AMC, IFC channels launch on Sling TV, along with full EPIX package

Keeping on with its rapid addition of channels in its move to stay ahead of the oncoming rush of virtual MVPD players like Sony, Sling TV announced that it has integrated AMC Networks into its core lineup, including its IFC channel. The additions bring the total number of core channels to 16. A fourth add-on package, featuring four EPIX channels and the Sundance TV, also is available to subscribers.

Fans of The Walking Dead and Better Call Saul are now able to watch those AMC series, among others, as part of the $20-per-month "Best of Live TV" package. Mad Men will be available beginning April 5, according to a Sling TV release. IFC shows including Portlandia are also streaming. However, they're only in linear format for now.

On-demand streaming of AMC and IFC shows will be available in the near future, the OTT provider said.

Sling TV's new add-on package, "Hollywood Extra," can be added at the standard price of $5 more per month. It features EPIX, EPIX2, EPIX3, EPIX Drive-In and Sundance TV, and has a replay feature so that subscribers can watch content from these channels up to seven days after they air.

As with the new core channels, the EPIX channels and Sundance TV do not yet have on-demand capability.

Expanding its presence online is a concern for AMC and may be one of the driving elements in finalizing a deal to be part of Sling TV's lineup. The network posted a 40 percent revenue increase in the fourth quarter of 2014, but its international channels--which include IFC--saw a $19 million loss. Yet it sees online video outlets as a way to expand viewership of its popular original programming.

For more:
- see the release

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