David Farnor | On 10, Jul 2020

Showcase Cinemas is going online with a new streaming service, Showcase at Home.

The platform, now live in the UK, is a transactional VOD service that presents films available to buy and rent. Titles cost £7.99 to buy or £3.49 to rent, with rentals available for a 48-hour window.

The library includes titles from Paramount, Lionsgate, Altitude, Signature, Vertigo and Verve, along with specialist programming from companies such as Eagle Rock, Seventh Art, Liberator and All the Anime.

Showcase at Home is available through web browsers, but also as an iOS and Android app. The platform arrives as cinemas across the UK attempt to navigate the challenge of reopening during the coronavirus pandemic – a challenge that is even tougher for smaller, independent changes. Throughout the coronavirus lockdown, the BFI and Curzon Home Cinema, two distributors and exhibitors who also operate their own streaming platforms, have been well positioned to withstand the impact of the pandemic. Now, Showcase Cinemas is bring its own chain into the digital landscape.

Showcase at Home is designed to complement and expand upon Showcase Cinemas’ Event Cinema, Flashback and Spotlight programming, with the online store divided into those themed segments.

Event Cinema includes everything from concerts, theatre, ballets, exhibitions through to stage musicals. Titles include An American in Paris, Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away, Vincent Van Gogh: A New Way of Seeing, and The Rolling Stones: Ole Ole Ole A Journey Through Latin America.

New Release Films includes quality limited and mid-level releases, including Days of the Bagnold Summer and The Biggest Little Farm.

Flashback comprises classic films and fan favourites, such as Monty Python: Life of Brian, A Quiet Place, There Will Be Blood and Grease.

Spotlight features documentaries and crossover independent releases, including The Australian Dream, A Rainy Day in New York, Peanut Butter Falcon and John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky.

Anime features manga titles from Japan, includonmg Your Name, Perfect Blue, Mary & The Witch’s Flower, and Promare.

The platform is launching with the release of Becoming Rocky: The Birth of a Classic, a documentary about the creation of the Academy Award winning film Rocky, narrated by Sylvester Stallone and featuring never before seen footage.

James Dobbin, Director of Event Cinema, UK & International, Showcase Cinemas said: “Over the last 30 years, Showcase has consistently innovated and led the way in the UK cinema industry, and the launch of Showcase at home is the latest instalment in our pioneering approach to film and entertainment – giving customers enhanced accessibility, choice and diversity.

“The forced temporary closure of our cinemas obviously been a difficult period, but one positive is that it’s allowed us to develop and launch this platform. The big screen will always be our first priority but it’s very exciting to have a streaming platform that will give our audiences another chance to watch shows they missed at our cinemas, and also encourage them to try content they might not usually choose for their night out.

“Showcase at home truly supplements our core cinema offer and continues our commitment to innovation in the marketplace – something we are incredibly proud of.”

Members of Showcase’s Insider scheme will be able to earn 10 per cent rewards on all transactions made on the platform. You can get streaming at showcase-at-home.showcasecinemas.co.uk.

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