Netflix US drops Epix movies

Netflix is shedding thousands of movies from its US streaming service after the firm decided not to renew a deal with distributor Epix.

Ted Sarandos

Among the removed titles will be the Hunger Games and Transformers movies as Netflix said it wants to move its focus to exclusive content.

The Netflix-Epix deal was worth a reported US$1bn and runs until the end of September. The Epix catalogue will now go to rival US service Hulu.

“While many of these movies are popular, they are also widely available on cable and other subscription platforms at the same time as they are on Netflix and subject to the same drawn-out licensing periods,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos.

The move can be seen as part of Netflix’s strategy to position itself as a luxury service with high-end content rather than containing a huge library.

The company has invested heavily in original content, such as Kevin Spacey political thriller House of Cards, and is now beginning to bring in mainstream award nominations.

The cancelled agreement doesn’t affect Netflix’s film library in the UK, but it remains a country where it faces strong competition from movie distributors and Sky, which has its own on-demand offering.

Netflix launches in Japan tomorrow.