April certainly won't be the cruelest month for Epix.
The movie service, a joint venture of Viacom's Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Lionsgate, will launch on Mediacom Communications come April.
The Mediacom deal, terms of which were not disclosed, marks the second this week for Epix, which announced a pact that will make it part of Cox Communications' movie tier, when it bows with that distributor in April.
It was unclear at press time where Mediacom would be position the linear channel. Epix will be available to Mediacom in both standard- and high-definition format, as well as through on-demand and online platforms.
Mediacom and Cox will join Verizon FiOS in distributing the service, which bowed last October.
Among the movie and entertainment offerings Mediacom subs will be able to access from Epix upon launch: blockbuster theatricals Star Trek and GI Joe, the cult hit Paranormal Activity, Tyler Perry's highly successful film franchise - Madea Goes to Jail and I Can Do Bad All by Myself, and the critically acclaimed Precious.
"We are focused on providing a compelling and unique entertainment experience in a way that every consumer can enjoy -- whether that's a traditional television viewing experience, on demand or on the Internet where video consumption is growing," said Epix president Mark Greenberg in a statement. "Mediacom is a great distribution partner that serves a unique marketplace in our country - smaller towns and rural communities. We are particularly excited to work with them and to demonstrate the on demand and online capabilities that Epix has developed."
