MUMBAI: Nick, the children's channel from the Viacom stable, is all set to launch the biggest weekend audience pullers - a movie block.

For the first time on the channel a host of movies will be slotted for the weekends under the banner 'Nick Home Cinema' that kicks off on 8 July at 11 am.

Nick is looking to catapult its holiday viewership with a library of 16-20 Nickelodeon produced films. Specially designed for television, these movies are all based on the existing properties on Nick, including channel mascot Spongebob, Jimmy Neutron and Drake and Josh.

However, the channel is also eyeing the acquisition mode and is in talks with both Indian production houses and international ones for both animated and live action content. This means that Bollywood films, both old and new, will also appear as part of the programming mix, marking the first time local content will be added to its predominantly international line up of shows. The films will be premiered on Sunday followed by a repeat on the following Saturday.

The feature film route more often that not always delivers high ratings for a channel and has in the past worked for several players in this space. Speaking about the channel's strategy in adopting this approach, Nick India VP and GM Nina Elavia Jaipuria said, "The attempt is mainly to reward the channel loyalists as well as draw new eyeballs onto the channel. This move will prove to be more of a time spent driver rather than a reach driver for us."