Plusnet customers to lose certain YouView TV channels and services from 1 November - but you can cancel penalty-free now

It comes after Plusnet ditched its YouView TV service for new customers earlier this year. Below we explain what's happening and what you can do about it. 

If you're unhappy about the shake-up or you're losing your favourite TV channels and want to switch, our Broadband and TV Guides can help you find the best deals for your needs.  

What is Plusnet's YouView TV service?

Plusnet's YouView service includes all of Freeview's free-to-air channels, plus 15 channels that don't come with Freeview as standard, including CNN, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, Eurosport, MTV, and National Geographic. This costs £5/mth for those who have Plusnet 'Fibre Unlimited' or 'Unlimited Extra' broadband contracts - you could only sign up for the service if you were on these broadband or fibre deals.

In addition, you have the ability to pause live television and record programmes to watch back at a later date. YouView also enables you to run apps, such as BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, Netflix, and NOW TV, so long as you have accounts for these services set-up (and pay for them if required).

On top of this, you can also pay an additional £15.69/mth to watch BT Sport via YouView. 

What's changing?

From 1 November: 

• The 15 non-standard Freeview channels will be switched off. 

• Access to BT Sport via YouView will be switched off. 

• You'll no longer be able to pause and record live TV.

• Access to any existing recordings will be removed. 

• You'll be able to continue to keep your YouView box and watch the standard Freeview channels, as well as any apps you subscribe to separately, but technical support will be switched off, so if anything goes wrong, Plusnet won't fix your service or replace your YouView box.

BT Group, which owns Plusnet and EE, also closed down its EE TV service on 31 March. But BT TV services are not affected. 

What happens to my YouView payments?

From 1 October, you'll no longer be charged for your YouView TV service - even if you keep using the service until 1 November and then watching the Freeview channels and using the apps after 1 November. This bill change will take place automatically; you don't need to do anything.

It means your last YouView payment will be taken in September, although you'll still be charged for your associated broadband or fibre packages after 1 October until those contracts expire.

I'm unhappy about the change, can I cancel?

You can cancel your broadband and TV contract penalty-free within 30 days of being notified about the YouView TV change. Plusnet started contacting its TV customers about the shake-up on 17 August, so you don't have long to cancel if you've already been notified.  

Wait until after the 30 days is up, and you'll be charged an early termination fee if you decide to cancel your TV and broadband contract. 

If you're planning to get rid of your subscription, visit our Digital TV Package Deals page which explains how to pick the best deal for you. You can also use our Broadband Unbundled tool to compare TV deals.

Is there a way to continue to access BT Sport via Plusnet?

If you want to stick with your Plusnet broadband subscription and want to continue to access BT Sport, there are a number of ways you can do so.

One option is to subscribe to the BT Sport App, which costs £15.69/mth on top of your broadband bill. The BT Sport App can only be viewed on your tablet, Xbox, Playstation, Apple TV or Samsung TV, or via a smartphone. But if you've got a Google Chromecast or Roku device you can link this to your TV to play your BT Sport App content on your TV screen.  

Alternatively, if you have broadband with Plusnet and a Sky TV box, you can request for BT Sport channels to be added via your Sky box. This also costs £15.69/mth and you'll pay for this on your Plusnet broadband bill.

What does Plusnet say?

A spokesperson for Plusnet said: “We are simplifying our product range and from 1 November we will no longer provide YouView TV as part of our broadband service to existing customers. Customers will still be able to enjoy great content as part of the BT Sport App.”