Broadband and TV deals offer you a simple, affordable way to get both your internet and TV packages sorted in one convenient subscription. While the best broadband deals on the market can provide you with significant savings on your internet, you still need to pay extra for TV. If you want premium channels such as Sky Sports, then it may still work out more expensive to buy your broadband an TV separately.
So, not only are broadband and TV deals convenient, but they can also provide cost savings. Plus, with everything from basic Freeview options to all-inclusive packages featuring Sky Cinema and TNT Sports available, you'll likely find that there's an option that suits your needs.
The best option for you will likely be determined by your budget. 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, then the likes of BT, Virgin and Sky can go all out... for a price.
If you already have an idea of what you want, simply use our comparison chart below 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 about the best broadband-only offers available in your area.
Which provider has the best broadband and TV deals?
- BT: best all-round package
- Virgin: fastest broadband 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?
When it comes to selecting a new broadband deal, you'll notice that a wide range of speeds are available. These range from the slowest ADSL plans all the way up to lightning-fast gigabit broadband packages.
But, deciding which speeds you need can be difficult if you're not familiar with technical terms and acronyms like 'megabits per second' (Mbps). To help you get a much better idea, we've put together this quick rundown. If you need a more in-depth analysis, head over to our 'What broadband speed do I need?' guide.
ADSL:
This is the slowest form of broadband available and it tends to offer speeds averaging 10-12Mbps. This is because ADSL connections use copper wires (rather than fibre optic cables) and therefore can't get faster speeds.
These speeds will work fine for smaller households that only use the internet for basic streaming, emailing and general internet searching. However, you'll start to struggle if you have smart home devices or big download requirements. Although ADSL packages used to be the most popular options on the market, they're now being phased out. As a result, you may find that ADSL deals are unavailable in your area.
Fibre:
As ADSL deals continue to be phased out, fibre deals are quickly becoming the most popular option on the market. Fibre broadband can often offer average download speeds of between 35 and 66Mb/s, allowing you to stream in HD, game and work from home, all while generally not facing too many problems with buffering and lag.
If you are in a larger household, fibre broadband may struggle due to lots of devices operating at the same time, especially if multiple downloads are occurring simultaneously. So, if you live in a particularly large home or you have a family where multiple members love to watch Netflix or download in HD, you may need a quicker package.
To find out more about fibre broadband, check out 'What is fibre broadband?'.
Full Fibre:
Full Fibre deals work well for larger, more connected households. These deals tend to start at speeds of around 100Mb/s, making them more popular with people who work from home full-time, or anyone who has to download a lot of large files or plays a lot of games.
Full fibre deals are essentially a more capable version of fibre deals. They allow you to connect more devices, face less lag and power through downloads and uploads quicker.
Gigabit:
Gigabit deals are the pinnacle of what full-fibre broadband connections can offer. If you can receive a gigabit connection, it will be lightning-fast, as a gigabit connection refers to the deal allowing you to receive speeds of around 1Gbps.
However, although these speeds are the quickest on the market, before you take out an ultrafast package you should ensure you really need these speeds. This is because deals like these can be pricey, and many households will not require the full capacity of a gigabit broadband offer, so you may be better off looking at higher-end full fibre broadband deals instead.
What contract length should I go for?
When it comes to broadband and TV deals, a few different contract lengths are available. However, you should be aware that although some broadband contracts only last for one month, broadband and TV deals will usually require a longer commitment due to the expanded number of commitments you are making.
Generally speaking, most TV and broadband contracts last for 24 months. However, a number of 18-month plans are out there from the likes of Virgin and TalkTalk. Unfortunately, 12-month plans are a lot more rare. That said, both EE and NOW Broadband occasionally offer them.
Whichever length of contract you end up going for, make sure that you switch providers or renegotiate your contract when it ends. If you continue past your contract, you could be hit with inflated costs.
What channels are available?
In the UK, a huge number of channels are available, however, not all packages offer each channel. The standard and bare minimum is Freeview TV, but most brands 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, some of the cheapest broadband and TV plans include a TV box that allows you to watch Freeview alongside other select channels.
Apple TV+:
This has become quite a popular option amongst broadband providers. Instead of offering you a TV package, your provider instead includes an Apple TV+ subscription with your internet.
This 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).
1. Sky
2. Virgin
3. BT
4. TalkTalk
5. Now Broadband
NOW TV Passes:
This is very similar to the Apple TV setup. Both BT and NOW offer NOW TV passes instead of a TV plan. With BT, you'll also get Freeview TV access, but NOW Broadband just includes the passes.
Passes can give you access to channels across Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, and Sky Entertainment, and with choices available as to which you go for, you can normally find a great deal to keep you entertained without any unwanted extras.
Virgin:
With Virgin, there are lots of different TV plans available to you, all of which come with Freeview at minimum as you would expect. These plans range from basic options with 100 channels to their 'Ultimate Volt' package, which includes over 230 channels for you to choose from.
There are also options for movie fans with Sky Cinema, Sky Sports packages with all of the Sky Sports channels or even a plan that includes all of Sky Cinema, Sky Sports, and channels like Cartoon Network, Comedy Central and much more.
Sky:
Sky has one of the largest collections of channels available. Unlike Virgin, however, it has a bit more choice. Instead of choosing pre-decided packages, you are able to choose the packages you want like Sky Sports, Documentaries or maybe a focus on HD channels, meaning you can ensure a great value broadband and TV deal by avoiding the channels you simply won't watch.
Where to get Sky and BT TV channels:
Which providers offer broadband and TV deals?
While not all broadband providers offer 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. Here's a quick rundown of exactly what each provider offers, so you can make an informed decision:
