As Netflix continues to pump more and more money into original shows and movies, the company is going to have to make some cuts. That started this weekend when Netflix announced that it is cutting ties with Epix, the cable network that airs blockbusters like The Hunger Games and Transformers.
Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos wrote in a blog post that it will not renew its deal with Epix. This means that films from Lionsgate, Paramount and MGM will no longer be available to stream on Netflix.
On the same day Netflix made that announcement, Epix struck a deal with Hulu. That deal will bring Epix movies to Netflix starting on Oct. 1. The deal will also include several films that have yet to be available on streaming services, including Chris Rock’s Top Five, Interstellar, Selma and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1.
Films that will be available on Oct. 1 include The Wolf of Wall Street, World War Z, Star Trek Into Darkness, Transformers: Age of Extinction and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
This decision is a bold one on Netflix’s part, since it proves that the company is more interested in adding more original shows and movies. The company is about to release its first original feature film, Beasts of No Nation with Idris Elba in October. It reportedly spent $60 million to secure War Machine, a movie with Brad Pitt.
image courtesy of Murray Close/Lionsgate