Sky subscribers about to get one new 24/7 channel - but not everyone is happy

27 September 2023 , 06:30

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SkyTV is getting a new 24/7 channel for the winter

Christmas is coming early for Sky subscribers—with the launch of an extra movies channel next week. Movies 24, which offers 24/7 film broadcasts on both Sky and Virgin Media, has announced it will transform into 'Christmas 24' next week on October 1st.

That means Sky viewers will be able to tune into non-stop broadcasts of Christmas-themed films two months ahead of the festivities.

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For those of you who get the festive feeling as soon as August ends, it'll be a great way to fill your boots on Christmassy filler content. Or, for those of us who prefer to live in reality, it'll be yet another channel to ignore.

There's some truly niche Christmas crackers on offer at Christmas24 (Christmas24 / Sky)

For those early risers, it will start at 6AM on October 1st with romance film 'My Southern Family Christmas' and followed by 'One December Night' at 8AM.

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Christmas24 will be available at no extra cost and is included in the 'Sky Ultimate' package.

You'll be able to watch it on Channel 313 on Sky Glass and Sky Stream, or Channel 325 on older satellite boxes (such as Sky Q).

Christmas24 won't necessarily be streaming Christmas classics like Die Hard, Elf, and Home Alone every day. But you can expect to see a lot of off-brand B-list Hallmark films produced in the US with titles such as 'Christmas Hotel', 'Holiday Heritage', 'Tis the Season to be Merry', 'Three Wise Men and a Baby', 'A Christmas Wish', 'Christmas Sail', and 'A Lot Like Christmas'.

News of this channel upgrade comes as Sky could soon face some fierce competition from a new service called Freely. The platform will launch next year and offer UK homes a swathe of live and on-demand channels that can all be streamed without paying a penny to watch.

Freely is part of the same group that runs Freeview and Freesat and is jointly owned by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. It's hoped that the launch will help UK users tune into shows more easily and they won't need an aerial or dish to watch.

Speaking about the update, Jonathan Thompson, CEO, Everyone TV, said: "We are delighted to be working with the public service broadcasters on the next phase of free TV’s evolution. This new development is a reflection of the fact that a growing number of UK viewers are watching content online, but still want easy access to the shared experience of live TV.

Ciaran Daly