Digital TV News

Digital TV deals target film buffs this Christmas

Tuesday 22 November, 2009

By Becca Talbot - becca@consumerchoices.co.uk

Nine out of 10 Brits are looking forward to sitting down to watch a movie over Christmas, as digital TV providers target film buffs with special deals.

91% of consumers are looking forward to watching a film this Christmas, but over a quarter said they were “fed up of watching the same old films year after year”, according to new research by uSwitch.com.

However, of the 848 consumers surveyed, 22% agreed that festive films are “a tradition they hold dear as a great way of bringing the family together,” with A Christmas Carol taking the top spot in a poll of Britain’s top ten Christmas films.

Other favourite Christmas films included It’s a Wonderful Life, The Snowman and Miracle on 34th Street.

For customers looking for something less traditional though, there are a number of digital TV channels showing a whole host of movies. Jason Glynn at uSwitch.com, said: “There’s a wealth of deals around to give film buffs access to a whole host of movies over the Christmas period - whether they are after the latest releases, high-definition films, or family classics.”

Digital TV providers such as Sky and Virgin Media are offering deals to entice new and existing customers to watch films via their TV services.

Movie lovers with satellite TV provider Sky (www.sky.com) can add Sky Movies 1 and 2 for an extra £8 a month, and new subscribers can get a Sky package from just £17.50 a month.

Existing customers with cable TV giant Virgin Media (www.virginmedia.com) can add either Sky Movies 1 or 2 from £16.50 extra month, or take both film channels from £19.50 per month.

Virgin Media also offers FilmFlex - an on-demand movie library of 500 films that customers can watch on a pay-per-view basis - and PictureBox, where subscribers pay £5 a month to view up to 28 films.

Jon Ingram, operations director at Digitalchoices.co.uk, said: “Whether you’re looking for a festive family favourite like The Muppet Christmas Carol or something a bit different, there are films for everyone this year.”

“And for Harry Potter fans, both Virgin and Tiscali TV will be showing the newest film, Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince, this Christmas,” added Ingram.