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Star Wars channel launching on DStv

Cape Town – "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope." You'll need to sit down for this: M-Net Movies is starting a Star Wars pop-up channel on DStv at the end of the month which will show all the movies and other Star Wars programming.

Many Bothans died to bring us this information, but Channel24 can reveal that coming to all DStv Premium subscribers (and possibly those with a Holocron device) is a very special Star Wars pop-up channel from M-Net and MultiChoice which will start on 31 August on channel 109.

The Star Wars pop-up channel will show all 6 of the existing Star Wars movies from George Lucas, as well as incredible additional Star Wars content linked to George Lucas' amazing galaxy far, far away.

The Star Wars pop-up channel, secured by M-Net's Movies division for DStv is an African television first and will start with a movie per day at 19:30 (as well as at 06:00 in the mornings on subsequent days).

The Star Wars pop-up channel comes before the highly-anticipated release of the new Star Wars movie, Star Wars: The Force Awakens on 18 December from The Walt Disney Company.

M-Net Movies and DStv's Star Wars pop-up channel which can be watched in the Mos Eisley cantina or your closest living room ("Han shot first!") will kick off in the "right" order, with the first Star Wars - A New Hope of 1977 and from there roll out a new movie in chronological order, bringing DStv subscribers across Africa a saga which involves Jedi, an old little green master strong in the Force, Wookiees, princesses, a Solo, a Skywalker, a Vader and bantha fodder.

Unlike Grand Moff Tarkin's foul stench, the Star Wars pop-up channel won't linger forever: M-Net and DStv will run the very first channel built around international movies from 31 August until 13 September – so clear the space on that DStv Explora and record, record, record.

The Star Wars pop-up channel will do a blockbuster movie omnibus from beginning to end on Sundays.

Additional Star Wars material

In-between the Star Wars pop-up channel will broadcast a daunting amount of animated features and series, shorter featurettes, must-see Star Wars documentaries and incredible other material related to the Star Wars universe.

"This is a great coup for us," says Yolisa Phahle, M-Net South Africa's CEO.

"Creating a movie channel dedicated to Star Wars is an initiative that Star Wars fans will enjoy, but we also hope to introduce this iconic programming to a new audience.

"Pop-up channel are currently all the rage worldwide and our M-Net Movies Star Wars channel once again shows that we continue to align ourselves with the hottest trends and biggest brands whilst embracing the future of visual entertainment."

A week ago, Christine Service, the senior vice president and country manager for The Walt Disney Company in Africa, and always the most diplomatic of protocol droids, alluded to "huge news" regarding the existing Star Wars movies on television at Disney's annual content showcase and upfront.

"We are thrilled to be bringing Star Wars, one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, to audiences in this first-for-Africa television event with DStv," says Christine Service.

"This is a perfect opportunity for families to experience some of the world's most unforgettable characters and stories to screens across the continent."

In addition to the linear Star Wars pop-up channel on channel 109 on DStv, M-Net is getting ready to create a dazzling Star Wars "online experience" at mnet.tv with the channel's schedule and information which will be available at mnet.tv/starwars

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