SBS to add WORLD MOVIES channel, but don’t expect those really raunchy titles!

SBS has announced the expansion of its content line-up with the launch of a new free-to-air broadcast channel World Movies.

The World Movies channel will provide all Australians free access to over 700 films when it launches across Australia on July 1.

While the addition of the new channel will be a boom for movie fans, some viewers may be disappointed to learn the new service will not include Uncut versions of foreign titles.

The original World Movies on Foxtel secured a special “narrowcast licence” from the government, allowing the channel to broadcast R-rated films.

This will not be allowed for the free-to-air version meaning a number of acclaimed foreign films will have to be edited to an MA15+ standard before broadcast.

The new channel will be broadcast in High Definition across the country as channel 32, making SBS the only broadcaster to provide 3 HD channels. The new channel will replace an existing SD version on Viceland.

SBS has utilised Mpeg-4 compression for its channels including SBS HD, SBS Viceland, SBS Food and NITV. This compression allows the addition of more broadcast services on the available spectrum, but is also incompatible with some older Digital TV’s

SBS has owned the World Movies channel since 2009. The channel originally launched on Foxtel where it operated as a subscription service until being axed in 2018. Since then World Movie titles have only been available via the SBS OnDemand website, or via SVOD streaming service STAN.

SBS promises the new free-to-air version of World Movies will be “cost-neutral” to operate for the government broadcaster, due to the inclusion of up to five minutes per hour of advertising content.

The channel will broadcast more than 700 films each year, with international titles including recent award winning and critically acclaimed films such as Amanda (France), The 12th Man (Norway), Just A Breath Away (France), Ash is the Purest White (China),Aligarth (India), Girl (Belgium), Killing of a Sacred Deer (UK), and many more. Launch titles will be announced in the coming weeks.

SBS World Movies will also feature curated seasons of special programming to mark cultural events, festivals and celebrations such as Diwali, Lunar New Year, International Women’s Day and Mardi Gras.

Announcing the launch of the new channel, Managing director James Taylor told The Australian;

“Each SBS channel provides a distinctive proposition for audiences, and SBS World Movies will bring a new and truly unique offering to Australians on free-to-air TV,” Taylor said in his first interview since being promoted into the job last year.