Electric Sofa to launch 3 channels on Sky

New broadcaster Electric Sofa has confirmed plans to launch three new entertainment and movies channels on Sky in the autumn.

The company intends to launch a film channel devoted to showcasing British-funded or produced movies, along with "rarely-seen gems".

It will also launch a general movies channel screening blockbusters, premieres and classic titles aimed at the 16 to 34-year-old audience.

The third channel will broadcast a range of general entertainment programmes, including in-house content and acquisitions.

All three channels will be made available free-to-air on Sky on November 1, with Electric Sofa already talking to advertisers and sponsors.

The firm also said that the channels will be coming to "other platforms and online", but it did not provide any specific information on that.

Electric Sofa is co-managed by Andrew Burns, who was previously chief operating officer at Film24, the movies broadcaster which recently went into liquidation.

Burns said that Electric Sofa has "ambitious growth plans" for its channels, which will involve carrying the "very best in films and entertainment".

"Conversations with investors and content providers are well advanced and we have already recruited several industry experts who are specialists in their field to support and advise the management team," he said.

"With these new programmes and archive classics, we aim to make Electric Sofa the new destination for viewers in the UK and Ireland."

Ursula Adeane, Electric Sofa's other managing director, who is a former senior executive at Canis Media, added: "We are actively identifying and acquiring new material to ensure that Electric Sofa will be the viewer's favourite place to go for original, fresh films and entertainment.

"We are building a strong and talented team for this exciting venture, as well as exploring strategic partnerships to enhance and grow the brand."