MGM

EPIX to Premiere Pilot of First Original Series in 2010

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 20, 2009 - 11:44am.
New York - EPIX, the pay-TV and online video joint venture from Viacom (NYSE: NWS), Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate, announced on Friday that actor Sam Shepard will star in Lionsgate's "Tough Trade," the first original series pilot destined for the EPIX service. Production on the pilot, which is slated to debut on EPIX in 2010, begins next month.

tags: Video | TV | Viacom | MGM | Paramount | Lionsgate | Epix |

EPIX Movie Channel Launches on Verizon FiOS TV Friday

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 29, 2009 - 3:28pm.
New York - Verizon (NYSE: VZ) will launch the multi-platform pay-TV movie channel EPIX on its FiOS TV digital TV service on Friday, with a $9.99 per month price tag. EPIX, a joint venture between Viacom (NYSE: VIA), Paramount Pictures, MGM and Lionsgate, aims to eventually become a pay-TV movie channel as well, but to date has not announced any carriage deals.

EPIX Pay-TV Joint Venture to Launch on Oct. 30

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 13, 2009 - 12:22pm.
New York - EPIX, the pay-TV and online video-on-demand joint venture between Viacom (NYSE: VIA), Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate, announced on Tuesday that it will officially launch on Oct. 30. The service, which to date has not yet announced carriage partners except for Verizon's FiOS TV, will at launch offer content include Madonna's "Sticky and Sweet: Live from Buenos Aires," "Iron Man" and "Eddie Izzard: Live From Wembley."

tags: Video | TV | Viacom | MGM | Paramount | Lionsgate | Epix |

EPIX Web Service to Offer 3,000+ Movies on Demand

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 21, 2009 - 8:58am.
New York - EPIX, the pay-TV and video-on-demand movie service joint venture between Viacom (NYSE: VIA), Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate, announced on Monday that it plans to offer at least 3,000 films online via EPIX Megaplex, the online version of its service.

Epix Movie Channel Joint Venture Debuts Online

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 8, 2009 - 1:21pm.
Los Angeles - Epix, the movies-on-demand joint venture between Viacom (NYSE: VIA), Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate, debuted on Monday in a private beta version online, but has yet to announce any carriage deals with satellite or cable TV providers.
tags: VOD | TV | Movies | Viacom | MGM | Paramount | Lionsgate | Epix |

Epix Movie Channel Joint Venture to Debut Online

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 28, 2009 - 8:58am.

New York - Studio 3 Networks, the pay-TV movie channel joint venture between MGM, Paramount Pictures (NYSE: VIA) and Lionsgate, will first launch the service as a subscription-only website in May before coming to TV systems in October, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Epix service, which has not yet secured any carriage agreements with cable or satellite TV service providers, will debut with over 15,000 titles.

CBS Signs Partners to Add More TV Episodes to TV.com

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on January 12, 2009 - 10:39am.

New York - CBS (NYSE: CBS) Interactive announced on Monday that it has signed deals with MGM, Showtime, Sony Pictures Television, PBS and Endemol USA to expand the range of TV episodes available for free streaming on its TV.com website.

Investments in Viacom Movie Channel Joint Venture Reach $34M

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 12, 2008 - 9:41am.

Los Angeles - The premium movie channel joint venture between Viacom/Paramount Pictures, MGM and Lionsgate, has received about $34 million so far from its partners, PaidContent reported, citing a regulatory filing.

MGM Launches Movie, TV Episode Channel on YouTube

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 10, 2008 - 1:08pm.

Los Angeles - Hollywood movie studio MGM announced on Monday that it has launched a channel on YouTube that features full-length streaming movies and TV shows. The MGM "Impact" channel originally launched as a video-on-demand offering in partnership with Comcast. In addition to full-length films including "Lone Wolf McQuade" and "Bulletproof Monk," and TV shows like "American Gladiators," the YouTube channel will feature clips from movies like "Rocky" and "The Magnificent Seven."

tags: TV | Movies | YouTube | MGM |

Electronic Arts Courts Suitors for Movie Rights to New Game

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 31, 2008 - 6:18am.

Los Angeles - Electronic Arts (NASD: ERTS) is courting four Hollywood movie studios all bidding on the big screen rights to an as-yet-unannounced new title from the video game publisher, Variety reports.

SouthPeak, Legacy to Publish Game Based on "Igor" Movie

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on June 13, 2008 - 10:13am.

Midlothian, Va. - Video game publisher SouthPeak Interactive said on Friday that it will co-publish "Igor," based on the forthcoming animated film from The Weinstein Company and MGM Studios, along with developer Legacy Interactive. The game is slated for release alongside the film in September for Nintendo Wii, DS and the PC.

Viacom to Launch Pay-TV, VOD Channel JV with 5 Studios

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 21, 2008 - 7:31am.

New York - Media conglomerate Viacom (NYSE: VIA) announced on Monday that it has formed a joint venture to create a premium TV channel and video-on-demand service that will feature classic and new movies and TV shows from five studios. Scheduled to launch in the fall of 2009, the service will feature programming from Viacom's Paramount and Paramount Vantage, MGM, United Artists and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF).

Analysis: Viacom, MGM, Lionsgate Kick It Old School

Authored by Paul Sweeting on April 21, 2008 - 6:12am.
Old habits die hard in Hollywood. One of the hardest to shake, apparently, is the habit of exclusivity. At a time when many content creators and distributors are searching for ways to capitalize on the ubiquitous distribution of movie and TV programming made possible by new digital platforms and devices, Viacom, MGM and Lionsgate are trying to kick it old school with a new, digitally powered pay-TV channel premised on exclusive windows and exclusive access to content from the partner studios.

FireSky to Publish "Stargate Worlds" Multiplayer Game

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on April 17, 2008 - 11:47am.

Mesa, Ariz. - FireSky, a newly established video game publisher, said on Thursday that has signed a deal to publish "Stargate Worlds," a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game based on the sci-fi franchise owned by MGM. The company, which currently has four studios working on a variety of titles, says it will focus on "SNAP" (Social Networks at Play) games -- "a unified theory of online gaming that combines social interactive, economies and game play across a variety of titles."

Analysis: Peter Jackson to Produce Rings' Prequel 'The Hobbit', but Not Direct?

Authored by Jay Baage on December 18, 2007 - 7:54am.

Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema (NYSE: TWX) finally reached an agreement to make J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit," a prequel to the blockbuster trilogy "The Lord of the Rings." While it appears that the parties have settled their longtime blood fued over Lord of the Rings' royalties, the announcement today is that Jackson will NOT direct "The Hobbit", but serve as "Executive Producer" together with his on- and offscreen partner Fran Walsh. So how significant is that little detail?

Peter Jackson Joins New Line, MGM to Produce ‘The Hobbit’

Authored by Scott Goldberg on December 18, 2007 - 7:17am.

After worldwide box office sales of almost $3 billion for the trilogy of The Lord of the Rings, it’s unthinkable that anyone other than Peter Jackson, director of the films, could be involved in a project for The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien's original adventures in Middle Earth. But after a spat between Jackson and New Line Cinema threatened to derail the film, AP reports the Kiwi filmmaker has agreed to executive produce The Hobbit, with a director yet to be named.

tags: Sony | Movies | Comcast | MGM | Film | New Line |

Tom Cruise Film 'Lions for Lambs' Could Hurt MGM Financing

Authored by Scott Goldberg on November 2, 2007 - 5:04am.
Might Tom Cruise hurt MGM's Financing Efforts?Negative reactions to Tom Cruise’s Lions for Lambs, directed by Robert Redford and co-starring Meryl Streep, could have a negative impact on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s attempts to raise funds for film productions, The New York Post reports.  MGM had hired Goldman Sachs to assist in raising between $500 million and $1 billion prior to this summer’s credit market crash, and though still tight, the investment bank continues pursuing funds.

News Corp., NBC Universal Debut Private Beta of Hulu

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 29, 2007 - 7:52am.

Los Angeles - News Corp. and NBC Universal on Monday announced a private beta launch of Hulu, their video distribution joint venture that offers streaming programming on a free, ad-supported basis.

MGM to Launch HD Channel on DirecTV

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 18, 2007 - 11:57am.

Los Angeles - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) announced on Tuesday that it will launch its first high-definition channel this fall on the DirecTV satellite service. MGM HD will be the studio's first wholly-owned channel in the U.S.; the company did not detail additional deployments with other satellite or cable providers. MGM already offers some 20 different feeds of MGM channels outside the U.S., in nearly 120 countries.

tags: HD | Movies | DirecTV | MGM | MGM HD |

Career Moves: May 15, 2007

Authored by dmw on May 15, 2007 - 2:57pm.
Career Moves is made possible by @HIRE.

Yahoo! Inc. today announced that the Board of Directors has appointed Blake Jorgensen, the co-founder of Thomas Weisel Partners, as chief financial officer. Jorgensen will commence employment with the Company on or about June 4, 2007. Jorgensen will replace Susan Decker, who has moved into a new role as head of the advertiser and publisher group. Jorgensen will be a key member of Yahoo!'s executive team, overseeing the company's finance, investor relations and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) groups. He will report directly to Yahoo!'s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Terry Semel.
http://www.yahoo.com