Sky is to start buying up the exclusive rights to big budget films, as well and commissioning its own, in a major escalation of its content war with Amazon and Netflix.
The UK’s largest pay-TV provider says the move will allow it to “provide customers with even more great film content”.
Once the dominant player in the UK’s home movie watching, and enjoying little competition for first-run rights, Sky now has to compete with cheaper streaming services for major titles.
It’s also seen Netflix, once happy to offer just a catalogue of old favourites, move into original productions such as Will Smith’s Bright.
In response, Sky has snapped up the exclusive rights to the animated comedy Monster Family, which will launch in March 2018, as well as Rob Cohen’s The Hurricane Heist which debuts in April.
Later this year it’ll also bring film fans the sci-fi crime thriller Anon and British production Final Score.
All films will get a simultaneous cinema and TV showing.
Ian Lewis, Group Director of Sky Cinema, said: “Sky Cinema already offers Hollywood hits, cult classics and local legends, and with Sky Cinema Original Films we’re going to bring our customers even more laughs, shocks, tears and memories than ever before.
“Sky’s original content strategy has already been successful across eight genres of television – now we’re taking it to film to give our content-hungry customers even more reasons to keep coming back.”
Seperately Sky has extended its relationship with Warner Bros, ensuring its customers in the UK, Germany and Austria get to see films such as Wonder Woman premiere on Sky Cinema.