NETFLIX MAKES NEW ONLINE PLAY

Epix, the pay-TV company that’s a joint venture of Paramount, Lionsgate, and MGM, and online movie renter Netflix have confirmed that they have reached a deal — reportedly worth $1 billion over five years — giving Netflix the right to stream Epix’s movies. However, not only will they not be available online at the same time they are released on DVD, they won’t be available until 90 days after Epix runs them on its pay-TV cable service, ordinarily several months after their DVD release. Nevertheless, the Los Angeles Times, which first reported the deal, observed that it “could transform the landscape for digital movie distribution.”