Sky To Sell Cinema By Satellite To Movie Buffs

Cinema and movie fanatics will soon be able to download the latest blockbusters direct to their living room, as satellite giant Sky prepares to offer a pay-per-download purchase option for those desperate for the latest Hollywood releases.

It is understood that the new scheme will be unleashed by Sky to combat the growing popularity of video-on-demand services, already operated by several cable television rivals. The broadcaster is believed to be in preliminary talks with film makers to secure the rights to distribute their films via satellite.

The new system would enable customers to load the films onto a personal video recorder, such as the company’s Sky Plus system. It is not known whether the movies would be stored indefinitely or would have a built in expiry date, allowing titles to be ‘rented’ for a specific time period, or allowing the customer to watch a limited number of times.

The infrastructure required to operate such a service is already within Sky’s reach, with its Sky Box Office service allowing pay per view access to the latest films, and new high capacity Sky Plus equipment about to be launched.

The new service could also boost subscribers, appealing to film enthusiasts and entertainment junkies. Sky recently fell foul of its shareholders, revealing a failure to meet subscriber targets despite notching up a staggering 65% increase in profits (see Sky Profits Rocket Despite Slowing Subscriber Rates).

The company has also announced an increased focus on its interactive services, launching the new Family Active service through its Sky Active channel. The new subscription-free service is designed to appeal to new mums and dads-to-be, providing interactive guides and advice on health treatments, diet, pregnancy and raising a family.

The new service also offers customers the chance to send messages direct to their midwife via their set-to-box, or submit questions to Family Active‘s resident midwife for a guaranteed response within 24 hours.

Sky: 08702 40 40 40 www.sky.com

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