With streaming services and dedicated movie channels, there’s never been a better time for cinephiles. Here's how to find the best movies package for blockbusters, cult cinema and more.
Which providers offer movies TV packages?
The main providers that offer movies packages are:
We’ll take a look at what each one has got to offer below…
Movies on Sky
Sky’s Cinema-branded suite of 11 channels are by some distance the best stocked for premieres and blockbusters. And they’re not bad for less mainstream movies either.
At the time of writing, a subscription gets you access to 1,000+ movies on demand, as well as 20% off Sky Store rentals.
Sky Cinema customers also get use of the Sky Cinema app, which enables them to watch Sky Cinema channels on their smartphone or tablet while they’re on the move.
The catch is that unlike streaming services, which operate on a very flexible, one-month rolling contract basis, the minimum contract term for Sky Cinema is 18 months.
Customers can also add Prime Video, Disney+ and Netflix to their bundle too.
- 61Mb average* speed
- 124 TV channels
- £0.00 Setup costs
- 18 month contract
- £38.00 per month
- 500Mb average* speed
- 124 TV channels
- £0.00 Setup costs
- 18 month contract
- £44.00 per month
*Average speeds are based on the download speeds of at least 50% of customers at peak time(8pm to 10pm). Speed can be affected by a range of technical and environmental factors. The speed you receive where you live may be lower than that listed above. You can check the estimated speed to your property prior to purchasing.
Movies on BT
BT doesn’t have any movies channels of its own. But BT customers can get the full complement of Sky Cinema channels by signing up to a NOW Sky Cinema Pass.
You can get this as a standalone product or as part of a TV pack, whereby the NOW Sky Cinema pass is combined with other channels and streaming services.
Whichever you choose, the NOW Sky Cinema Pass gets you all 11 channels. But with critical selling point that you can cancel your pack or TV pass at any time with just 30 days’ notice.
The NOW subscription includes use of the NOW app, which means you can watch the Sky channels that you’re subscribed to on your phone or tablet.
BT TV customers also get access to movies on AMC, which is exclusive to BT and comes with the Entertainment add-on.
Like Sky, BT offers a movie rental/purchase service and you can add Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime to your package too.
- 67Mb average* speed
- 162 TV channels
- £31.99 Setup costs
- 24 month contract
- £52.99 per month
- £52.24 Avg. monthly cost
- 67Mb average* speed
- 202 TV channels
- £61.99 Setup costs
- 24 month contract
- £61.99 per month
- £62.49 Avg. monthly cost
*Average speeds are based on the download speeds of at least 50% of customers at peak time(8pm to 10pm). Speed can be affected by a range of technical and environmental factors. The speed you receive where you live may be lower than that listed above. You can check the estimated speed to your property prior to purchasing.
Movies on NOW Broadband
As you’d expect NOW Broadband’s movies offering consists of the NOW Sky Cinema Pass, which operates on a one-month rolling contract basis. So you can cancel with 30 days’ notice penalty-free.
As outlined above, it gets you access to 11 live Sky Cinema channels as well as a trove of 1,000 movies to watch on demand.
NOW customers get use of the NOW app too, which lets you stream Sky Cinema on demand and download content to watch when you’re offline too.
Netflix and Disney+ are not bundled together with any NOW TV passes, but you can subscribe to them separately and watch them on NOW TV devices.
- 63Mb average* speed
- 13 TV channels
- £10.00 Setup costs
- 12 month contract
- £29.99 for 6 months
- £32.99 for months 7 - 12
- £32.32 Avg. monthly cost
- 63Mb average* speed
- 10 TV channels
- £10.00 Setup costs
- 12 month contract
- £29.99 per month
- £30.82 Avg. monthly cost
*Average speeds are based on the download speeds of at least 50% of customers at peak time(8pm to 10pm). Speed can be affected by a range of technical and environmental factors. The speed you receive where you live may be lower than that listed above. You can check the estimated speed to your property prior to purchasing.
Movies on TalkTalk
TalkTalk customers can get a NOW Sky Cinema pass on a rolling contract to get the cream of Sky’s movies channels and on-demand library.
At the time of writing, it’s also offering a 12-month NOW Sky Cinema Pass for a discounted rate.
TalkTalk customers signed up to NOW get use of the NOW TV app for watching on smartphones, tablets and laptops.
Prime Video and Netflix are all available to watch through TalkTalk TV.
- 77Mb average* speed
- 88 TV channels
- £0.00 Setup costs
- 18 month contract
- £33.00 per month
- 152Mb average* speed
- 88 TV channels
- £0.00 Setup costs
- 18 month contract
- £40.00 per month
*Average speeds are based on the download speeds of at least 50% of customers at peak time(8pm to 10pm). Speed can be affected by a range of technical and environmental factors. The speed you receive where you live may be lower than that listed above. You can check the estimated speed to your property prior to purchasing.
Movies on Virgin Media
Virgin Media customers can subscribe to Sky Cinema for an additional monthly charge. The minimum contract is 18 months, so you won’t be able to dip in and out of the service as you can with a NOW Sky Cinema pass.
If you’ve got an ultra HD-compatible TV and the V6 or Virgin TV 360 box, you can also pay a bit extra and get the Sky UHD add-on. Which will enable you to watch Sky Cinema in 4K.
For films that have yet to hit Sky’s service, there’s the Virgin Media Store where you can buy and rent movies.
Virgin Media’s TV app, which comes free to all TV customers, allows you to watch Sky Cinema while on the move. So you won’t need to use the Sky Cinema app.
Finally, Disney+, Prime Video and Netflix are all available to Virgin Media customers on a rolling-contract basis.
- 132Mb average* speed
- 114 TV channels
- £0.00 Setup costs
- 18 month contract
- £33.00 per month
- 264Mb average* speed
- 212 TV channels
- £0.00 Setup costs
- 18 month contract
- £40.00 per month
*Average speeds are based on the download speeds of at least 50% of customers at peak time(8pm to 10pm). Speed can be affected by a range of technical and environmental factors. The speed you receive where you live may be lower than that listed above. You can check the estimated speed to your property prior to purchasing.
Streaming services
All streaming services operate on one-month, rolling contracts, allowing to dip in and out of your subscription. We take a look at the most popular services below…
Netflix: Offers reams of content, and 'Netflix Originals' movies that won’t air anywhere else.
Amazon Prime: Breadth of content isn’t as extensive as Netflix, but there’s still plenty to watch. And Amazon is increasingly investing in exclusive movie content too.
Disney+: Not the only place to see Disney, Marvel and Star Wars movies. But it is the only place where you can guarantee they’ll be available to watch at all times.
Apple TV+: Offers a growing but comparatively small catalogue of movies, with a smattering of exclusive feature films, and TV series.
Britbox: Wide range of British movie classics (kitchen-sink cinema, Ealing comedies, Carry On movies) and contemporary Britfilms.
Sources and methodology
*Based on average monthly bill of £32.69 from nationally representative sample (1000) vs cheapest monthly cost for superfast broadband (>55Mbs), Vodafone £22/m. Annual saving £128.28.
