TV & Broadband Deals: Compare in November 2024

Name: Broadband Deals
Brand: Uswitch
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.7 (26824 reviews)

What is a broadband and TV bundle?

A broadband and TV bundle combines both services into one monthly bill. Some of the biggest TV providers in the UK also offer broadband, making it very easy to choose a joint package under one provider if you regularly watch pay-TV like Sky or Virgin TV.

These deals tend to have high monthly prices, but they’re often cheaper than what you’d pay separately to different providers for the same services.

TV is supplied in a few different ways - satellite, cable, or streaming via your broadband - all of which need some installation if you haven’t used that service before. But with broadband speeds getting faster each year, it’s now possible to stream premium TV, too, thanks to products like Sky Glass and Sky Stream.

This makes setting up your TV package a lot easier and cheaper, with less equipment needed.

Find out how you could get a broadband and TV deal, and learn which type of package would be right for you.

Should I get a broadband and TV deal?

Here are some of the reasons why a broadband and TV deal could benefit you:

1
A broadband and TV deal could save you money by letting you bundle multiple services instead of paying for each one individually.
2
If you regularly use pay-TV services for premium channels like Sky Sports, Sky Atlantic, or TNT Sports, you could save a lot of money each year by getting a TV and broadband bundle.
3
Many bundles now include access to streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Disney Plus. So you can save money on all the different streaming services you use.
4
Combining your broadband and TV services makes managing your bills and monthly subscriptions easier.
5
Some of the best internet and TV providers apply special discounts if you add more of their services to your contract when you sign up.

What to consider when choosing a broadband and TV package

There can be a lot of variety in broadband and TV packages. You'll likely have a wide range of broadband speeds to choose from and an equally broad selection of channels and services to add to your TV tariff.

You should consider some things when bundling your broadband with a pay-TV service.

Broadband speed

When selecting a broadband and TV bundle, you must first decide on a suitable broadband speed for your household.

You’ll need to choose a speed that can handle what everyone in your home does online - which can differ depending on a few things. These include:

Household size: If you live alone or with one other person, you may not need a connection as fast as several family members or flatmates may.
Streaming or gaming: If people constantly stream TV or play games online at home, especially in high quality like 4K, you will need a speed that can handle that demand.
Working from home: If you depend on your broadband to work from home throughout the week, you’ll need a strong connection that you can rely on for meetings or sending lots of large files.

To let multiple people at home do all of the above at the same time, you’ll likely need an internet speed of at least 50Mbps. However, for larger households or more intense activities such as gaming, 100Mbps+ can make everything much smoother.

Guide: What broadband speed do I need?

TV channels and content

Usually, the more TV channels you want, the more you have to pay. Most standard TV packages come with the usual selection of Freeview channels, and some slightly more expensive ones may feature a few of Sky's premium entertainment channels like Sky Atlantic and Sky Showcase.

But if you're a big sports or movie fan, you will almost certainly have to pay more. Top-drawer add-ons like Sky Sports, TNT Sports, and Sky Cinema are usually the most expensive services to subscribe to. So you should only purchase those if they fit your budget and you think you'll watch them enough.

Adding a home phone or mobile contract

Providers offering broadband and TV bundles can also add a home phone subscription if you want to continue using your landline. If you still regularly use your landline, you’ll also likely be able to get all three services for one monthly fee.

You can add a home phone package to your tariff when signing up for your broadband and TV deal on a provider’s site. This will usually come with pay-as-you-go, evening & weekend or anytime calls.

So, depending on your call volume and budget, you can choose an additional home phone plan that’s right for you.

Some brands have also started to add mobile phone subscriptions to their packages. For example, Virgin Media O2’s Ultimate Volt package offers Virgin Media broadband, TV and home phone with an O2 mobile SIM. Plus, double mobile data and double broadband speed for using both services.

Virgin Media 'Volt' benefits explained

Compare 12 month broadband deals

Browse our range of broadband deals with 12-month contracts on Uswitch.

12-month broadband deals

Can I get a broadband and TV deal without a phone line?

Unless you have a full fibre or Virgin Media connection, you’ll likely still need a landline for a working broadband and TV package. Sky Q satellite TV, EE TV and Freeview require an active landline. However, this is slowly changing:

Virgin Media uses its own cable network and doesn’t need a copper phone line to offer broadband, TV or home phone services. So it’s easier to only opt for the services you want.

EE TV (formerly BT TV) is supplied through an internet connection, which means it still relies on landlines to get to many homes in the UK. However, with Openreach’s full fibre rollout and copper cable switch-off, its TV services will almost entirely be supplied by much faster fibre cables in the future.

Sky is now making its TV deals available through Wi-Fi thanks to its streaming products Sky Glass and Sky Stream. It will soon be retiring satellite TV services to new customers and (eventually) moving existing satellite customers onto its Wi-Fi TV connections.

Read our guide on how to get broadband without a landline to see if you can enjoy digital TV services without a copper phone line.

Our expert says

"More comprehensive TV packages from providers like Sky will give you all the channels a TV fan could want.

"But if you're more of a streamer and don't need access to the latest blockbusters and trending shows, you're probably better off with a more basic broadband and TV package in order to save money."

Nick Baker, Senior Editor

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What are the different types of digital TV?

Streaming TV

Streaming TV is now the most common way for new customers to access Sky and Virgin TV services.

It works through your Wi-Fi exactly like a Smart TV or streaming stick does. So you don’t need a satellite dish or physical cable for it to work - it just relies on your existing broadband connection.

Sky Stream, Sky Glass and Stream from Virgin Media are all examples of this new TV service.

Cable TV

Cable TV essentially works through a mix of underground fibre-optic-style cables. In the UK, it’s only provided by Virgin Media, which runs its own cable broadband, landline and TV network.

It offers similar channels and services to satellite TV, but it's only available in areas with Virgin Media's network in place. This currently covers around 56% of UK properties, so Sky's TV services have much wider coverage.

Read our customer review of Virgin Media TV and broadband.

Satellite TV

Satellite TV works via a satellite dish attached to your building. Sky TV is the most well-known satellite provider, but it no longer sells new satellite TV deals.

Instead, you can access the full range of Sky TV content through its streaming TV products, Sky Stream and Sky Glass.

Read our in-detail customer review of Sky TV and broadband.

Streaming services

Standard streaming services like Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video have quickly become some of the most common ways to watch TV shows and movies.

Most of us use at least one streaming service, whether with another pay-TV service or not. And many major broadband and TV providers now offer streaming services as part of their TV deals.

Sky, BT and Virgin Media all offer streaming services with a number of their bundles. So you could consolidate your costs by choosing both under the same bill.

IPTV

IPTV stands for Internet Protocol Television. It's delivered via a fixed-line broadband connection using the same cables as your home internet, as opposed to over radio waves like Freeview and analogue TV.

This is also different from Streaming TV because the cable, not your Wi-Fi, provides the actual connection.

BT is one of the most popular IPTV providers, offering its services through the Openreach broadband network. However, given the recent rise of streaming-based pay TV services, this TV connection may not be an option forever.

Freeview

Launched in 2002, Freeview is the UK’s standard terrestrial TV platform that replaced analogue television with improved digital services.

It's broadcast over the airwaves and can be received via a set-top box, a Freeview tuner, or directly on your Smart TV once it's connected to your Wi-Fi.

Freeview gives you access to over 100 TV channels, 15 of which are HD. These include the BBC, ITV, E4, Dave, 5USA and truTV, to name a few. Apart from your BBC licence fee, all these channels are free to view (hence the name).

Why choose a Uswitch home broadband and TV package?

If you love watching TV - particularly live sports, big US TV shows and the latest blockbuster movies - then a pay-TV package will be well worth the purchase. Bundling your broadband subscription into a joint TV and home broadband deal could save you a lot of money throughout the year.

At Uswitch, we show you deals from a wide range of broadband and TV providers. As of August 2024, we have a 4.7 out of 5 score from customer reviews website Trustpilot, based on over 24,000 reviews.

Would you prefer to keep your costs down for the time being? View our cheap broadband deals if you're happy to stick to streaming services for your TV needs.

Which are the best TV and internet providers?

Some of the biggest internet providers now offer TV and Wi-Fi deals, with a wide range of services that vary from provider to provider. This list includes:

Compare deals from these providers and more

Compare TV, broadband and phone deals from the UK's top providers to find the right deal for you.

Sky

Virgin Media

NOW Broadband

Talktalk

Three

However, whichever company offers the best service to your needs is the best provider. Get more information on which provider is right for your needs with our expert broadband provider reviews.

Uswitch broadband provider reviews

Read our expert reviews of all of the UK's biggest broadband providers.

Read our broadband reviews

Broadband and TV deals FAQs

Is it cheaper to bundle TV and internet?

If you watch a lot of TV, movies or sport, combining pay-TV services with a broadband deal can be a great way to save money.

A broadband and TV bundle could give you cheaper deals overall than if you were paying separate bills to different providers.

Can I get fibre broadband and TV deals?

Fibre broadband and pay-TV go hand-in-hand nowadays. While only the biggest broadband providers offer TV services, almost all can supply fibre broadband connections to your home.

If you want both, our TV & broadband deals give you a wide range of different providers, depending on what service is right for you.

How are broadband and TV bundles installed?

It used to be a case of choosing between a satellite or cable service, where an engineer will need to visit your home to install the required dish or cabling and connect them to a receiver hooked up to your TV.

Nowadays though, all new Sky TV deals only offer its services via its streaming TV box, Sky Stream. These internet-run devices only need plugging into your TV and connecting to your Wi-Fi to work, and they offer all the same services as the older types.

Can I get streaming services through my TV bundle?

Yes - TV providers like Sky have introduced a simpler and easier way to bundle additional streaming services to their already comprehensive TV listings, including Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney Plus.

Can extra channels be added to a TV and broadband package?

When paying for a TV service, you should have the option to include some add-ons to your service for a rolling monthly fee, depending on which provider you're with.

If you're with BT or TalkTalk, some packages have the option of adding a streaming service to your monthly subscription fee. And if you're with other TV providers like Virgin Media or Sky, these add-ons not only include the above, but you could also choose from TNT Sports, Sky Sports or Sky Cinema.

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