Viacom's EPIX Lands Cable Deal With Charter Communications

Epix, the movie and entertainment streaming network that works across your TV, computer, and mobile phone, has landed its fourth cable deal: Charter Communications. In the past few weeks, the network also landed a deal with Cox Communications and Mediacom Communications. We wrote about the service here and here. Specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Jointly backed by Viacom, Lionsgate, Paramount, and MGM, EPIX provides access to over 15,000 movie titles. The company originally signed a deal with Verizon FIOS, which was somewhat limiting considering only some 2 million people use Verizon’s cable service. Cox brings more clients to EPIX with its base of 6.2 million customers, which including 2.7 million digital cable subscribers. Mediacom, the 7th largest cable provider in the U.S., will bring with it a base of 1.3 million subscribers in 22 states. And Carter, which is the fourth largest cable provider in the U.S. will bring EPIX to 5.7 million homes by May 2010.

One of our main issues with EPIX was that it was tied to Verizon FIOS but it appears that the company is steadily adding more cable providers to distribute its service. Epix was also said to be close to an agreement with the Dish Network, which would bring a large list of 14 million subscribers. Unfortunately, the platform offers a sliver of available movies out there, since it only includes the movies available through the studios that are backing the company. But EPIX is useful because it transcends the TV and your computer and it’s fairly easy to use. Now that EPIX has scored deals with Cox and Charter, I’m sure the company is looking to cross Time Warner and Comcast off the list.