Film fans left cold this Christmas
Movie lovers looking forward to their fill of festive film entertainment will be left sorely disappointed this Christmas. Of the 632 films being screened on Satellite and non-Satellite TV this year, a staggering 620 will be repeats. Just two per cent of the entire Christmas film offering won’t have been seen by viewers on TV before.
Research commissioned by LOVEFiLM reveals that the number of films set to air on the small screen has actually decreased by around two per cent compared to Christmas 2011. 632 films will be shown between 24 and 26 December compared to 643 last year and just 12 are premieres.
LOVEFiLM – Europe’s largest subscription service instantly streaming films and TV series over the internet and sending DVDs and games by post – which carried out the research, found that across the main 50-plus non-Satellite channels, the total number of premieres to look forward to is just 10. Satellite fares much worse with a woeful two premieres being shown across Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
To banish the small-screen blues and ensure its two-million-plus members aren’t at the mercy of TV listings for their festive film viewing, LOVEFiLM is giving viewers exclusive access to titles that are unavailable this December via any other subscription service, including Sherlock Holmes, Inception and Sex and the City 2.
The subscription service has also launched a new Christmas Channel at lovefilm.com/christmaschannel which brings together some of its best festive content making it even easier for viewers to find and choose what they want to watch, when they want to watch it.
Recognising that everyone’s Christmas is different and to ensure the family can still settle down in front of some familiar favourites at a time that suits them, the Channel brings together some great titles perfect for keeping the whole family entertained during the break – including Happy Feet, Downton Abbey Series Two Christmas Special and Nativity! starring Martin Freeman.
Helen Cowley, Editor of LOVEFiLM commented: “We’ve come to expect Christmas TV schedules to be jam-packed full of repeats over the years – and this festive season is no exception. There’s nothing wrong with old favourites of course, but we want film fans to be spoilt for choice. After all, it is Christmas!
“We’re providing the perfect festive antidote to tired TV scheduling. With exclusive new titles unavailable on any other subscription service, combined with much-loved familiar favourites, all available to watch on demand on a huge range of devices from smart TVs to the Wii and Wii U, film fans can well and truly tear up the TV guide this year.”