Tesco’s Blinkbox plans “biggest ever” Boxing Day sale as research shows Brits “fed up” with TV schedule repeats and turn to on-demand viewing

Meanwhile the majority (80 per cent) of respondents said they are “fed up” with the amount of repeats of TV shows and movies that are being repeated on linear TV schedules.

As a result more will turn to the internet this Christmas which offers more choice than the old repeats served up by TV schedules which Blinkbox called “as appetising as cold sprouts”.

Blinkbox expects 26 December to be the biggest day of the year for its services, with the surge bolstered by pre-Christmas sales of tablets like Tesco’s Hudl, which features Blinkbox apps.

Traditional TV channels have come under fire for packing the schedules with repeats, with respondents stating a preference for more modern films instead of the many that have been chosen which are more than two decades old.

Meanwhile Blinkbox has also revealed sales via tablets surged 1,230 per cent in 2013 with sales via games consoles and connected TVs up more than 500 per cent.

One-in-five Brits expect to watch less TV with the family sue to the range of choice available via connected devices.

Tesco’s group digital officer and Blinkbox co-founder Michael Comish said the fight to be the entertainment hub of choice is “heating up”.

He continued: “Being able to enjoy the latest and greatest movies and TV shows on multiple devices on your own terms really spells the end of the TV turkey at Christmas.

“We have seen the usage of tablets and games consoles for buying and watching movies and TV surge in 2013, building faster as we head towards the festive holidays. We expect demand to peak around Boxing Day with momentum continuing into the post-Christmas weekend.”

“The great news is that Brits aren’t watching less TV – they are enjoying better content on a variety of screens. For some that means time on their own with their favourite show but for many it’s still a shared experience in front of the TV. The difference is that access to more and more great content on demand will mean less of us are dozing off in front of the screen by 8pm,” he said.

Blinkbox will launch its biggest ever January sale on Boxing Day reducing the price of hundreds of movies.

Almost six million tablets were sold in the UK with demand expected to rise further into Christmas fueled by the surge of affordable tablets from retailers, according to research firm CCS Insight. Tesco's Android Hudl has sold over 300,000 units since its September launch.