EPIX Live Debuts with Lewis Black and Kevin Smith

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EPIX, the premium entertainment channel, video-on-demand and online service, today announced the launch of EPIX Live, a new online forum that allows fans to interact with their favorite artists via thirty-minute Q&A sessions. EPIX Live, which is available on EpixHD.com, debuts September 1 at 3pm ET with award-winning comedian and Daily Show contributor Lewis Black as a follow-up to his EPIX comedy special, Stark Raving Black, and documentary, Basic Black, which premiered August 1.

“With EPIX Live, we’ve leveraged the full power of our multiplatform service to achieve both those goals, while giving artists a forum to engage with their fans in a unique and meaningful way.”

Coming in October, award-winning writer, producer, director and actor (Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma) Kevin Smith will field questions from his fans on EPIX Live. Smith’s special, Kevin Smith: Too Fat for 40 will premiere on EPIX October 23.

EPIX Live, which is powered by Clipsync, provides a true social TV experience. Viewers can submit and have questions answered in real time, interact, share and comment with one another and broadcast their participation to their friends via integrations with Twitter and Facebook.

“At EPIX, we strive to provide our subscribers with a completely unique viewing experience and to bring them closer to the movies and entertainers they love,” said EPIX President Mark Greenberg. “With EPIX Live, we’ve leveraged the full power of our multiplatform service to achieve both those goals, while giving artists a forum to engage with their fans in a unique and meaningful way.”

A recent survey conducted by EPIX found that two-thirds of subscribers have watched movies online, and 61 percent consider multiplatform availability an important attribute driving subscription value. This study points to the fact consumers are increasingly comfortable with new ways of accessing entertainment programming and underscores the demand for an offering like EPIX Live.

About EPIX:

EPIX, a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), is a next-generation premium entertainment channel, video-on-demand and online service launched on October 30, 2009. With access to more than 15,000 motion pictures spanning the vast libraries of its partners and other studios, EPIX provides a powerful entertainment experience with more feature films on demand and online and more HD movies than any other service. It is the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up of new Hollywood titles, classic feature films, original series, music and comedy specials through the linear channel, video-on-demand and online at EpixHD.com, the leading online destination for movies. EPIX has made the commitment to deliver the industry’s most expansive online collection of movies, making more than 3,000 titles available on EpixHD.com. The service is available to over 30 million homes nationwide through carriage agreements with Verizon FiOS, DISH Network, Cox Communications, Mediacom Communications, Charter Communications and NCTC. In addition, beginning September 1, 2010, Netflix members will be able to instantly watch an array of new releases and library titles from EPIX streamed over the Internet from Netflix 90 days after they premiere in premium pay TV and on demand, giving EPIX another distribution channel to bring its films to more consumers.

For more information about EPIX, go to www.EpixHD.com.

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