The best broadband and TV deals in July 2017
If the last thing you want to do on your evening or weekend is to spend time shopping around for broadband contracts 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 TV.
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 TV 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 TV 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 TV Brilliant Broadband and Fab Fibre
Can I get BT Sport with my broadband and TV package?
Until the end of July, BT Infinity and broadband deals come with BT Sport for absolutely free. That all changes on 1 August when you'll have to pay £3.50 per month to enjoy BT Sport's exclusive coverage of Premiership 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 a fibre broadband deal 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 deals and speeds
BT Unlimited Broadband | Up to 17Mb
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).
BT Unlimited Infinity | 52Mb-76Mb
Infinity is the name BT gives to its fibre optic broadband service. Infinity 1 gives speeds of up to 52Mb (around 6.5 MB per second download speed), which is faster than most other companies' entry-level fibre. Upgrade to Infinity 2 and crank the speed up to 76Mb. 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 deals and speeds
Sky Fibre | 38Mb-76Mb
Sky only lets you add TV channels if you go for one of its superfast broadband options. Sky Fibre is the cheapest plan, but be wise to the fact that you'll be limited to using, downloading and streaming up to 25GB of data per month. Pay more for Sky Fibre Unlimited, or extra still for Sky Fibre Max giving you up to 76Mb speed (around 9.5MB per second) and a Sky Q Hub router.
View and compare Sky broadband and TV deals
Virgin broadband deals and speeds
Virgin VIVID fibre broadband | 100Mb-300Mb
Not currently available on Virgin's cheapest VIVID 50 plan, you can instead choose from 100Mb (12.5MB per second), 200Mb (25MB per second) or 300Mb (a jaw-dropping 37.5MB per second). If you're also into gaming, you can choose VIVID 200 Gamer instead, which has better upload speeds and surpasses online traffic management to give you full speed even at peak times.
View and compare Virgin broadband and TV deals
TalkTalk broadband deals and speeds
TalkTalk Fast Broadband | Up to 17Mb
Don't let the name fool you, TalkTalk's fast broadband offers only standard ADSL 17Mb speed.
TalkTalk Faster Fibre | Up to 38Mb-76Mb
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 TV broadband deals and speeds
Brilliant Broadband | Up to 17Mb
We can't help thinking of Paul Whitehouse when we hear the name 'Brilliant Broadband'. It's NOW TV's standard speed. Combine it with a TV plan and the prices can be very attractive indeed.
Fab Fibre | Up to 38Mb
Like the above, Fab Fibre comes with the NOW TV 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.