[citation needed] One year after it began broadcasts,[1] it became the first Sky channel to scramble its signal, using a encryption system called VideoCrypt.

[citation needed] On 2 November 1990, Sky Television merged with rival British Satellite Broadcasting, acquiring The Movie Channel.

With the launch of the second SES Astra satellite (1B) was added to the Sky package on 15 April 1991 and the first film shown was 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

[clarification needed] From the relaunch of the channel under BSkyB, this ident was made by Pacific Data Images and heavily based on NBC's movie opening used from 1987 to 1993.

[clarification needed] Similarly, Sky Movies was made available to viewers on BSB's old satellite on 8 April earlier that year replaces its music channel, The Power Station.

[4] The launch of Sky Digital from the new Astra 28.2°E satellite position on 1 October 1998 was accompanied by a major expansion of channels.

Sky Movies also reshuffled its bouquet of ten channels to achieve greater "clarity" for subscribers.

Smallworld Cable added the Sky Movies HD channels to their line-up in the first quarter of 2012,[21] followed by Virgin Media Ireland on 16 August 2012.

On 22 June 2020, Sky added a content warning to several older films stating that they "have outdated attitudes, language, and cultural depictions which may cause offence today".

Sky Cinema Premiere +1 continued to air on Virgin Media Ireland until its removal on 13 August 2020.

[34] The timeshift resumed broadcasting on 6 January 2021, replacing Sky Cinema Disney, which was shut down on 30 December 2020 (with the content moving into Disney+) and was temporarily replaced by Sky Cinema Five Star Movies from the next day (31 December) until Premiere +1's return on 6 January 2021.

Sky Cinema subscribers are able to access Paramount+ in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria without charge, which was inaugurated by the summer of 2022.

In addition, Sky's close relationships with the film studios means it regularly gets exclusive access for on-set to talenting one-off 'making-ofs' and various talent-based programming.

The result was Sky Pictures, which existed in order to investing both low-budget and mainstream British films.

However, following a lack of success and her decision to leave Sky and set up her own production company called Shine, the unit was scaled back and closed in 2001.