Should Sky Cinema channels end and move content on-demand/online only?

[Anonymous]

Hi all, 

I have the Sky Cinema/Paramount+ subscription, and I rarely watch the live Sky Cinema channels. I watch the movies via on-demand or download them to my Sky Q device. 

Is it about time the live Sky Cinema channels on channels 301-311 (Sky Glass/Stream) or 301-312 (Sky+/Sky Q) are removed and content solely be available on-demand/online, similar to the likes of Netflix/Disney+?

Is there any point in having live Sky Cinema channels? 

[Annie+UK]

Not everyone with Sky+ has their box connected to the Internet mainly the elderly customers

When Sky+ is no longer and everyone has to have an Internet connection then the channel could be removed

[GD1]

@Anonymous  Given that the channels still exist as live channels i'd say Sky beg to differ and feel they still have value being on the EPG as opposed to download/on demand only.

[Anonymous]

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@Annie+UK wrote:

Not everyone with Sky+ has their box connected to the Internet mainly the elderly customers

When Sky+ is no longer and everyone has to have an Internet connection then the channel could be removed

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Absolutely, but Sky could keep (e.g.) 2 or 3 channels for the most popular movies that are watched live for the elderly people that still watch Sky Cinema live channels. They don't need 11 channels. 

[Annie+UK]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Annie+UK wrote:

Not everyone with Sky+ has their box connected to the Internet mainly the elderly customers

When Sky+ is no longer and everyone has to have an Internet connection then the channel could be removed

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Absolutely, but Sky could keep (e.g.) 2 or 3 channels for the most popular movies that are watched live for the elderly people that still watch Sky Cinema live channels. They don't need 11 channels. 

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Why do you think the elderly need less choice than others?

BTW I said "Mainly" the elderly but I bet there are people of all ages with no Internet on their Sky box, also there are some NON-plus boxes, that cannot download content at all, still being used, I don't have numbers but we are still getting support requests on the forum for them

[TimmyBGood]

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@Annie+UK wrote:

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also there are some NON-plus boxes, that cannot download content at all, still being used, I don't have numbers but we are still getting support requests on the forum for them

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From memory of a conversation at Sky HQ it's in the tens of thousands, plus hundreds of thousands of Sky+ HD boxes which have never gone online.  The thing about the size of the Sky subscriber base is that even really small percentages are still very large numbers of households.

[nolte]

I think a factor is, sky charge a premium for the cinema, higher than either netflix or disney.

Could they justify such a high premium without the 11 channels. This might also explain why they have maintained all 11 channels.

It also depends on range of sky systems available. Of the sky customers, how many cinema customers still have older systems.

[nolte]

Viewing habits also.

I don't know how others watch but I feel a bit of a pull if  I see something scheduled on the cinemas, to either stream it then or to record it to watch later.

2 weeks ago, I saw that "get out" was going to be on sky showcase. Instead of waiting for Monday night, I streamed it on netflix that Saturday.

[merv60]

  I only have SC at the moment because of a good offer that also incorporated Paramount+, I would never pay full price for a SC subscription as it's way too high compared to other platforms which, imo, have a much better selection of films. As to watching SC live I never do that, one of the reasons being ( & this is the disadvantage of watching live ), is that if there is a UHD version of the film available then you can't see it in UHD when watching live, you have to use On Demand. Surely this must be a factor in the decision-making when choosing how to view a film.

[Deeefa]

The subject of which platform has the 'best' films is subjective. Arguably Sky Cinema does have a 'better' selection of movies in the sense of newer cinema releases.

Of course now with Netflix added I think that service providers have realised that Netflix have a plce there to, but it could be argued that they overall do not have a better selection of movies. Like i say it subjective.