Who Owns MGM+?

MGM+'s sustainability practices fall under Amazon's corporate sustainability framework. Amazon has committed to reaching net-zero carbon by 2040 through The Climate Pledge, co-founded in 2019. The company matched 100% of electricity consumed by global operations with renewable energy in 2024 for the second consecutive year, achieving this target five years ahead of the original 2030 goal.

Amazon MGM Studios has taken a specific role in entertainment industry sustainability by sponsoring the first Sustainable Production for Entertainment Certification (SPEC) program through the U.S. Green Building Council California. This program trains entertainment professionals in waste reduction, supply chain management, carbon calculation, and energy management for film and television productions. Amazon MGM Studios is the first studio to implement SPEC training as part of its global sustainability initiative.

For MGM+ specifically, sustainability considerations are limited to the energy consumption of streaming infrastructure. The service runs on Amazon Web Services (AWS), which has committed to powering its operations with 100% renewable energy. Streaming video content requires significant data center energy, and Amazon's renewable energy commitments address this at the infrastructure level.

MGM+ does not publish brand-specific sustainability reports. Environmental metrics for the service are included within Amazon's broader sustainability reporting, which is available in Amazon's annual sustainability report.

Amazon MGM Studios received eight Golden Globe nominations in December 2024, with recognition for 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith,' 'Challengers,' and 'Nickel Boys.' These nominations reflect the studio's content production quality, which benefits MGM+ through exclusive streaming rights.

MGM+'s original series 'Godfather of Harlem' won an Emmy Award. The series stars Forest Whitaker and has been one of the service's flagship originals since its launch. 'From' has maintained near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes scores across four seasons, with 100% for Season 3 and 96% for Season 4. The series has been the most-streamed show on the platform.

'The Westies,' starring Titus Welliver and J.K. Simmons, debuted as the number one show on MGM+ in July 2026 before being overtaken by 'From' after that series concluded its fourth season. The show holds a 71% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The 2023 rebranding from Epix to MGM+ was recognized as a successful brand strategy. MGM+ President Michael Wright noted that the rebranding significantly boosted public awareness of the service, addressing the previous challenge of being 'the best service that many people have never heard of.'

In June 2026, 'Project Hail Mary' became the number one streaming movie in the United States according to JustWatch, after beginning its exclusive streaming run on MGM+. The film was Amazon MGM Studios' biggest box office release since the acquisition.

MGM+ has not faced product recalls as it is a streaming service rather than a physical product. However, the service has navigated several challenges and controversies.

During its original launch as Epix in 2009, major pay television providers including Comcast, Cablevision, and DirecTV refused to carry the channel. DirecTV stated they did not see the value of adding another movie channel. This limited the service's reach in its early years and required alternative distribution strategies.

The service has faced ongoing brand awareness challenges. Before the 2023 rebranding, Epix had low consumer recognition despite offering quality content. MGM+ President Michael Wright acknowledged that the service was 'the best service that many people have never heard of.' The rebranding to MGM+ was intended to address this by leveraging the recognized MGM brand name.

Content licensing complexities have created challenges. Following Amazon's acquisition of MGM, existing sub-licensing agreements with Hulu and Paramount+ required renegotiation. Some MGM content that was previously available on competing platforms had to be managed carefully to avoid disrupting existing contracts while building MGM+'s exclusive library.

The service faces questions about its value proposition at $7.99 per month. With an estimated 5-7 million subscribers, MGM+ is significantly smaller than major streaming services. Some industry analysts have questioned whether Amazon needs a separate curated streaming service alongside Prime Video, or whether MGM+ content should be folded into Prime Video to simplify Amazon's streaming strategy.

Amazon's acquisition of MGM itself faced regulatory scrutiny. The European Commission and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission both reviewed the $8.5 billion deal before approving it without conditions in March 2022. Some critics argued the acquisition gave Amazon excessive control over film content, though regulators did not impose remedies.