Launching with the Oscar-winning comedy Lost In Translation, Channel 4's film
channel Film4 is to become free-to-view.
As a result, it will be available to around 7m homes on the Freeview service, a total of 18m on all digital
services, making it the UK's largest free film channel.
However, films will be broken up with adverts for the first time, in order to
help pay for the service.
Film4 has been around since 1998 and currently has around 300,000
subscribers, but Channel4 are hoping for a large increase in viewing figures
once it becomes free.
With six films a day, including Sexy Beast, The Motorcycle Diaries and, as
mentioned, Lost in Translation starring Bill Murray, that should be no
problem.
The production company that accompanied the channel was closed as an
independant company in 2002 after a series of high-profile flops. However, it
did score a couple of very notable successes in Trainspotting and the romcom
Four Weddings and a Funeral.
The relaunch is on the 23rd of July.
