Best offers on Sky Cinema

Sky TV is the best place to watch Sky Cinema, as it includes Paramount+, the Premiere+1 channel, full 1080p HD as standard, and free Vue cinema tickets every month.

Customers in Virgin Media areas can also access Sky Cinema through Flex or Virgin Media TV bundles, with Flex offering an additional 10% bill credit on subscriptions.

Sky Cinema is also available via NOW Memberships on both BT and EE TV and broadband bundles, making it accessible without taking a full Sky TV package.

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TL;DR - Quick verdict

For most people, Sky is the best place to get Sky Cinema. It's the cheapest way to watch the channels in full HD, includes Paramount+ at no extra cost, throws in two free Vue cinema tickets every month, and offers the widest flexibility through Sky Stream or Sky Glass. If you want the full Sky Cinema experience with the fewest compromises, Sky is the clear winner.

Virgin Media can be good value if you're already taking Virgin broadband, particularly through Flex or larger bundles, and it includes Sky Cinema in full HD as standard. However, it lacks Sky's extra perks and tends to make most sense as part of a broader broadband-and-TV deal rather than as a cinema-first option.

For budget or short-term viewing, NOW remains the cheapest way to access Sky Cinema, but picture quality and features are limited unless you pay extra. BT / EE TV sits in the middle: it offers better controls like recording via its TV box, but usually works out more expensive overall once broadband and HD upgrades are factored in.

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At a glance: Best Sky Cinema offers

Sky Cinema deals change regularly, but the strongest offers usually involve discounted pricing for an introductory period or savings across the full minimum term. Below are some of the best Sky Cinema offers currently available.

Sky TV: £6 off Sky Cinema, plus Paramount+ and Vue cinema tickets

Sky offers one of the strongest Sky Cinema bundles, with the pack available from £10 per month in full 1080p HD. Sky Cinema subscribers also get Paramount+ Basic (with ads) included at no extra cost, a saving of £4.99 per month.

In addition, Sky Cinema customers receive two free Vue cinema tickets every month, which can be used to watch the latest film releases in cinemas.

The cheapest way to add Sky Cinema is via Sky's Essential TV plan, which includes Sky Atlantic, Netflix and Discovery+ Entertainment for £15 per month, plus £10 per month for Sky Cinema.

For customers who want a broader TV line-up, Sky also discounts its Ultimate TV package to £22 per month when taken with Sky Cinema. This expands the channel line-up to over 140 live TV channels, including more than 40 additional entertainment channels not included with Sky Essential TV, alongside a large on-demand catalogue.

Read more about Sky Essential TV and Sky TV packages.

Customers can also bundle Sky broadband with Sky TV and Sky Cinema, with broadband pricing starting from around £20 per month when taken alongside a TV package.

At the time of writing, Sky is discounting Full Fibre 150 broadband to £20 per month, while Full Fibre 500 is reduced to £25 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV package.

Compare all Sky TV and broadband packages.

Virgin Media Flex: 10% bill credit on Sky Cinema

Virgin Media broadband customers can sign up for Flex, a streaming TV platform that offers a 10% monthly bill credit on most subscriptions paid through the Virgin Media bill.

Sky Cinema is available on Flex at £21 per month, with the 10% bill credit reducing the effective monthly cost to £18.90. As with Sky TV, the Sky Cinema subscription also includes access to Paramount+ at no extra cost.

Flex can be added to any Virgin Media broadband package for £5 per month, with a one-off £10 setup fee for the Stream box.

BT TV: Get up to £160 BT Reward Card with broadband bundles

While not a Sky Cinema-specific promotion, BT regularly offers new customers up to a £160 BT Reward Card when signing up to selected fibre broadband plans.

Sky Cinema is available on BT TV via a NOW Cinema Membership, which costs £9.99 per month, or as part of larger BT TV bundles such as Big Entertainment or Full Works.

Read more about BT TV packages.

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Where is best to watch Sky Cinema?

The Sky Cinema pack is available to customers through Sky, Virgin Media, and BT / EE:

• 11 live movie channels
• 1,000+ films on-demand
• The latest blockbuster releases
• Exclusive content from Sky Originals

These core benefits are the same whichever pay TV provider a customer chooses. However, there are important differences between platforms which may affect picture quality, included extras, or overall cost:

• Sky TV exclusively bundles Paramount+ Basic (with ads) at no extra cost (worth £4.99 per month)
• Sky also includes the additional Premiere+1 channel
• Sky Cinema customers receive two free Vue cinema tickets every month
• Sky and Virgin Media provide Sky Cinema in full 1080p HD as standard
• BT and EE customers access Sky Cinema via NOW Cinema Memberships
• On BT and EE TV, Sky Cinema streams in 720p HD by default, with full HD available as a £6 per month upgrade
• Sky and Virgin Media support selected Sky Cinema content in Ultra HD, while Ultra HD Sky Cinema is not available on BT or EE TV

Below, we compare some of the cheapest ways to watch Sky Cinema across these major providers.

Overall, taking Sky Cinema directly from Sky offers the strongest feature set and arguably the best overall value, thanks to bundled extras like Paramount+ and free Vue cinema tickets.

That said, because Sky Cinema must be taken alongside a core Sky TV package, it isn't always the cheapest way to access the films themselves, particularly for customers who only want movie channels.

For those on a tighter budget, NOW provides the lowest-cost way to watch Sky Cinema, though this comes with trade-offs around picture quality, device limits and overall features.

For example, customers who want full HD viewing on NOW will typically end up paying more than Sky TV customers, once Boost upgrades are factored in.

Below is a quick comparison of how Sky Cinema differs across the main TV platforms.

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Sky Cinema on Sky

Sky Cinema is available with any Sky TV package, on Sky Stream or Sky Glass.

Sky Stream and Sky Glass customers currently pay £10 per month on a 24-month contract, or £13 per month on a rolling contract for added flexibility. Existing Sky Q customers can still add Sky Cinema, but it now typically costs more than on Sky Stream and Glass.

Sky Cinema on Sky includes the following benefits:

• All 11 Sky Cinema channels in full 1080p HD
• An additional exclusive Premiere+1 channel
• Paramount+ Basic (with ads) included at no extra cost (worth £4.99 per month)
• Two free Vue cinema tickets every month

Paramount+ is supported on Sky Stream, Sky Glass and Sky Q. Sky remains the only pay TV provider to bundle Paramount+ with Sky Cinema, although Virgin Media added support for the app in May 2023, and BT followed in December 2024.

The Paramount+ catalogue includes hundreds of films and TV shows from Paramount Pictures, CBS and Showtime, giving Sky Cinema customers access to a wider range of content at no extra cost.

Sky Cinema customers receive Paramount+ Basic (with ads) as standard, but it is also possible to upgrade to the Standard or Premium plans at a discounted price.

Current Sky Cinema deals for new customers include:

Sky Stream versus Sky Q

There are some important differences between how Sky Cinema works on Sky Stream and Sky Q, particularly around pricing, flexibility and how content is accessed.

Customers who take Sky Stream or Sky Glass can choose between a 24-month contract or a one-month rolling option. The rolling contract typically costs around £3 more per month, but offers much greater flexibility for those who don't want a long commitment.

Sky Q customers, by contrast, can only take Sky Cinema on a fixed minimum term. Pricing on Sky Q can vary depending on the customer's existing contract and any negotiated discounts, and some legacy customers may find Sky Cinema costs more once an original deal ends, reflecting older pricing structures rather than a single published out-of-contract rate.

Another key difference is how recordings work. Sky Stream and Sky Glass do not include physical storage. Instead, programmes are added to a cloud-based Playlist, meaning content can only be watched while it remains available on Sky's servers.

The Sky Q box, however, stores recordings locally on the box's hard drive. This means recorded films and programmes remain available until the customer chooses to delete them, even if they are later removed from on-demand services.

Sky TV and broadband

It's also possible to bundle Sky TV with Sky broadband, which can work out cheaper than taking the two services separately, particularly for new customers.

Sky regularly discounts its Full Fibre broadband when taken alongside TV, with entry-level full fibre plans often reduced to around £20 per month, and faster tiers discounted by a similar margin.

Bundling can also simplify billing and contract management, although customers should still compare standalone broadband deals elsewhere, as Sky's bundled pricing is not always the cheapest option in every area.

We've listed two of Sky's entry-level full fibre plans here - Full Fibre 150 and Full Fibre 500 - although Sky also offers faster options up to 900Mbps, as well as Superfast broadband in areas that are not yet fully fibre-enabled.

You can check availability and bundle pricing on our Sky TV & broadband page.

Overall, Sky is the cheapest way to watch Sky Cinema in full HD, and Sky Stream customers can also opt for a rolling monthly contract if they want more flexibility.

While Sky Cinema can be taken without Sky broadband, customers still need a base Sky TV package, which increases the total monthly cost compared with standalone streaming options.

Read our full Sky Stream and Sky Glass reviews for a deeper look at features, pricing and picture quality.

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Sky Cinema on Virgin Media

Virgin Media offers the Sky Cinema pack in full 1080p HD as standard, and it is available on both of its TV platforms:

• As part of a bundle with Virgin Mega TV
• As an add-on with Virgin Flex

Virgin Media TV, including Flex, is only available to customers who also take Virgin Media broadband, meaning availability is limited to homes in a Virgin Media enabled area.

The Sky Cinema pack is offered on a rolling 30-day contract when taken via Virgin Flex or added to Mega TV, unless it forms part of a pre-configured bundle such as the M350 Cinema + Netflix or Max Volt Bundle.

While Virgin Flex applies a 10% bill credit to Sky Cinema - reducing the standalone add-on price from £21 to £18.90 per month - some of Virgin Media's pre-made broadband and TV bundles currently work out cheaper overall.

For example, the M350 Cinema + Netflix bundle undercuts Flex plus Sky Cinema at the time of writing, while also including broadband and Netflix in a single monthly price.

Flex (previously Stream), launched in April 2022, remains the most flexible option, but Virgin Media's bundles often deliver better value for customers who want broadband and TV together.

Virgin Media includes Sky Cinema in a limited number of its pre-made bundles, so customers who specifically want movies may find there's less flexibility than with Sky.

That said, Virgin's cheapest cinema bundles - such as M350 Cinema + Netflix - can undercut taking Flex plus Sky Cinema, and there are also higher-tier options that include Cinema alongside faster broadband or sports, such as M500 Cinema + Netflix + O2 SIM, Sport HD + Cinema, and the Max Volt Bundle.

Flex is still the most flexible route for existing Virgin broadband customers who want Sky Cinema on a rolling monthly basis, or who don't want to commit to a larger bundle.

Read our full review of Virgin Flex, or about Virgin Media TV.

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Sky Cinema on BT & EE

BT TV and EE TV both allow customers to add premium content through integrated NOW Memberships, subscribed to directly via the BT or EE TV service rather than through NOW itself.

Because NOW Memberships are built into the BT TV Box Pro and the EE TV Box Pro interface, customers get a fuller TV-style experience than with a standalone NOW subscription, including:

• Pause and rewind live Sky Cinema channels
• Record live channels directly to the TV box

Sky Cinema can either be included as part of a bundle or added separately. The Big Entertainment package, priced at around £30 per month, includes NOW Entertainment, NOW Cinema, Netflix and Discovery+ Entertainment.

For customers who want everything in one place, the Full Works bundle costs around £80 per month and adds both TNT Sports and Sky Sports alongside Sky Cinema and the main streaming apps.

EE TV offers the same content structure as BT TV, but allows customers to take TV without BT broadband, making it a more flexible option for those already with EE for mobile or broadband.

Unless customers take the largest Full Works bundle, they'll also need to pay an extra £6 per month for the HD add-on if they want to watch Sky Cinema in full 1080p HD.

BT TV is not the cheapest way to watch Sky Cinema, despite the add-on itself costing the same as with NOW. This is because customers must also take BT broadband and at least one core TV plan, which typically includes NOW Entertainment or TNT Sports as a baseline.

That said, BT does offer a high level of flexibility. TV plans and add-ons can be changed on a monthly basis, with Sky Cinema and other premium packs available on rolling monthly terms.

BT customers also benefit from the BT TV Box Pro, which enables pausing and rewinding live Sky Cinema channels and recording films to watch later. However, like TalkTalk, the BT TV Box Pro does not currently support NOW Ultra Boost, meaning Sky Cinema is not available in 4K.

Read our full review of BT TV.

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Getting the best Sky Cinema deal

Price is a major factor when choosing the best Sky Cinema deal, but because each provider offers slightly different features and benefits, it's also worth considering what best suits your household.

Factors such as picture quality, the ability to record live films, bundled extras, and contract flexibility can all make a meaningful difference.

Sky Cinema channels

The Sky Cinema pack includes 11 live movie channels as standard.

These channels are available across all the platforms discussed above. However, customers who take Sky Cinema directly through Sky also gain access to an additional linear channel: Sky Premiere +1.

This is the current line-up of Sky Cinema channels:

As mentioned, the picture quality available for Sky Cinema depends on which TV provider customers choose:

• Sky and Virgin Media both offer Sky Cinema in full 1080p HD as standard, with selected films also available in Ultra HD for customers who take the relevant UHD upgrades (£6-£7/mth).
• BT/EE customers receive Sky Cinema in 720p HD by default and must add the HD pack for £6 per month or take the Full Works bundle to upgrade to 1080p HD. NOW Ultra Boost is not supported on BT/EE TV, so 4K viewing is not available.

Sky Cinema in Ultra HD

Only Sky and Virgin Media currently offer Sky Cinema content in Ultra HD, and availability is limited to selected films rather than the full catalogue.

Sky customers can add the Ultra HD pack for £6 per month, while Virgin Media customers pay £7 per month for Ultra HD access where supported.

NOW offers an Ultra Boost add-on for £9 per month, which enables 4K viewing on compatible devices. However, this add-on is not supported on BT/EE TV or TalkTalk TV, meaning 1080p HD remains the maximum viewing resolution on those platforms.

Sky Cinema on demand

All providers offering Sky Cinema also support on-demand and mobile viewing, allowing customers to stream films away from the main TV or while out of the home.

Here's a quick overview of the apps used by each service:

Because BT delivers Sky Cinema through NOW Memberships, customers watch films on devices using the NOW app rather than a BT-branded app.

While providers may advertise offline viewing, whether a film can be downloaded depends on studio distribution agreements rather than the TV platform itself.

Apps will clearly indicate when downloads are available, but restrictions typically apply to how long content can be kept and when it must be watched.

Note: Paramount+ content included with Sky Cinema is not available via the Sky Go app.

Sky Cinema and Sky Sports

Customers can often save money by taking Sky Cinema and Sky Sports together as part of a combined bundle.

For example, Virgin Media offers a Sky Cinema and Sky Sports bundle on Flex for £49.99 per month, representing a saving compared to taking the two subscriptions separately.

Larger bundles can offer better overall value, particularly on Virgin Media, with options such as Max Volt combining Sky Cinema, Sky Sports, Netflix, Gig1 broadband, and an unlimited O2 SIM in a single package.

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Verdict: Who has the best Sky Cinema offer?

Sky Cinema is widely available across the UK, with both contract-free options and bundles from the major pay TV providers.

Overall, the strongest Sky Cinema offer is with Sky itself, where customers can add the pack for £10 per month on a 24-month contract.

Key advantages of taking Sky Cinema directly from Sky include:

• Paramount+ Basic (with ads) included at no extra cost, with discounted upgrade options
• An additional Premiere+1 channel
• Full 1080p HD viewing as standard
• Pause and rewind live channels, plus Playlist recording on Sky Stream
• Two free Vue cinema tickets every month

See the latest prices for Sky TV.

That said, each platform suits a slightly different type of customer:

• Sky TV is best for those who want the most complete Sky Cinema experience, with the option to take TV with or without broadband
• Virgin Media requires broadband but offers Sky Cinema via both traditional TV bundles and Flex, making it a strong option for customers already committed to Virgin's ultrafast broadband
• BT TV also requires broadband and bundles Sky Cinema alongside other TV content, offering flexibility for customers already using BT or EE broadband
• NOW is the cheapest and most flexible way to watch Sky Cinema, but HD viewing costs extra and features are more limited

In practice, the best option depends on whether flexibility, picture quality, or bundled broadband matters most. Customers who want the richest Sky Cinema experience will usually be best served by Sky, while budget-focused viewers may prefer NOW or Virgin Media Flex.

Compare the latest prices for Sky Cinema bundles.