BT and Sky have signed a multi-year contract deal to offer Sky Movies content to BT TV and YouView customers.
BT Vision+ and BT YouView customers will be able to buy access to 11 Sky Movies channels, both streamed live and on demand, though only in standard definition.
Sky Movies streams in HD through the Sky+HD set top box and also to Virgin Media customers – BT customers will have to settle for SD.
Starting from October 26th, BT customers with either box will be able to add the channels on a monthly subscription basis, streaming a choice of over 700 movies.
There's no word on the pricing as yet but Sky Movies streaming on Sky is usually £16/month for Sky TV customers (though it's currently on offer for free).
Sky promises many of the biggest movies first, "at least 12 months before any online subscription service", with film premieres in October including Argo, Django Unchained, Les Miserables and Gangster-Squad. Zero Dark Thirty and Life Of Pi are coming to Sky Movies in November.
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The deal between BT and Sky includes the following channels: Sky Movies Premiere, Sky Movies Showcase, Sky Movies Greats, Sky Movies Disney, Sky Movies Family, Sky Movies Action & Adventure, Sky Movies Comedy, Sky Movies Crime & Thriller, Sky Movies Drama & Romance, Sky Movies Sci Fi & Horror and Sky Movies Select.
Alex Green, director of BT TV, said: “We are delighted to have reached this agreement with Sky to enable our TV customers to enjoy Sky Movies and its superb offering of films for every taste, including the latest blockbusters. We believe this gives a tremendous boost to our BT TV film offering.”
Rob Webster, Director of Sky’s Commercial Group, adds: “We are pleased to extend the distribution of Sky Movies to BT TV customers. Following the conclusion of commercial negotiations, BT’s customers can now enjoy access to the UK’s most popular subscription movies service. In helping even more UK homes enjoy Sky Movies this agreement also supports our wholesale content business."
Previously, Sky had pushed its content via the Now TV platform, which is available on various internet devices, the £10 Now TV Box and exclusively on LG Smart TVs. Now TV offers pay-as-you-go access to Sky Sports and Sky Movies.
MORE: Sky+ HD review
by Joe Cox