At PlayStation, we’re always looking for new opportunities to give our fans the best entertainment options on our devices. Today we’re proud to share that EPIX, the premium entertainment network, will bring its library of more than 3,000 new release and classic feature films, world-class concerts, comedy specials, sports, and other original programming to PS3 and PS Vita owners across the U.S. this year.

In case you’re not familiar, EPIX is currently available through cable, satellite, and telco TV providers, online, and via other devices. The application will be free to download on PSN, and EPIX subscribers will be able to instantly stream a broad range of movies and entertainment content, including many new and popular releases like Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, The Hunger Games, Thor, and much more.

The EPIX app for PS3 will launch this quarter, with the app for PS Vita to follow later in the spring. Look for more news about EPIX here on the PlayStation.Blog as we get closer to launch!

To demonstrate why our partnership has been so valuable for both PlayStation owners and Netflix users, we asked Netflix CEO Reed Hastings to offer some further insight:

PS3 first introduced Netflix in November 2009, and since then it has become a primary development platform for the Netflix streaming experience, giving PS3 owners early access to many new features that come to other platforms later. For example, PS3 was the first computer entertainment system to offer Netflix in full 1080p video resolution with 5.1-channel Dolby Digital Plus™ surround sound and to offer post play, second screen controls, on device sign-up, and alternate audio options including subtitles. PS3 is currently the only platform to experience a new voice user interface called “Max” that’s currently being tested.

PlayStation remains a huge admirer and supporter of Netflix’s focus on quality and customer service, and we’re clearly not alone: with more than 30 million streaming members globally, Netflix has earned an irreplaceable slot in the modern living room. And we’re proud that this innovative service has found its biggest success on PlayStation 3.

We won’t stop here. Our joint development will continue to produce innovations that further demonstrate PS3 as the true home for entertainment in the living room. For example, earlier this year PlayStation and Netflix expanded their partnership by bringing the Netflix experience to PlayStation Vita in the United States. This enables PS3 owners to start watching a movie or TV show on Netflix, pause it, and seamlessly continue watching on PS Vita’s beautiful 5-inch high-def OLED screen.

We look forward to working with Netflix on further innovations that will keep the PlayStation experience the best in the living room. What’s your favorite TV show or film you’ve discovered on Netflix? I’ll be interested in reading your comments.

Hello PlayStation Nation!

NFL SUNDAY TICKET is returning in time for the NFL‘s regular season opening weekend on September 9th.

All existing DIRECTV subscribers who have the NFL SUNDAY TICKET MAX plan will be able to download the PS3 application from PlayStation Network for free, and live stream every out-of-market NFL football game every Sunday afternoon this season in full HD.

In addition, you will have access to DIRECTV’S the RED ZONE CHANNEL at no additional charge. RED ZONE delivers the final yards of every scoring drive and other exciting moments from all Sunday afternoon games as they happen, and it’s a great way to stay on top of the day’s highlights.

For all of you fantasy football aficionados, the NFL SUNDAY TICKET app also includes up-to-the-minute stats to help you keep track of every play on the field. If you play NFL.com fantasy, you can follow your fantasy team in real time while watching games Sunday afternoon.

PS3 owners without access to DIRECTV will also be able to receive NFL Sunday Ticket and live stream every out-of-market NFL football game this season for $299.95.

We’re very excited to see the return of the definitive NFL football app on PlayStation Network. Keep an eye out for the launch of NFL SUNDAY TICKET with the PlayStation Store update on September 4th.

Comedy aficionados may recognize the Laugh Factory name. The Hollywood-based club has hosted some of the best talent in the business over the years — recent acts include names like Dave Chappelle and Dane Cook, for example — the number of high-caliber comedians who have have performed at the Laugh Factory is second to none. With The Laugh Factory LIVE, you’ll be able to relive some of the best moments of the club’s past, as well as watch live comedy performances, right from your PlayStation 3.

PS3 owners can access The Laugh Factory LIVE application beginning September 1st. Even better, all content and live shows are absolutely free until December! Comedy lovers can keep enjoying The Laugh Factory LIVE for $3 per month after the free period is over.

The Laugh Factory is home to over 30 years of top quality entertainment, and for the first time ever, they’re opening their doors to a digital audience in a whole new way. We can’t wait for everyone to check out the app for themselves, and enjoy hours of comedy gold exclusively on PlayStation 3.

Keep your eyes on the PlayStation.Blog for more info on The Laugh Factory LIVE!

The PlayStation 3 is of one the most popular devices for watching movies and TV shows streamed over the internet from Netflix. Now all those movies and TV episodes can be watched on PS Vita’s stunning high-def OLED front touch screen. The addition of Netflix streaming to PS Vita’s unique, powerful gameplay experiences gives users even more access and flexibility to the content they want, when they want it and where they want it.

Stay tuned for more exciting updates as we near the February 22nd launch of PS Vita!

This Sunday, PS3 owners without access to DIRECTV will be able to live stream every out-of-market Sunday NFL game on their PS3 with a subscription to NFL SUNDAY TICKET. You’ll be able to enhance your NFL experience with live multi-game scoreboards and field position trackers, which also allow you to access highlights, stats, standings and schedules, as well as the Red Zone Channel, which gives you live coverage of Sunday’s most exciting moments. The subscription for the 2011 season can be purchased directly through the app for $339.95. Existing subscribers can use the PS3 as an additional receiver in their home, as part of their NFL SUNDAY TICKET To-Go package, which is purchased through DIRECTV.

Check out the video to see how the app works on PS3:

Are you ready for some football!

We are excited to announce that PlayStation has partnered with DIRECTV to bring its popular sports subscription service, NFL SUNDAY TICKET, to the PlayStation 3 game console. PlayStation owners across the country will now have the opportunity to watch every out-of-market Sunday game on their PS3.

How do you get in the game? At the start of the season, viewers who do not currently have access to DIRECTV will be able to subscribe to NFL SUNDAY TICKET at the season price of $339.95. Existing DIRECTV customers who already have NFL SUNDAY TICKET and NFL SUNDAY TICKET To-Go through DIRECTV can access the service on their PS3 for no additional charge.

NFL SUNDAY TICKET is a DIRECTV-exclusive sports package that offers:

• Up to 14 NFL games every Sunday
• Full HD for every football game
• DIRECTV’s Red Zone Channel

We know that PlayStation fans are huge sports enthusiasts, so adding NFL SUNDAY TICKET is the perfect complement to the PS3’s rapidly growing lineup of sports entertainment, including MLB.TV and NHL GameCenter. We’ll have more info, including a video tutorial and sign up information on the blog shortly. I hope you’re as excited for the football season as we are.

For the month of November, PlayStation hardware unit sales exceeded 1.5 million units, including close to half-a-million PLAYSTATION 3 consoles. That’s means nearly 4 times as many PS3s ended up in North American homes in November than the month before.

A slew of incredible titles this holiday season has definitely been a factor in that growth: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Rock Band, Assassin’s Creed, Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction, Heavenly Sword, and Pain (did I miss any?) should keep everyone busy well into the new year. And our new ad campaign has helped get the word out that PLAYSTATION 3 is THE gamers’ console.

As far as the PlayStation Portable is concerned, a lot of dudes decided to “Get Your Own” in November. NPD reports over 567,000 PSPs were sold in November, thanks in large part to the popularity of the slimmer, lighter PSP, the debut of the PLAYSTATION Store for PC, and critically acclaimed titles like Beats, Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron, and Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow.

While the PS3 has just passed its first birthday, the PlayStation 2 is still kicking hard seven years after launch. The PS2 remains the best-selling gaming platform ever released, with nearly half-a-million more adding to the system’s greatness in the month of November. The release of games such as BUZZ! The Mega Quiz, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, and the limited-edition white PS2 bundled with SingStar Pop means that the PS2 will continue to be a favorite for millions of gamers.

We know that PlayStation.Blog readers are all about the games – and these numbers are relevant to existing PlayStation owners as well. With the rise of online multiplayer games like Warhawk, Syphon Filter: Combat Ops. and this week’s big-buzz release Unreal Tournament 3, thousands more players can mean a longer, better gaming experience.

So if you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of new members to the PlayStation family, welcome – and thank you! And for those who have been around for awhile, enjoy the influx of new gamers to play with and against!