Rebranded Sky Cinema promises viewers a movie premiere every day

Sky Movies is to rebrand as Sky Cinema in the UK and Ireland in a move that, as well as changing the name, will also change the offering: there will be a movie premiere every day. At present, four new movies a week are offered to subscribers. The changes kick off on July 8th and the list of movies includes Spectre, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Solace and Me, Earl and the Dying Girl. Arguably the bigger draw comes in August with Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

The promise is that the films will be available only eight months after cinema release, and are exclusively on the pay-TV platform for over a year before they’re on any other subscription services.

Technical changes that come with the rebrand include improved HD as standard and better sound quality. The rebrand brings the UK and Irish offering into line with Sky’s movie services in Germany, Austria and Italy.

Ian Lewis, director of Sky Cinema, Europe, said: “We are giving customers an even-closer-to-the-cinema experience with enhanced picture and sound quality. Customers want a breadth of the latest quality films to enjoy with the flexibility to watch whenever they want and on whatever device they choose.”

The new emphasis on premieres is also a response to the competition such as Netflix which is perceived to have a larger library on offer but one made up of older movies.

A Star Wars channel will air in August and September showing the entire Star Wars back catalogue.

And while blockbusters dominate the roster of premieres, there are other more niche movies lined up for Sky Cinema. A World Cinema slot every Wednesday from 10pm will show critically acclaimed films including: El Ardor (Argentina); Theeb (UAE) and Tangerines (Estonia).

Premieres planned for over the 2016 Christmas period include The Jungle Book, Zootopia and Captain America: Civil War.