Sky has teamed up with UK dog welfare charity, Dogs Trust, to launch the BonfireNight channel; a pop-up TV channel designed to help dogs stay calm over the firework season.
The BonfireNight channel will feature a range of movies specifically curated for dogs to enjoy with their owners, helping to ease anxiety triggered by loud noises.
The channel will air from 6am on November 1 until 6am on November 6, and will feature hit movies for owners and dogs alike. The collection of movies will also be available to watch on demand and with a Now Cinema pass.
Sky’s back-catalogue of more than 1,000 films were whittled down with the help of Dogs Trust. The charity’s experts said feel-good, relaxing, and familiar, content was important as it helps keep dogs’ owners calm, which in turn can help dogs relax too.
The curated list of 21 films includes popular titles such as Barbie and Anyone But You –comedy classics David Brent: Life on the Road and Step Brothers, plus well-liked favourites including E.T., the Bridget Jones trilogy and Shrek 1.
Sky TV has also added a new voice command which will direct users straight to a dedicated page where they’ll be able to find all the movies from the Bonfire Night collection. They will simply have to say “bark” into their Sky Glass or Sky Stream remote.
Jamie Morris, Sky’s Director of Content Strategy & Performance, said: “As a dog lover myself, I know all too well how stressful Bonfire Night can be. That’s why we wanted to create something supportive to help dogs and their owners.”
Jenna Kiddie, Head of Canine Behaviour at Dogs Trust said: “Firework season can be particularly stressful for dogs as the loud bangs and flashes can cause fear and anxiety.”
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