Launched July 2009 Picture format 576i (SDTV 16:9) | Closed 10 January 2017 Country United Kingdom | |
Owned by Sony Pictures Television Ltd Audience share More Than Movies/Movie Mix:
0.33%
0.03% (+1) (September 2015 (2015-09), BARB) | ||
Movie Mix (formerly The Big Deal) was a TV channel in the United Kingdom on the Freeview platform.
Contents
History
When launched in 2009, The Big Deal broadcast live interactive quiz show 7 days a week from 22:00-05:00 on Freeview channel 37, then changed to channel 32, timesharing with the RT Network and Create and Craft. Each night, The Big Deal broadcast various games and puzzles, with cash prizes to be won for viewers who guessed the correct answers. Viewers were asked to call in or log on to The Big Deal website to enter these games. Later in the year The Big Deal reduced its timeslot from 22:00-05:00 to 00:30-05:00.
On 6 November 2009, The Big Deal ceased broadcasting its own content. Teleshopping instead commenced broadcasting between 04:00-06:00, later reduced to 05:00-06:00, but in post-DSO areas it was extended to 24 hours which was introduced to pre-DSO areas on 2 March 2011.
On 12 April 2011, The Big Deal began broadcasting TView, a pay-per-view film service, and broadcasting hours were reduced to 18:00-05:00. The service ran until 27 April 2011, when it was replaced by teleshopping, and its hours were reduced to 18:00-22:00. From 7 July 2011, The Big Deal had changed back to its old slot of 05:00-06:00. However, on 6 September 2011 it changed its broadcasting hours to 00:00-04:00. Broadcasting hours were changed again on 20 October 2011 to 03:00-05:00. The channel also broadcast psychic sessions in which the viewer could ask for their own psychic reading.
Movie Mix
On 6 December 2012, The Big Deal was renamed Movie Mix and acquired a 24-hour broadcast slot. The channel continued airing teleshopping, as well as a classic movie each night. On 17 January 2013, Movie Mix began to simulcast the full More Than Movies schedule but retained its own Movie Mix branding. The channel initially remained owned and operated by Cellcast subsidiary Square 1 Management, but was licensed from Sony Pictures Television who supplied the channel programming. In March 2014, Cellcast agreed to early termination of its exclusive rights for Movie Mix for a one off payment of £2.98m from Entertainment Networks, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Television.
On 22 March 2016, More Than Movies was closed down and was replaced by True Crime, but didn't affect Movie Mix, which now broadcasts its own programming.
On 12 August 2016, Movie Mix began testing on Virgin Media and was launched on 25 August 2016.
On 10 January 2017, Movie Mix was replaced with the Sony Movie Channel, of which it had been simulcasting an identical schedule in its final days.