TV & broadband deals

What is a broadband and TV bundle?

A broadband and TV bundle is a subscription that combines both services into the same monthly bill. The biggest TV providers in the UK also offer broadband, making it very easy to choose a joint package under one provider if you’re a regular watcher of pay TV.

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

TV is supplied in a few different ways - satellite, cable, or streaming via your broabband - 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?

Over 40% of UK customers have a broadband and TV bundle, and that number continues to grow. Here are some of the reasons why they could benefit you:

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.

Here are some things you should consider when bundling your broadband with a pay-TV service.

Broadband speed

When selecting a broadband and TV bundle, you first need to 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 as fast a connection as several family members or flatmates may do.

• 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 for working 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. But for larger households or more intense activities, 100Mbps+ may make everything much smoother.

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.

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

So, depending on how many calls you make and what your budget is, 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.

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, BT 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.

BT TV is supplied through an internet connection, which means it still relies on landlines to get to many homes in the UK. But with Openreach’s full fibre rollout and copper cable switch-off, its TV services will almost fully 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.

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, Content Editor - Telecoms