The best broadband and TV deals in April 2019

Best broadband and TV deals in the UK today:

If the last thing you want to do on your evening or weekend is to spend time shopping around for broadband deals and TV plans, TechRadar is coming to the rescue. 

Not only will our price comparison tool above find you the cheapest prices, but we'll show you how buying a package broadband and TV deal will save you time and money.

BT and Sky Sports, movie channels, the latest US TV imports, 24/7 music - whatever your passion, there are TV packages to suit everybody. And whether you're content with a standard ADSL connection or require superfast fibre broadband, you'll be sure to end up with the combo to suit you with our price table. There are broadband and TV deals available from BT, Sky, Virgin Media, TalkTalk and NOW Broadband.

See also: Broadband deals | BT broadband deals | Sky broadband deals | Virgin Broadband deals | Fibre broadband deals

Which broadband and TV packages have Sky Sports?

Sky Sports has long been the destination for serious sports fans. Building its reputation in the 90s as the only place to watch Premier League football, you'll still need to grab a Sky Sports subscription to watch Test match cricket, golf majors and most of the Formula One season.

You can add Sky Sports to the following broadband plans:

• Sky Fibre
• BT Unlimited Broadband and Infinity fibre
• Virgin Media broadband
• TalkTalk Fast Broadband and Faster Fibre
• NOW Brilliant Broadband

Which broadband and TV packages have Sky Cinema?

Formerly known as Sky Movies, Sky Cinema features more films than you can shake a celluloid stick at. And it doesn't matter whether you like a laugh, crave nail-biting action or enjoy having your spine chilled - Sky Cinema channels include Comedy, Disney, Crime & Thriller, Sci-Fi & Horror and Premiere for all the best new flicks.

You can add Sky Cinema to the following broadband packages:

• BT Unlimited Broadband and Infinity fibre
• Sky Fibre
• Virgin Media broadband
• TalkTalk Fast Broadband and Faster Fibre
• NOW Brilliant Broadband and Fab Fibre

Which broadband and TV packages have Sky Atlantic?

You don't need us to tell you that we're in a Golden Age for television drama and box sets. Sky Atlantic is the network's way to make the most of the small screen's new wave of high-quality broadcasting from the US. Premiering the likes of Ray Donovan, The Affair and Westworld to these shores, most of you are probably after Sky Atlantic for one thing and one thing alone...Game of Thrones.

You can add Sky Atlantic to the following broadband plans:

• Sky Fibre
• NOW Brilliant Broadband and Fab Fibre

Can I get BT Sport with my broadband and TV package?

You can watch BT Sports on your TV for free if you're a new customer but after that it will cost you a few quid a month to enjoy BT Sport's exclusive coverage of Premier League and Champions League football, Premiership Rugby.

Virgin Media is the only other internet provider that allows you to add BT Sport to your broadband plan. You have to add BT Sport to one of Virgin's broadband and TV bundles.

What broadband speed do I need?

After you've chosen what TV channels you want, the next thing to decide is how much to splash on the broadband element of the deal. Very simply, the faster the connection, the higher the monthly tariff, with the cheapest rates on standard ADSL internet.

If you rely on the internet for streaming or downloading TV, films and music, then it makes sense to pay a few quid more a month and go for fibre broadband instead. Learn more about the different available broadband speeds and which you may need below.

0-25Mb The entry-level internet connection you can get is called ADSL, sometimes simply referred to as 'standard'. It delivers speeds of up to 17Mb, which equates to  just over 2MB per second. It best suits small households who want to surf the web, handle their emails and stream non-4k catch-up TV.

25-50Mb Fibre broadband speeds start at up to 38Mb, so more than double what you get with standard ADSL. It's the sweet spot between fast speeds and good value and just the ticket for a family household where four or five members are all streaming, downloading and surfing at once.

50+Mb You need to crank up the speeds if you want to, say, stream 4K Ultra HD content TV and films. Most providers have speeds of 52MB and 76Mb, but only Virgin Media broadband can offer 100Mb and over - that's an incredible 12.5MB per second.

Can I get fibre broadband where I live?

If you think superfast broadband is what you need for your home, there may be a slight snag. Most households can now get it, but there's still around 10% of UK homes that still can't get it - and that rises to 40% where Virgin cable connections are concerned. So be sure to type in your postcode in our fibre broadband checker above to see whether superfast internet deals are available in your part of the country.

What contract length should I go for?

BT, Virgin and NOW all offer 18 month package deals, Sky does 12 monthers and TalkTalk gives the option between either. Virgin Media offers 30 day rolling contracts for broadband and TV contracts as well, but we wouldn't recommend them - the price shoots through the roof for these short term agreements.

Will I have to pay anything upfront for broadband and TV?

Afraid so. Unless you manage to catch one of the providers during one heck of a good promotional offer, you'll always have at least something to pay up front. This can include the costs of delivering the router and set-top TV internet box, but the likes of Virgin and BT also charge an activation or set-up fee.

Expect to pay at least £25 when you sign up for a TV and broadband  deal, but it shouldn't cost you any more than around £70 at the outset.

BT broadband plans and speeds

BT Unlimited Broadband | Average speeds of 10Mb
BT is still the most popular broadband provider in the UK. You get the Home Hub 4 with its standard internet, as well as a Reward Card that you can spend anywhere Mastercard is accepted (the amount varies from week-to-week, so check our comparison chart for more details).

Superfast Fibre | Average speeds of 50Mb
This is BT's Fibre internet package. You can choose between Superfast fibre and superfast fibre 2. The first package gives speeds of around 50Mb (around 6.2 MB per second download speed), which is faster than most other companies' entry-level fibre. Upgrade to Superfast Fibre 2 and crank the speed up to 67Mb. With both, you get the rangey BT Smart Hub router and a more bountiful Reward Card.

View and compare BT broadband and TV deals

Sky broadband plans and speeds

Sky Fibre Max | Average speeds of 63Mb
Sky only lets you add TV channels if you go for one of its superfast broadband options. Until recently Sky had a few different Fibre packages but it seems they have now dropped down to just one - Sky Fibre Max. This gives average speeds of 63Mb and a Sky Q Hub router.

View and compare Sky broadband and TV deals

Virgin broadband plans and speeds

 VIVID 50 fibre broadband | Average speeds of 54Mb  Virgin is now available for just over £30 a month thanks to new VIVID 50. So look at our postcode checker above to see if it's available on your street.  

VIVID 100 fibre broadband | Average speeds of 108Mb The 108Mb claimed speed translates to 13.5 MB per second which is already a super fast speed for broadband. 

VIVID 200 fibre broadband | Average speeds of 213Mb As Virgin proudly points out, VIVID 200 more than doubles the maximum speed supplied by BT Superfast and Sky Fibre's fastest speed. The ultrafast 213Mb speed is a good fit if you stream 4K films and if there are 10 or so devices connected at once.

VIVID 350 fibre broadband | Average speeds of 362Mb Home broadband speeds in the UK don't come faster than those provided by Virgin's VIVID 350 fibre plan. It costs around £50 a month, but you get speeds of up to 45MB per second. Extremely rapid.

View and compare Virgin broadband and TV deals

TalkTalk broadband plans and speeds

TalkTalk Fast Broadband | Average speeds of 11Mb
Don't let the name fool you, TalkTalk's fast broadband offers only standard ADSL 17Mb speed.

TalkTalk Faster Fibre | Average speeds of 64Mb
TalkTalk's fibre optic broadband plans are some of the cheapest around. And with its maximum speed of around 9.5MB per second, you can pay extra for Speed Boost and a Super Router.

View and compare TalkTalk broadband and TV deals

NOW Broadband plans and speeds

The Super Saver | Average speeds of 11Mb
We can't help thinking of Paul Whitehouse when we hear the name 'Brilliant Broadband'. It's NOW's standard speed. Combine it with a TV plan and the prices can be very attractive indeed.

The Everyday surfer | Average speeds of 36Mb
Like the above, Fab Fibre comes with the NOW Broadband Hub router. The speeds head rise to around 4.75MB per second, which should be more than enough for streaming, downloading and surfing without frustration.

The Speed Demon | Average speeds of 63Mb

This is for those people out there who are doing some really high end gaming and streaming and need those super speeds that can keep up with them. 

View and compare NOW Broadband and TV deals