The Sky Box Office PPV movie service will close on 4th January:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFtX...ature=youtu.be

The service has gradually been replaced by Sky Store over the last few years.

Sky Sports Box Office will continue.

I'm surprised that this decision wasn't taken sooner in all honesty. They've been a waste of EPG slots for some time now.

Should've closed when Sky Store was launched.

I had Sky for 10 years, don't anymore, but I think I watched a film through SKY Box Office once in all that time. Surprised it lasted as long as it has with all the alternatives available for movie watching.

Thats a joke. The same great price as before. The rental prices are a pound more than similar services like iTunes and wuaki.

You always have to deal with the 'stuck in the mud' customers that don't like change though. I'm sure that the Movie Box office has had a steady stream of income from people who didn't want to try out the new store and that it has only now just dropped down to a level where it makes sense to get rid of it.

I was reading that Sky Store has been extremely successful, especially the deal where you get a physical copy of whatever you buy.

The purpose of Sky Box Office, in a world with Sky Store, was questioned a little while ago by quite a few people on this forum (including myself).
Someone very validly pointed out that Sky Box Office offers a ‘PPV movies’ service to all customers who don’t have a good enough internet connection to download via Sky Store. I suspect that alone is what has kept Sky Box Office a viable service for Sky... but it appears that’s finally no longer the case.

I would also assume some people out there also still have legacy boxes that are incapable of running the latest EPG software and are still stuck on the old one, which doesnt have Sky Store? They will be the only ones majorly affected by this I would have thought.

The last time I used Box Office was one of the boxing PPV's, certainly can't remember the last time I watched a movie through it.

Maybe it's the start of them withdrawing services to the old legacy boxes to encourage people to upgrade; before terminating all support entirely?

Well they have never been on sky Q boxes EPG anyway

If that were the case, they should just make it mandatory. Subscribers get a free box, if you don't accept it then that's that.

It would make things much easier for the broadcasters - whether they wanted to go HD or at the very least MPEG4 and/or DVB-S2

There's still the satellite delivered Push VOD service though- a good handfull of films could be downloaded to the box overnight.

Ah the end of an era, still 20 years is a good run.

Always loved the presentation. I liked that they made you feel you were in a theatre.

Nothing will top this ident for sheer epicness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kzLx5O-1lg

The World Wide Web started the downfall of Sky Box Office and then Sky Store delivered the final blow and on 4th January 2017, Sky Movies Box Office will be no more.

Idents:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH9Gsbh2fCY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw0zncYiLyw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u10buRjwMMU

Sky PPV Theme:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPhM-IHDDPQ

Anyone remember that 9V battery hack that would let you watch box office movies?

With a bit of organisation anyway you can set something to download and watch it in a few hours, always ways round it. My Internet isnt great and I have to do that with any HD programmes I want to watch, SD ones let me start watching after no more than about 10 seconds.

My dad use to have this little box that you had to plug and unplug that would unscramble ALL channels. This was obviously pre-digital.

At one point it seemed like everyone and his dog has some sort of chipped box or way of getting channels for free. I suppose that's moved to Kodi now, but I no longer know anyone that has an official box hack*.

*I'm not fishing for one BTW - just to make that clear to the mods

I'd be surprised if the linear movie channels are still around in five years. It would make far more sense to just charge the £50/month (or whatever the price is at the moment) and allow full access to the on demand store of films.

Very good decision. PPV in current times, where Internet is much stronger, is pointless. At least they will have more space to use, maybe for more HD channels.

Long time we didn't have rash of new HD channels :/

I think its more of a movie / TV show rights issue than being able to charge a flat monthly fee for everything.

With box office closing where will sport based ppv be shown now?

WWE? Boxing? etc

Sky Sports Box Office will continue to run.

Anyone remember their first Sky Box Office rental? Mine was The Long Kiss Goodnight during the first week that SBO launched. You had to phone to book the screening and it cost £2.99. You could also record it too. Odd to think that the films were exactly a year old. Now a year old film is on Sky Cinema.

Sky Box Office had its time really, Even sport really should not be pay per view. It comes from a time when Sky Gamestar was quite popular. In cause you did not notice the gamestar leftover service was closed last year.