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News UK launches film magazine Popcorn to support launch of Sky Cinema

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By Jessica Goodfellow, Media Reporter

July 8, 2016 | 4 min read

To support the launch of Sky Cinema, the broadcaster's new brand for its movies in the UK and Ireland, News UK has created a film magazine that will act as a monthly supplement from its Sun newspaper with promotion for the new hub woven throughout.

Popcorn

Popcorn

The magazine, dubbed Popcorn, will be published monthly as a supplement to the paper, starting on Saturday 16th July. Sky Cinema will act as lead sponsor of the magazine, with promotions including front cover branding, display advertising and sponsored editorial within the magazine as well as a takeover of the Sun Online's dedicated film channel.

News UK told The Drum the partnership with Sky “could not have been better timed”, since the Sun brand was already looking at creating a free film franchise to appeal to its readers.

Jamie East, film editor at The Sun, said: “Research found that around 75 per cent of our readers regularly watch movies both at the cinema and at home, love reading about them in the paper and many suggested that paid-for film content really enhanced their experience and was actively welcomed. This is where the idea for Popcorn was born. We wanted to create a brand new free film franchise for all Sun readers that could also sit online as a dedicated film channel.”

James Hawker, director of entertainment, telecommunications and broadcast, at News UK, said: “Popcorn will help to position Sky Cinema as ‘the home of cinematic viewing’ while helping News UK bring quality, but accessible film content to our readers.”

Sky first launched its Sky Movies channel in 1989, and this marks the biggest update to it since. The revamped hub will now include enhanced HD and sound, over 1,000 movies on demand, and a new premiere added every day.

Sky Cinema customers will have access to a wider portfolio of movies closer to cinema releases than any other subscription service, it promises. These will be available live, on demand or on the go. The new features will available at no extra cost to existing and new subscribers.

The launch of Sky Cinema is being spearheaded by a TV campaign created by WCRS and directed by award-winning director, Patrick Clair who was responsible for the title sequences of The Night Manager and True Detective.

The 60-second ad features quotes from some of cinema’s best films, from Forrest Gump, E.T., The Martian to Star Wars: The Force Awakens alongside a visual display by Elastic, the LA studio responsible for the Game of Thrones title sequence.

The campaign further spans four 20-second ads each of which showcases a different feature of Sky Cinema and a 40-second brand ad, which airs on July 8th. It will also feature in cinema, digital and print channels.

Sky Cinema will be the biggest dedicated movie subscription service in Europe, according to director of Sky Cinema Europe, Ian Lewis. Sky’s movie services in Germany, Austria and Italy are also rebranded and relaunched under the new name.”

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