Digital TV package deals

How to pick the right deals for Sky, Virgin & TalkTalk

Chris Knight | Edited by Gary Caffell

Updated 29 November 2024

TV subscriptions can set you back over £1,000/year, so the top tips in this guide, with a round-up of the current prices from Sky, Virgin, TalkTalk and BT, will help you slash these costs.

Want to compare TV deals? Use our Broadband Unbundled tool. Looking for streaming services? See our Netflix Hacks and Online Streaming guides.

How to pick the right TV package

TV packages are notoriously complicated, often with many optional extras and a variety of bundles – each one gradually increasing in price. Choosing one can be hard, but as costs can soon mount up, weighing up each decision carefully could stop you shelling out £100s/yr for add-ons you don't need.

1. Ask yourself, do you really need to pay for satellite or cable TV at all – switch to Freeview and pay ZERO

Ask yourself: "Do I really need every channel?" If the answer's 'no', and you're not bothered about getting hundreds of extra channels, Freeview may be the best option.

If you've a fairly new TV, it'll probably have basic Freeview built into it, giving you over 70 permanent channels and 15 HD channels. (If it doesn't and you want Freeview, basic boxes start from around £10.)

With the popularity of online streaming services and watching content on the go, you'll find plenty of free sources to watch programmes or entertainment on demand, and can usually be watched via your TV. From services such as BBC iPlayer and All4, to the less traditional video found via YouTube or even Facebook and Instagram.

If you're still after 'premium' content, then other subscription-based streaming sites can offer a flexible alternative to digital TV contracts. For example, Netflix and Now TV offer one-month rolling contracts and Amazon's Prime TV is available to anyone signed up to its Prime subscription – so always check you're not inadvertently paying for services already.

Some people can't get Freeview because of their location (check on the Freeview website), which means you'll need to look at one of the other options. Freeview says 98.5% of people will be able to get it, with channel line-ups dependent on area.

If you want to really get the most out of Freeview though, and be able to record, pause or rewind live TV or record whole series, you'll need a YouView+ box. These start at around £90 for a box with 500GB of memory (which records up to 250 hours of TV).
2. Only pay for channels you know you'll watch

There's no point paying colossal prices to have access to channels you won't watch, so decide what you want and get the right package.

As channels are usually bundled up into much larger lists, such as 'Entertainment', 'Sports' or 'Kids', you could end up paying for access to 20, though you'll only really use one. If this is the case, think carefully and weigh up if it's really worth it.

If you're a keen footie fan that doesn't watch other sports, consider if you really need every sports channel. For instance, Sky customers can save by taking out a rolling one-month contract to get just the football channels, rather than the full sports package. It's also worth looking into packages you can cancel out of season, so you're not paying when you're not watching any matches. Some providers may insist on 31 days' notice, so set a reminder to do it in time.
3. If you're willing to lock in for one or two years, TV packages can be cheaper

While it's usually better to go for rolling, one-month contracts on most TV packages, so you're only paying for what you want when you want it, if you are willing to lock in long-term the equivalent monthly cost can sometimes be lower.

The key to this is pouncing on promo offers, often attached to longer-term contracts aimed at enticing you to take out a new contract so you don't switch away.

But remember, this means you may end up paying for channels when you're not using them. For example, if you go for a sports package for the football, but the season's finished, you'll still be paying and won't be able to cancel – so make sure there's always something you want to watch on any package you go for. If you'd prefer one-month rolling contracts so you're not tied into anything, streaming and online services often win. See Watch Movies & TV online for more.
4 Want broadband too? Don't always assume it's cheapest to get it all from one provider

Many providers will offer TV bundles or packages that include broadband, or at least TV channel add-ons to line and broadband deals.

Sometimes opting for a complete package can be the cheapest way, but never assume so. Our Broadband comparison tool will show you when it finds a cheaper combination from more than one provider, just select 'TV' and 'Include Unbundled deals'.

Always keep a note of when each contract ends and diarise to ditch and switch, or haggle, around a month before your promo deal finishes as you'll likely see your prices are suddenly hiked. See our Cheap broadband deals guide if you're looking for broadband only for our top picks and how to switch.
5 Moving house shortly? Check if fees would apply

Eighteen-month to two-year contracts are now common for TV packages. If you're moving soon, most providers will charge a fee or ask you to pay the remainder of the contract – a lot of cash if you're at its beginning. At the outset, check if you can take the contract to your new postcode and if any fees apply.

Current prices for new customers

To help with haggling a decent discount, we've collated the current offers for new customers from the main providers in this at-a-glance comparison. TV deals are often complicated with many bundles, so understanding which channels you're willing to shell out for is key.

Standard digital TV offers – at a glance
Provider & link	New-customer offers
EE TV	You can only add EE TV 'bolt-ons' if you take its fibre broadband and line rental. You must select a base TV package, all of which come with EE's Box Pro box, which allows you to pause and record live TV. EE's base packages are 24-month contracts, with a £30 upfront payment. Prices are set to rise each April in line with inflation + 3.9%. Here's info on the five base TV packages: Entertainment – £14/mth 24-month contract: Includes Freeview channels and a Now TV Entertainment pass, with channels such as Sky One, Sky Atlantic and National Geographic. It also included a Netflix Basic plan. Big Entertainment – £30/mth, 24-month contract: Includes all channels in the Entertainment package, plus Now TV Sky Cinema, which includes all Sky Cinema channels and AMC, showing films such as A Few Good Men and A Bronx Tale. It also includes a Netflix Basic plan. Full Works – '£71/mth', 24-month contract: Includes everything from the Entertainment and Big Entertainment packages plus all Sky Sports and TNT Sport channels. It also includes a Netflix Standard plan. Sport – £15/month, 24-month contract: Includes all four TNT Sport channels, Eurosport and AMC. Big Sport – £35/mth, 24-month contract: Includes all four TNT Sport channels, AMC and 12 Sky Sports channels. It also includes a Discovery+ Premium plan.
Sky	Sky Q – £31/mth + £20 upfront, 18-month contract: Its standard offering (Sky Signature) provides 300+ Sky TV channels including Sky Atlantic, Sky Arts and Sky One, plus its Ultimate TV add-on which includes a Netflix basic subscription. Additional packages you can add to this include: Sky Cinema – £10/mth, 24-month contract: 11 HD film channels and over 1,000 movies on demand and Paramount+. Sky Sports – £20/mth, 24-month contract: All eight Sky Sports channels. Comes with HD. TNT Sports – £28/mth, one month contract: TNT Sports 1, 2, 3 and 4 in HD. Watch the UEFA Champions League, UFC and more. Kids – £6/mth, one-month contract: 11 kids' channels including Nick Jr, plus the Sky Kids app, games and parental controls. Ultra HD (UHD) – £6/mth, one-month contract: 38 HD channels plus selected ultra HD (4K) content. All of Sky's new TV packages come with its Sky Q box, which allows you to record and store your favourite programmes. If you don't want or can't have a satellite dish installed, there's also its Sky Stream service which streams channels over Wi-Fi.
Virgin Media	You can only get TV with Virgin Media as part of a bundle with its fibre broadband and line rental. These bundles include Netflix Standard, if you subscribe – the costs below include this: Big Bundle – £31.99/mth, 18-month contract: Over 100 Freeview channels – plus some HD channels and 264Mbps (M250) fibre broadband with weekend calls. Bigger Combo Bundle – £39.99/mth, 18-month contract: Over 190 channels, including Sky Showcase channel, Eurosport, BT Sport and Discovery, plus 362Mbps (M350) fibre broadband and weekend calls. Bigger Combo Bundle + Sport HD – £69.99/mth, 18-month contract: Over 200 channels, including all Sky Sports channels, BT Sport and Sky Showcase. 516Mbps (M500) fibre broadband with weekend calls. Bigger Combo Bundle + Movies - £60.99/mth, 18-month contract: Over 200 channels, including Sky Cinema HD, plus 362Mbps (M350) fibre broadband with weekend calls. Biggest Combo Bundle - £79/mth, 18-month contract: Over 210 channels including Sky Entertainment, Sky Cinema and Sky Sports in HD. 516Mbps (M500) fibre broadband with weekend calls.
Prices correct as of Thu 28 November.

Already have a TV subscription? Haggle your way to a cheaper deal

With TV, there aren't many standout deals, but haggling is often your best way to net a bargain as the biggies are among the easiest firms across the UK to haggle with.

In our November 2024 poll, 87% of Virgin customers who voted responded that they had successfully haggled, this was followed by TalkTalk (82%), Now (74%) and Plusnet (74%). So do call them up, threaten to leave and your existing company should offer a significant discount.

Where this technique really comes into its own is for existing, out-of-contract customers. Though before we get into it, here are some successes to show you how easy it is:

Called Sky, told them I was leaving and was put through to retentions. They kept me on the same package but reduced it to £30/month, a £180/yr saving.

I rang Virgin Media, as I was being charged £38/month for broadband, TV and phone before call charges. I mentioned a family member had signed up to all three for only £30/month. It immediately reduced my package by £10/month.

How to haggle – our top tips

We've pulled out the top tips here, but for more including a full step-by-step, see our Haggle with Sky & more guide.

1. Benchmark the best buys so you can haggle a cheap yet realistic price

The first step is to ensure you know the type of price you should be looking to beat. Providers often offer hot deals on digital TV packages for sports or films or kids (or the whole show) for new customers. But once the contract ends, prices rise.

Note down the best TV buys for the package you want using the current offer round-up above. These packages often include broadband as well, so to benchmark broadband prices, see our Broadband comparison tool for the cheapest bundled and standalone deals that are available in your area.

Then call your supplier near the time you're due to renew. As you're armed with the current best buys, you can ask for a price match or wait to compare the offers they will likely present to you and refer to them to help you negotiate.
2. Be polite and charming when asking for a better deal

Don't be aggressive. You've no right to a discount – just a right to leave. Think of it like financial flirting.

Good haggling is simply an exchange between two people trying to agree on a win/win deal. It should be done with seduction, a gentle patter and a touch of firmness. Aim for polite, firm and non-combative.

It's rumoured some operators have quotas on the discounts they can give, so make them want to give you a price cut.
3. Where possible, ask to be put through to 'retentions'

If you're coming to the end of your contract, or are out of it, you're wielding a powerful weapon as an existing customer: customer loyalty. Companies desperately want to keep you, so if they believe they'll lose you, you can often get much better deals.

If you don't get the deal you want from the first person you speak to, tell 'em you're considering leaving. You then get put through to 'disconnections', which is really 'retentions'. It's this department's job to keep you, and it has more power to offer deals.
4. You don't have to decide there and then – double-check the deal and terms, but don't be forced to disconnect

A deal may sound great on the phone, but always make sure you double-check what you're agreeing to. Sometimes you're offered a lower monthly payment but you may be moved to a lower package, or a slower speed of broadband for example. You may also be signing up for another 12 or 18-month contract, which sometimes isn't made clear. This doesn't make them bad deals, just ensure you're happy you know exactly what you're getting.

Equally, if your bluff is called, and the deal isn't good enough, don't be forced into a corner to disconnect. An easy 'get out of jail free' card is to say: "I need to check with my husband/wife/dog etc first – I'll call you back."
5. If you don't get the deal you're after, call back and try again

Don't assume one setback means a no. Wait a few days and try again. You may have been unlucky – the person you spoke to might have already hit a quota of discount deals, so it's worth trying again. Or maybe you talked to somebody in a bad mood, or perhaps you just didn't use enough of your haggle charm.

Cashback sites may pay you for signing up

As an extra boon, members of specialist cashback websites can be paid when they sign up for some products. Do check that it's exactly the same deal though, as terms can be different. And remember, the cashback is never 100% guaranteed until it's in your account.

For full help on taking advantage of this and for pros and cons, see our Top Cashback Sites guide.