statement. “By creating a … true TV Everywhere experience, consumers can now download a movie … while waiting at the airport, traveling by train, commuting to work, or even on a camping trip.”

The new download feature will offer movie franchises, including “The Hunger Games,” “James Bond” and “Star Trek,” original documentaries and music and comedy events featuring Katy Perry, Craig Ferguson, Louis CK and Mark Maron, among others.

For pay-TV operator Time Warner Cable, the movie download option provides another incentive for subs not to cord-cut.

“Working with [Epix] to capitalize on technology to create more ways for our customers to watch is a great way for us to add value together,” Mike Angus, SVP and GM of digital, said in a statement.

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