Why choose a broadband and TV package?
Dan Howdle | January 4th, 2024
Paying for your TV and broadband separately could cost you more than bundling them together in a combined broadband and TV deal. Many find it easier and more convenient to deal with one provider for both services, with only one monthly bill to pay.
You can also add a home phone bundle with discounted or unlimited calls to most broadband and TV packages, though we advise caution here as an increasing number of broadband packages do not come with a phone line as standard. Take a look at our broadband, TV and phone deals if combining everything in one place sounds appealing and you want to be sure you get a good home phone deal.
What to look for with a TV and broadband deal
Choosing the right TV package to add to your broadband can be tricky, as there are so many on the market. Some providers offer little more than Freeview with the option to bolt on Sky and TNT premium services, while others have hundreds of channels to choose from, and are generally just a lot more fleshed out.
Take a look at our comparison tables, and be sure to watch out for the following:
Broadband speed – Before choosing your TV package, you’ll want to get the basics of your broadband right, including the broadband speed that will best meet the needs of your household.
- Standard broadband – otherwise referred do as ADSL or 'non-fibre' is a non-starter now in 2024. The technology is being phased out and you can only get it from most providers if you happen to live somewhere it's all you can get. Standard broadband typically offers 10-11Mbps on average, and you'll struggle to find it in any listings once you've provided your postcode
- Fibre broadband – sometimes referred to as superfast broadband, is now the default Ioption for most households. It provides speed of up to around 63Mbps on average, which is enough for most households, but not exactly zippy by today's standards
- Full fibre broadband – is only available to around a quarter of UK households, but offers speeds of up to around 900Mbps. That is very, very fast indeed. We strongly recommend full fibre broadband if you can get it, though most households won't need anything faster than 100-150Mbps
- Cable broadband – is a technology offered exclusively by Virgin Media. It's not full fibre and it's not superfast fibre. Virgin has its own network with its own cabling technology that currently provides speeds up to a frankly insane 1140Mbps
For more advice, check out our broadband speed guide.
Channels – Opt for quality over quantity, as there’s little point in paying for hundreds of channels you’re unlikely to watch regularly. Look for or put together bundles that include content you’re interested in, whether that’s sports, films, or kids’ TV.
Contract length – With most broadband and TV bundles, you’ll need to sign a contract for at least 18 months. If you need to end the contract early for any reason, you’re going to have to pay out the remainder of the contract regardless in most cases. Learn more about broadband contracts with our guide.
Customer support – Good customer support is important, especially if you need a constant internet connection to work from home, or keep the teenagers in your home entertained. EE, Plusnet, Virgin Media and Sky all scored highly in Ofcom’s customer satisfaction survey, but EE scored best with the highest rate of customer satisfaction (92%) among major carriers. Read our latest broadband reviews to find out how the big UK providers stack up.
Price – Work out how much you can comfortably afford to spend on internet provision each month, and weigh up broadband and TV bundle options within this budget. You may have to make sacrifices, such as fewer channels, to keep costs as low as possible.
Equipment and installation – Some providers charge for installation and equipment like routers and set-top boxes (or delivery of this equipment) when you sign up for a new broadband and TV deal.
It’s possible to find broadband deals without installation costs or equipment charges if you shop around, and this can save you a bit of cash. Note that if you choose a bundle from Sky, you may need to have a satellite dish installed on the side of your home, which could cause a problem for some customers. If you rent your property, you’ll also need to get permission from your landlord. An alternative is to choose the excellent Sky Stream instead, which provides your TV service via the internet.
Broadband and TV providers
Not all providers offer combined broadband and TV packages, and when you do find a provider and deal you’re happy with, you’ll need to check that it’s available in your area. Your choice is also likely to be affected by the channels you want to include, based on your household’s hobbies and interests.
Here’s a rundown of UK providers that offer combine broadband and TV deals:
BT: EE TV – This is now more confusing than it used to be. BT TV is now rebranded EE TV. It's largely the same service and you can still only get it with a BT or EE broadband deal (not on its own). At the core of its offering is the NOW TV Entertainment membership which gives you access to the best Sky channels. EE TV also includes a complimentary Netflix subscription.
NOW TV – Owned by Sky, NOW Broadband offers a range of broadband deals, all with no credit checks. The brand also has some excellent entertainment bundles from their NOW TV division, with over 300 box sets and all the latest TV shows included.
Sky TV – Sky’s TV offerings are already familiar to thousands of homes, most especially Sky Sports. As well as an enormous number of channels, the brand also has a solid broadband offering with fast speeds. Sky Stream, which is Sky TV without a dish, is Cable.co.uk's pick of best TV package both in terms of channels and content and indeed simplicity and ease of installation.
TalkTalk TV – TalkTalk TV, exclusive to TalkTalk broadband customers, offers 70+ Freeview channels and a huge range of apps that you can add on too, including the NOW TV Memberships, Netflix, Britbox and Amazon Prime.
Virgin TV – A major player in the field of combined broadband and TV services, Virgin Media offers fast and reliable broadband with cable TV that supplies hundreds of channels, so you’ll never be without something to binge watch. Notably though, neither Sky Atlantic nor Sky Box Sets are available on Virgin Media.
TV and broadband bundle pros and cons
Before signing a combined broadband and TV deal contract, it’s worth carefully weighing up your options to ensure you’re signing up for a deal that’s affordable, and suits your needs. For some people, purchasing the services separately may be a better fit.
Here are the pros and cons of choosing a broadband and TV bundle.
Pros
Price – If you’re already paying for a TV subscription service, combining this with the broadband provision is likely to be a cheaper option than TV and broadband sold separately.
Convenience – You may find it easier to manage your finances if you’re paying one monthly bill, from one provider. The more separate subscriptions you have, the more bills you have to remember, and the more companies you’ll need to contact if you have questions, or if something goes wrong.
Syncing products – If you sign up for a broadband and TV bundle with 4K TV capabilities, you can be sure that it will include internet that’s fast enough to cope with this. Buying services separately can mean that products aren’t compatible, which can be a headache to sort out.
Freebies Carriers often offer more free perks to users who subscribe to broadband and TV bundles than those who only subscribe to either service. For example, Virgin, Sky and BT/EE all offer a free Netflix basic subscription.
Cons
Switching can be difficult: If you’re not sure about your future living situations, for instance if you might need to move house in the near future, switching a combined broadband and TV deal to a new provider can be trickier than moving separate services. For this reason, it’s best to sign up for a combined deal only if you’re sure that you can ride out the contract in full. For advice about switching broadband providers, read our guide.
You may overpay: You may be tempted by a wide range of TV channels that you don’t end up watching in the long term, meaning you pay over the odds for your combined broadband and TV.
You can’t have the best of both worlds: Combining the broadband you need with the TV service you want isn’t always smooth sailing. Virgin Media has some of the fastest broadband, for instance, while Sky has the best TV. So if you want very fast speeds with Sky Atlantic, you may have to make a sacrifice unless you live somewhere you can get Sky full fibre.
Mandatory Contracts: Most providers require customers subscribing to broadband and TV bundles to sign a binding contract rather than pay-as-you-go. If you're not satisfied with the contract and want to end it early, you have to pay an early termination fee, which can be significant. A good alternative to this is to sign up to NOW TV with its one-month TV memberships and take the option of a one-month broadband subscription too.
