DIRECTV and DIRECTV NOW to add EPIX

It’s finally happening. AT&T is adding EPIX to its two video services. This is something that most folks would never have assumed. After all, the pace of channel adds has slowed considerably. The company hasn’t added fan favorites like Blaze and Pac12, and you could be forgiven for thinking that there probably wouldn’t be any channels to add for a while.

And then came Epix.

AT&T announced out of the blue yesterday that it had come to an agreement with MGM, the parent of Epix, to finally bring the service to DIRECTV and DIRECTV NOW. The channel will cost an additional $5.99 and will be available May 19.

No word yet as to whether this will include authenticating to the Epix app for smartphones and streaming devices, but it probably will.

There’s also no word as to whether Epix will be available to customers with the Premier programming package at no extra charge. Customers with Premier have access to all the other premium channels but oddly don’t have access to the Movies Extra Pack (formerly known as the HD Extra pack) without paying additional fees. MGMHD is part of the Extra Pack, and I know some people were disappointed that Epix wasn’t added to that programming package for free.

We’ll just have to wait and see if it’s available for customers with Premier. If I had to guess, I would say yes it will be. Folks, that’s just a guess though and I have no inside information here.

What’s on Epix?

You can check out their web site here, but essentially what you’re looking at here is another premium channel in the same mold as Starz, HBO, and Showtime. There are recently run movies, a few original series, that sort of thing. Looking at the site, I came to realize why some of the movies I’ve been looking for aren’t on the other premiums… they’re on Epix instead.  They’ve done a good job of snagging some really highly regarded movies.

Epix launched as a movies-only service designed to break the mold. Originally, Epix promoted itself  as a movie-lovers’ service. It was one of the first of the premium channels to be available on streaming as a standalone subscription. In recent years it seems to have settled into being an HBO competitor with a pretty deep movie selection that covers a lot of the hits of the last 30 years. Epix also features some good originals including the very well-regarded Get Shorty.

Is Epix for you?

Of course you’ll have to decide if the $6 a month is worth it in this crowded market of pay TV and streaming services. The good news is that you have a choice. If you are an existing Solid Signal customer, call us at 888-233-7563 to add Epix, or call 1-800-DIRECTV.

We’ll all be looking forward to the launch in just a few weeks and at that time I’ll be able to confirm more details such as being able to authenticate to streaming boxes and also which packages (if any) will get Epix added without any additional charges.

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.