BSkyB launching movie download service
March 19, 2014
BSkyB is launching a new movie download-to-own on demand service, branded ‘Buy and Keep’.
The service, which will launch in the coming weeks, will be part of BSkyB’s existing pay-per-view film rental service Sky Store, according to Andrew Griffith, the company’s chief financial officer.
Griffith said the Buy and Keep service would target families with Sky subscriptions who previously purchased DVDs but found it increasingly convenient to purchase films electronically.
“Having made a strong start in rentals, we think we can go one step further and actually start offering customers the opportunity to purchase movies from us and keep them forever,” Griffith said. “We think we are extremely well positioned to enter the market and take share.”
He added that buy and keep will “have all the flexibility and the convenience of a digital store but all delivered to your TV set with instant access through the touch of a button the Sky remote”.
Questioned on how significant buy and keep would be to BSkyB, Griffith said: “It’s a big market to go after. If you are going to target a big chunk of a £1.4 billion [DVD] market place, then we’d expect it to be a material opportunity.”
Pricing for the service, which will be available through the main Sky+ set top box and other devices, has yet to be decided.
The service will have an array of high profile competitors including Apple’s iTunes, Netflix, blinkbox and Amazon Prime Video.