During this period the channel had been known as Sky Movies Plus. It had shown selected premium content such as live boxing, music concerts and World Wrestling Federation due to it having been Sky's only encrypted channel.
6 May - Sky Movies and The Movie Channel begin broadcasting 24 hours a day.15 April - The Movie Channel launches on Astra 1B satellite with the first showing of 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, starring Harrison Ford and Sean Connery.8 April – At 6am, Sky Movies launches on the Marco Polo satellite, replacing The Power Station.25 March – BSB launches and its line-up includes The Movie Channel.11 February – Sky Movies broadcasts its first special event - the boxing fight between Mike Tyson and Buster Douglas.5 February – Sky Movies is fully encrypted, thereby becoming Sky's first pay channel.This agreement comes a few weeks after plans to launch a full time Disney channel break down. 3 June – Sky and Disney come to an arrangement which allows Sky to broadcast Disney movies for a five-year period.The first film shown on the channel is Dirty Dancing, starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. 5 February – Sky Television, and Sky Movies, launches at 6 pm.The new service will include a movies channel.
8 June – Rupert Murdoch announces plans to launch a four-channel service on the soon to be launched Astra satellite.