Launched 25 March 1990 | Analogue Marcopolo 1, 12.0919 | |
Closed 31 October 1997
Rebranded to Sky Movies Screen 2 Owned by British Satellite Broadcasting (1990)
British Sky Broadcasting (1990-1997) | ||
The Movie Channel was a British television channel, which only showed movies. Launched on BSB in 1990, The Movie Channel was a predecessor of some of the Sky Movies channels, having survived the merger with Sky Television, another satellite service launched by Rupert Murdoch's News International later in 1990 to form British Sky Broadcasting.
After its merger on 31 March 1991, The Movie Channel continued to broadcast until 1997 when it was rebranded as Sky Movies Screen 2.
History
The Movie Channel began in 1990 as one of the channels of British Satellite Broadcasting, a consortium formed in 1986 by Granada Television, Pearson, Virgin, Anglia Television and Amstrad. Prior to its launch, BSB signed an exclusive first-run deal with UIP Pay TV (which distributed Paramount, Universal and MGM/UA releases). One of its first film premieres was the James Bond film, The Living Daylights, starring Timothy Dalton.
In 1990, BSB and Sky Television suffered heavy losses and merged, operating as the newly formed British Sky Broadcasting. The Movie Channel, along with The Sports Channel, remained on air, keeping its name.