Broadband and TV deals offer you a simple - and affordable - way to get both your internet and TV sorted in one subscription. And with options ranging from the cheap and cheerful up to fully kitted out options, there is a lot of choice available.
If you just want the basic channels and some average speeds, you can get broadband and TV at a very low monthly cost. However, if you know you want the works, the likes of BT, Virgin and Sky can go all out.
If you already have an idea of what you want, simply use our comparison chart above to find your ideal option. If you're still unsure and want to find out more, you're in the right place!
In this guide we've broken down everything you need to know about speeds, channels, different providers and much more. And if you're not sure if you want TV as well, check out our broadband deals and fibre broadband deals guides for more information.
- Cheap broadband deals: compare the lowest prices
Which provider has the best broadband and TV deals?
- BT: best all-round package
- Virgin: fastest speeds
- Plusnet: cheapest bills
- Sky: best quad-play provider
- Vodafone: fibre and TV at low prices
What should you look for in broadband and TV deals?
What broadband speed will I need?
There is a massive range of speeds you can get with broadband plans. These range from the slowest ADSL plans all the way up to the lightning fast ultrafast broadband.
Which speeds you need will depend on what you're using your internet for. We've broken down the options below, or you can use our what broadband speed do I need guide for an in-depth look.
ADSL:
This is the slowest form of broadband available. It tends to offer speeds averaging 10-11Mb. It uses copper wires and therefore can't get faster speeds.
This will work fine for smaller houses only using the internet for streaming, emails and general internet searching. You'll start to struggle with smart home devices, big downloads, gaming or having lots of devices.
Fibre:
This is the option that the large majority of people will go for. With speeds averaging between 17-36Mb, this is allowing you to stream in HD, game, work from home and generally not face too many problems.
However, these kind of speeds aren't going to work for large households with lots of devices all operating at the same time. You will start to see it struggle at this point, especially with multiple downloads occurring at the same time.
Faster Fibre:
Faster Fibre tends to start at around an average of 60Mb+. This is for those who work from home full time, anyone who has to download a lot or if you play games a lot.
It is essentially a more capable version of the above plan, allowing you to connect more devices, face less lag and power through downloads and uploads quicker.
Ultrafast Fibre:
Ultrafast is not going to be as readily available as the above options but if you can get it, it will be lightning fast. Virgin offers the best Ultrafast speeds, going in excess of 500Mb.
This is for perfect gaming, borderline instant downloads, smart homes and more.
What contract length should I go for?
Broadband and TV deals offer a few different contract lengths: 12, 18 and 24 months. The most common seems to be 24 month options, tying you in for the longest amount of time.
However, there is also a number of 18 month plans out there from the likes of Virgin and TalKTalk. 12 month plans are a lot more rare but both EE and Now Broadband occasionally offer them.
Whichever length contract you end up going for, make sure to switch provides or renegotiate your contract when it ends. If you continue past your contract you could be hit with inflated costs.
What internet is available where I live?
Broadband and TV deals offer a few different contract lengths: 12, 18 and 24 months. The most common seems to be 24 month options, tying you in for the longest amount of time.
However, there is also a number of 18 month plans out there from the likes of Virgin and TalKTalk. 12 month plans are a lot more rare but both EE and Now Broadband occasionally offer them.
Whichever length contract you end up going for, make sure to switch provides or renegotiate your contract when it ends. If you continue past your contract you could be hit with inflated costs.
What channels are available?
There is a huge amount of channels available to you in the UK. However, certain TV packages are going to offer more than others. The standard and bare minimum is Freeview TV but most brand's offer a different collection of channels depending on the plan you choose.
Freeview:
Freeview is the basic TV package and you don't need to get a broadband and TV plan to watch it - you simply need a TV licence. However, if you go for the cheapest broadband and TV plans, they might simply include a TV box to allow you to watch Freeview.
TalkTalk's Fibre 35 and TV or Virgin's Big Bundle's are good examples of this, only adding a couple of extra channels.
Apple TV+:
This has become quite a popular option amongst broadband providers. Instead of offering you a TV package, it instead includes an Apple TV+ subscription with your internet.
This both gives you access to Apple TV+ shows and allows you to access Netflix, YouTube and more from your TV (if you already have subscriptions to those platforms). Both EE and Vodafone offer this service.
1. Sky
2. Virgin
3. BT
4. TalkTalk
5. Now Broadband
NowTV Passes:
This is very similar to the Apple TV set-up. Both BT and Now offer NowTV passes instead of a TV plan. With BT, you'll also get Freeview TV access but Now Broadband just includes the passes.
This could mean an entertainment pass with access to Sky Atlantic, Sky One and more with shows like Game of Thrones, Parks and Recreations and Chernobyl. It could also be Sport Passes, Sky Cinema or other similar options.
Virgin:
Virgin and Sky are the only two brands left that really offer more than just freeview or TV passes. With Virgin, there are seven different TV plans available to you, ranging from basic freeview through to the 'Ultimate Oomph Bundle'.
There is options for movie fans with Sky Movies, Sky Sports packages with all of the Sky Sports channels or even a plan that includes all of Sky Cinema, Sky Sports, all of the kids channels like Cartoon Network, Comedy Central and much more.
Sky:
Like Virgin, Sky has one of the largest collections of channels available. Unlike Virgin, it has a bit more choice. Instead of choosing pre-decided packages, you can choose the packages you want like Sky Sports, Documentaries or maybe a focus on HD channels.
Sky's base TV package includes freeview and an extra 100 channels including Sky Atlantic, Sky One, Vice, Fox, Comedy Central, Dave Ja Vu, SyFy, Sky Documentaries, Eurosport and more.
Where to get Sky and BT TV channels:
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(opens in new tab)Which providers offer broadband and TV deals?
While not all broadband providers do broadband and TV deals, most of the big name brands do. You'll see BT, Sky, Virgin, TalkTalk, EE and more pop up on your search. However, each brand does it differently.
As we said above, some simply offer freeview, some include TV subscriptions like Apple TV or Now Entertainment and some go all in with hundreds of available channels.
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