James R | On 10, Feb 2014

BT is launching a new service allowing customers to purchase movies for download, making it the first UK pay-TV provider to offer films on a buy-to-keep basis, as well as rent.

BT have signed a deal with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment allowing customers to buy many of the latest blockbusters, along with older titles, through BT’s YouView box.

Top titles available to buy in Digital HD and SD include The Wolverine, DreamWorks Animation’s Turbo (from February 17th) and The Croods from Fox, while Sony will provide Elysium, Captain Phillips (from February 10th) and The Smurfs 2, as well as favourites such as The Social Network, the Alien franchise, Black Swan and Jerry Maguire. Prices will start from £8.99 for films in Digital HD and £5.99 for SD.

Movies bought from BT stream instantly to the customer’s YouView set-top box and they can keep them indefinitely and watch them as many times as they like. BT intends to expand the service to include TV box sets over the coming months.

The notion of “owning” a film in the digital age is a tricky one, because if the technology, platform or company that you used to purchase the content suddenly cease to exist, your ability to watch it might go out of the window with them – note BT’s use of the word “indefinitely” rather than “permanently”.

The YouView platform, though, is touted as the new living room standard, the future of Freeview. Even with the BBC reportedly scaling back its funding of the platform, its prominence (and support from BT and TalkTalk, who use it to attract subscribers) suggests that the box isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

Alex Green, director of BT TV, said: “We are delighted to have reached this agreement with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

“The new service gives you even more choice. You can buy the latest blockbusters and they’re yours to keep forever. And you can watch them as many times as you like.”

Robert Price, UK managing director, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, said: “BT TV’s new service complements Fox’s strategy of fostering easy, affordable and accessible ways for film fans to enjoy their favourite movies in Digital HD.”

Pete Wood, SVP, International Digital Distribution, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, said: “We’re excited to partner with BT TV. It’s great to be able to offer customers the newest Sony Pictures Home Entertainment films, and we look forward to growing our relationship with BT TV.”

The new option adds to the YouView box’s range of movie options. A deal with Curzon Film World means that BT customers can rent Curzon Home Cinema titles at home for seven days, while BT says its own platform, BT Box Office, has a film rented from it every minute.

BT Box Office currently offers more than 600 films.

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