Sky customers should cancel Sky Sports ASAP
The domestic football season is coming to an end. We’ve had many people ask us whether they can cancel their Sky Sports subscription to save cash, and re-start it again in August, in time for the new campaign.
If all you’ve got it for is Premier League football, then the simple answer is yes. (See our Digital TV Deals guide for the best buys.)
Crucially, the World Cup, which starts next month – which I can’t wait for – is live on BBC and ITV, so there’s no need for a subscription. The FA Cup final is also on ITV.
Though if you want to watch the Football League play-offs, which last throughout May, they are only on Sky Sports. And of course, there are many top sporting events during the summer that are only on Sky Sports, such as cricket, golf and F1.
Cancelling Sky Sports? Time it right
If you’re cancelling Sky Sports, be wary of the rules, as they differ depending on your TV provider.
And also be careful of doing it too early if you get your subscription TV service via BT, TalkTalk or Virgin, or you may miss out on this weekend’s climax to the Premier League season.
Here are the rules if you just get Sky Sports for the Premier League, and want to cancel for the summer:
- Sky customers should cancel ASAP. You need to give 31 days’ notice so the longer you wait, the longer you pay for.
- BT customers, wait till next week. You can cancel any time, effective immediately (as long as you’ve had Sky Sports for at least a month). So to catch the weekend’s action, don’t go too early.
- TalkTalk customers should cancel by 29 May. Here, you pay for a full calendar month in advance. You can cancel the package at any time, though you’ll still get the service for the remainder of the month. The only stipulation is you can’t cancel on the final two days of the month, or you’ll pay for the next month.
- For Virgin customers, it depends on your contract. You can cancel anytime with no charge. Each monthly payment pays for a whole month, so when you cancel you still get the remainder of that month, which could end tomorrow, or in 30 days, depending on when you started. So time it right so you catch all the action, but don’t overpay.
Can you haggle to get it free for summer anyway?
When you cancel, you never know, you may be offered a special deal to keep Sky Sports. Don’t tell ’em you plan to re-start in August – see this very much as a haggling opportunity. (See our Digital TV Deals guide for how to haggle down the price.)
In fact, in our poll, pay-TV companies were among the easiest to haggle with.
I have a subscription to Sky Sports and I’ll be cancelling for the summer. Given the World Cup is on terrestrial TV, I’ll still get to see all the action I want.
I hope it’s going to be a great World Cup and I’m going to be one of the MoneySaving football fans dreaming about the trophy coming home.
Then I’ll re-start my Sky subscription in August, by which time I hope my team, Manchester United, sorts itself out.
What do you think? Will you be doing the same? Please let us know your opinions in the discussion below or in the forum.
