UK's BSkyB to launch 24-hour James Bond TV channel

The rotating number plate on the original Aston Martin DB5, driven by actor Sean Connery in the James Bond films "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball" is displayed in London July 21, 2010.

British pay television broadcaster BSkyB will launch a new 24-hour channel dedicated to showing James Bond films on repeat in October to mark the 50th anniversary of the Bond franchise, the company said on Tuesday.

The channel, to be called Sky Movies 007, will show 22 original Bond films in high definition from October 5 for a month, beginning with the 1962 Bond film, 'Dr. No', it said. It added that it will also screen independent titles 'Never Say Never Again' and 'Casino Royale.'

The launch comes after Sky bought the rights to the British film franchise from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios in April, ending rival ITV's 38-year stronghold on the films's rights.

"We're delighted that our customers will have the best Bond movie-watching experience ever with Sky Movies - uninterrupted, in HD (high definition), on demand and on the go," Director of Sky Movies, Ian Lewis, said in a statement.