Digital TV News

YouTube introduces on-demand movies

Tuesday 11 October, 2011

On-demand options for UK films fans increase as YouTube introduces movies for rent and Sky Movies Box Office expands

UK film fans now have an increasing range of on-demand options, with YouTube introducing movies for rent and Sky Movies Box Office expanding.

Video-sharing website YouTube is offering UK users over a thousand films to rent in the UK for the first time, following the launch of the service in the US in May.

Matteo Vallone, YouTube business product manager, said: “We’ve got some cracking films to keep everyone entertained through the upcoming winter months and beyond.”

YouTube.com/movies will initially offer new releases like Hanna, Fast Five and Red Riding Hood alongside bona fide big hitters such as Reservoir Dogs and British classics like Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life.

The service will also feature YouTube Movie Extras, which will offer users free access to behind-the-scenes footage and cast interviews as well as parodies and remixes by the YouTube community. (can you put in something about costs and how long you can keep the films for YouTube rentals here?) Movie rental prices typically range from free for some older releases to £3.49 for new releases. Users have 30 days to begin watching and have 48 hours of viewing time once they have started.

Sky Movies Box Office, satellite TV provider Sky’s pay-per-view movie channel, is also offering UK film fans more choice by expanding its catalogue to include older classics.

The likes of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and the Back to the Future trilogy are now available to rent through Sky’s video on-demand service Sky Anytime+.

Ian Lewis, director of Sky Movies and Sky Movies Box Office, said: “Our customers tell us that when it comes to quality movies, there is no such thing as too much choice.

“With the extension of our Sky Movies Box Office service we’re ensuring that our customers have the highest levels of control and flexibility over how and when they get their movies fix.”

Sky is also rewarding existing Sky Movies subscribers by offering them a 50p discount on renting films from the new range, as well as new releases, although both are available to any Sky customer who has Anytime+.

Sky Anytime + is available to existing Sky customers with a Sky+HD box and Sky broadband and to new customers who subscribe to the Sky Entertainment Pack and Sky broadband.