Amazon plans to rebrand its Epix streaming TV service as MGM Plus next year, the internet retailer’s first significant change since completing its acquisition of the iconic Hollywood studio MGM in March.
The channel’s new brand will go into effect Jan. 23, Amazon said in a statement Wednesday. The company said the rebranding aims to embody MGM’s long cinematic history while also focusing on the network’s future.
“MGM is one of the most iconic and beloved brands from the golden age of entertainment,” Michael Wright, head of MGM Plus, said in a statement. “This rebrand is a promise to existing and new viewers that MGM Plus is the place to find television that reflects and celebrates the legacy of the iconic MGM brand — cinematic programming with sophisticated storytelling that entertains, delights, surprises and transports.”
Epix launched in 2009 as a joint venture of film studios Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Lionsgate before MGM bought out its partners in 2017. Amazon’s $8.45 billion acquisition of MGM gives it access to a catalog of more than 4,000 film titles, including popular franchises like James Bond and Rocky.
