Add the connected car to the batch of platforms being supported by authenticated TV Everywhere services.
Epix, the MGM-owned premium programmer, said its streaming video app will be woven into rear-seat entertainment systems offered in Honda’s 2018 Odyssey minivans.
That app, to be pre-loaded on a connected car platform powered by Delphi Automotive in tandem with OpenMobile, will let Epix subs log in to watch the programmer’s library of 2,000-plus movies and TV shows, including network originals, four Epix live linear feeds, as well as access to features such as a personal queue, curated content collections, and movie trailers. The Epix app for the Honda vehicles will also support free sampling.
According to CNET, Honda’s rear entertainment system for the Odyssey features a 10.2-inch screen, with apps fed by an optional onboard LTE data connection that can connect up to seven portable WiFi devices.
“We are excited to be the first entertainment network to partner with Honda for this key inflection point in the world of smart connected vehicles and video,” Mark Greenberg, president and CEO of Epix, said in a statement. “As vehicles evolve to become the ultimate mobile device, we are pleased to work with Honda to develop new entertainment experiences for second and third row passengers and pioneer this next chapter of streaming video and true TV Everywhere.”
“EPIX has a deep roadmap of innovative features planned in the coming months, including new ways to download content to your Honda entertainment system using other mobile devices in and out of vehicles,” added Jon Dakss, Epix’s chief digital officer. “We’re also tracking the rapid technological advances in the autonomous vehicle space as we believe they will create extraordinary new ways for people to access premium content while they travel."
