In June, the three major motion picture studios, Lionsgate, Paramount, and MGM jointly announced the launch of Epix, an HD online streaming service and HD TV station that will allow users to watch the studio’s films, for free, in HD.
The studios have said this week that the expected launch date of late October is still in the cards, and launch day will see blockbuster films on the service, including “Iron Man.”
Epix is, technically, a studio-controlled venture that will give cable operators and distributors an easier way to shop for rights for movies on video-on-demand and online video. It may all sound good, but the studios have been having a little trouble securing carriage deals. Comcast even went as far as to say that they are not looking for any new TV-with-fee channels.
Epix only currently has a deal with Verizon FiOS, meaning the site will be available to a minuscule 2.5 million US citizens. The company is in talks with Dish, which would add 14 million households, but currently the talks are just that, talks.
Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman is completely faithful in the business model however, and says it will be “cash positive at the end of next year or early the following year.”
Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer agrees: “We have the right idea and the right value proposition. We’re investing in a channel that should have big equity value.”
Result for: value proposition
In an interview this week, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president Andrew House has said the company expects a “a huge amount of growth for the [console] business” following the recent PS3 price cut and the release of the Slim PS3.
“I think what I’ve heard anecdotally is that this is the point people were waiting for - a redesigned model and, in Euros, a significant price reduction,” House says, via GI.biz. “That’s people’s cue to jump into the business.”
“I think as well that the pleasing thing when I look at the European landscape is that this is coming on what was already pretty robust sales, year-on-year. Even at the higher price point our PS3 numbers have been bang on track through this year, against a challenging economic environment.”
“So I think we feel this can only mean a huge amount of growth for the business, particularly in the next three months. It’s an exciting time, and it’s great for us to be able to continue to deliver on the Sony promise - evolving, changing and hopefully delivering a better value proposition to the consumer,” he concluded.
Result for: value proposition
In an interview this week, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe president Andrew House has said the company expects a “a huge amount of growth for the [console] business” following the recent PS3 price cut and the release of the Slim PS3.
“I think what I’ve heard anecdotally is that this is the point people were waiting for - a redesigned model and, in Euros, a significant price reduction,” House says, via GI.biz. “That’s people’s cue to jump into the business.”
“I think as well that the pleasing thing when I look at the European landscape is that this is coming on what was already pretty robust sales, year-on-year. Even at the higher price point our PS3 numbers have been bang on track through this year, against a challenging economic environment.”
“So I think we feel this can only mean a huge amount of growth for the business, particularly in the next three months. It’s an exciting time, and it’s great for us to be able to continue to deliver on the Sony promise - evolving, changing and hopefully delivering a better value proposition to the consumer,” he concluded.
