There's 'No Question' That EPIX Will 'Bring More Viewers To Hulu'

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Hulu
made a surprise announcement this weekend when it revealed that it had struck a new deal with EPIX. The
multi-year agreement
means that "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and "Transformers: Age of Extinction" will leave
Netflix, Inc.NFLX
and arrive on Hulu October 1. James Bond will do the same. "People are gonna go where they get the best bang for their buck," Tigress Financial Partners analyst Ivan Feinseth told Benzinga. "Sometimes Netflix is gonna win on bidding for content, sometimes they're gonna lose. They have to manage it. They can't over pay." Feinseth said that Netflix's latest original show, "Narcos," is "incredible" and will be the "next big show."

Related Link: 'Seinfeld' And 'Fear The Walking Dead' Could Add 10 Million Subscribers To Hulu

New Content Strategy

Rentrak CorporationRENT
Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian told Benzinga that the model of having one type of content is clearly changing. He noted that Netflix (once a movie company) branched out to TV and then started producing its own original shows and movies. Hulu, built to be the ultimate TV platform, eventually added movies and started producing its own TV series. "[Audiences] don't necessarily want to stick with one platform, but once they're there they like the one-stop shop capability," said Dergarabedian. "They like [that] they can watch a couple episodes of 'Mad Men' and then a feature film. I think that's why Hulu and EPIX are providing the content together on the Hulu platform." Dergarabedian said that consumers who enjoy seeing movies in theaters also enjoy watching them at home. He said the same is true for TV shows and other forms of content -- it's all intertwined. "It's this whole churn of content that gives people the ultimate freedom of choice," he said. "From the audience perspective it's all about viewing habits…on a certain platform with a variety of content, all in one place." The EPIX deal also includes "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," "Star Trek: Into Darkness," "World War Z," "Wolf of Wall Street" and "Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit." "I think it does bring more viewers to Hulu, no question," Dergarabedian concluded. "If they have different types of movies or certain movies you love, you'll go to them." Disclosure:
At the time of this writing, Louis Bedigian had no position in the equities mentioned in this report.
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Posted In: Analyst ColorAnalyst RatingsTechEpixHuluIvan FeinsethNetflixPaul DergarabedianRentrakTigress Financial Partners
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