Amazon rebranding Epix Now streamer as MGM+

Amazon, which purchased the iconic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio in March 2022, says it will rebrand the Epix Now streaming offering as MGM+ come 2023.

Epix was originally a joint venture between Paramount Pictures, MGM and Lionsgate, but MGM bought out the other two partners back in 2017.

Amazon, in turn, acquired the brand when it bought MGM earlier in 2022. Epix itself is a cable and satellite channel, but like most broadcasters, added streaming components, in this case under the “Now” name.

Now, Amazon says it’s going to drop the Epix Now name in favor of MGM+ in 2023, though the Epix name will remain for its non-streaming brands.

Amazon previously rebranded its free IMDb TV streaming offering as Freevee earlier in 2022. 

MGM+ will join a crowded market of streaming brands that use the “plus” branding element. Its previous name, “Epix Now,” used the less common “Now” branding.

Amazon released a look at the upcoming service’s logo design, a design that features the MGM monogram that was introduced in 2021 with, quite naturally, a plus sign added to it.

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The MGM monogram introduced in 2021.

The monogram itself features a distinct “G” with exaggerated hook, inspired by the typography found in the roaring lion production vanity card the studio has used for decades, with multiple updates along the way.

For the MGM+ iteration, it’s a bit disappointing to see the plus sign simply tacked on to the end without much of an attempt to match the distinct shapes and elements in the monogram. 

It remains in a gold tone, but its finish, at least in the full color version Amazon released, has a slightly textured surface compared to the more beveled, liquid-like appearance of the “MGM” letters next to it.

With “+” being such a common element in streaming, it would have been interesting to explore some opportunities to make the symbol a bit more distinct — perhaps getting some of the sharp points found in the “M”s. 

That said, the plus sign also does stand out by the nature of being slightly different, so that could just as well been part of the strategy.

By making the the MGM name more prominent, Amazon is the second major media brand in recent memory to elevate a classic Hollywood name to the forefront of its branding strategy. ViacomCBS rebranded as Paramount Global, typically known as simply “Paramount” in February 2022.

The Paramount name had been sneaking beyond the film studio and related properties that used the name when Spike TV became Paramount Network in 2018 and then again in 2021 when streamer CBS All Access became Paramount+.

Paramount has used variations of the mountain logo across its various properties, as well as the tagline “a mountain of entertainment” to promote Paramount+.