Sky vs Virgin Media: Which provider should I choose?

Broadband: Sky vs Virgin

Virgin Media has faster broadband than Sky (up to 2Gbps on Virgin's Gig2 versus 900Mbps on Sky's Full Fibre 900). And while its top speed may not be available to many homes just yet, it's inarguably faster – on paper. How much of that extra speed is going to be useful to you?

The answer's only 'all of it' if you download a lot of huge videogames, have a home network that can support 2Gbps (most rely on Wi-Fi which will get nowhere near that) and don't have much patience. So while Virgin is the winner here, there's nuance.

Broadband features

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Download speeds

Virgin Media clearly takes the lead here, offering up to 2Gbps on its fastest Gig2 package, while Sky’s Full Fibre maxes out at 900Mbps on the Openreach network. That said, 900Mbps is still extremely fast and more than enough for most homes – so while Virgin wins on numbers, the real-world difference for many people will be small or not at all noticeable. Unless you're downloading large game files or 4K video libraries regularly, you probably won’t notice much between them.

Upload speeds

Sky offers up to 100Mbps upload on its top Full Fibre plans, which is already impressive and ideal for video calls, content creators, and cloud backups. Virgin Media’s new Full Fibre-powered network now allows uploads to match downloads – up to 2Gbps where Gig2 is available – but that’s still limited to a small fraction of UK households. For most, Virgin’s upload speeds sit roughly on a par with Sky.

Broadband router

With Sky you'll get either the Sky Hub or the newer Sky Max Hub if you opt for the Wi-Fi Max add-on, supporting Wi-Fi 6 and offering better range. Virgin Media includes the Hub 5 (or the newer Hub 5x on Gig2), both of which also support Wi-Fi 6 and multi-gigabit LAN ports (the only way to get all your speed to a single device). The two are broadly similar, but Virgin’s Hub 5 delivers better wireless performance than the Sky Hub.

Network

Sky runs on the Openreach network, shared with providers like BT, EE, Plusnet and TalkTalk. It’s reliable, well-maintained and available to the majority of UK homes. Virgin Media, meanwhile, operates its own independent network, separate from Openreach. That means faster speeds in most areas, but also means it’s not available everywhere. In short: Sky wins on reach; Virgin wins on raw speed.

Availability

Sky’s Full Fibre coverage continues to expand rapidly across the UK via Openreach, already reaching 75% of households. Virgin Media’s network covers roughly 60% for its Gig1 service (1.1Gbps), but its faster Gig2 rollout currently reaches around 10% of properties. If both are available to you, Virgin will likely give you the higher speed ceiling – but Sky’s reach and reliability remain unmatched in more remote areas.

Virgin Media M125 Fibre Broadband Fixed price until March 2026 bill 132Mb Average speed No phone line 24 Month contract Zero upfront cost £18.99 Per month

Effective monthly cost is calculated by adding up all the monthly costs, price rises and any discounts and dividing it by the contract length.

£18.99 until 31 March 2026£22.99 until 31 March 2027£26.99 from 1 April 2027

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Price reduction – Save £96

Price reduction from usual price of £22.99pm to £18.99, saving £96. Also, Virgin Media are offering a switching credit up to £200.

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Sky Full Fibre 150 100Mbps speed guarantee£5 fee refunded to first bill 145Mb Average speed Pay as you go calls 24 Month contract Zero upfront cost £26.00 Per month

Effective monthly cost is calculated by adding up all the monthly costs, price rises and any discounts and dividing it by the contract length.

Prices may change during contract. If Sky increase the price during the contract you can exit for free.

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TV: Sky vs Virgin

Winner: Sky

Sky’s entry-level Sky Stream Essential TV is a stripped-down offering, with nevertheless an impressive array of channels, including Sky Atlantic. Added to that is a free Netflix subscription (also now offered across the board by Virgin Media too) and free access to Sky Box Sets, delivering over 500 TV shows on demand from Sky and HBO's back catalogue.

The slightly more expensive Sky Ultimate TV is worth the extra money though, in our opinion, as it provides considerably more choice. Virgin Media offers plenty of channels, but crucially, not Sky Atlantic. You also can't get Virgin TV without Virgin Media Broadband, but you can get Sky TV without Sky Broadband, meaning the best possible combo is actually Virgin Media broadband with Sky TV.

TV features

✭ indicates winner

Feature	Sky TV	Virgin Media TV
TV channels	150+	150+
Sky Atlantic	✭ Yes	No
TV box	Sky Stream Puck	TV 360 or Flex
Recording	No	✭ Yes (TV 360 only)
Delivery	✭ Internet	Cable (or internet with Flex)
Broadband provider	✭ Any provider	With Virgin Media Broadband only

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TV channels

Both providers cover the same bases, offering pretty much every type of TV, movie and sport content you could possibly want. Sky now builds its TV around either Essential TV or Ultimate TV, both of which include Netflix and Sky Box Sets as standard. Virgin Media offers a range of more traditional bundles containing different channel packs, from Entertainment to Sport and Cinema.

Sky Atlantic

Sky’s key advantage is Sky Atlantic, home to HBO’s biggest shows like House of the Dragon, Poker Face, Dune Prophecy, and Billions. It’s exclusive to Sky and NOW, meaning you can’t get it on Virgin Media at all – and that's going to be a big deciding factor for many. It may be just one channel, but it's kind of the channel.

TV box

Sky uses the Sky Stream Puck, a compact streaming box that connects over broadband and requires no satellite dish. Virgin Media offers two choices: the full-featured TV 360 box, or its broadband-based Flex streaming box, which streams everything via your Virgin Media broadband connection. The 360 allows recording – something you can't do with Sky anymore – while Sky's Puck gets the better of Flex in our opinion. So it's a draw, all told.

Recording

The Sky Stream Puck doesn’t record live TV, instead relying on cloud catch-up and on-demand content. Virgin’s TV 360 box, by contrast, lets you record, pause and rewind live television, while the Flex box functions similarly to the Sky Stream Puck.

Delivery

Both Sky Stream and Virgin Flex deliver their content entirely over the internet, with no need for a dish or coaxial feed. Virgin’s older TV 360 setup still uses a physical coaxial cable connection (which can present installation challenges in some homes) but offers the option of recording live TV.

Broadband provider

Sky Stream works with any broadband provider, making it more flexible if you ever switch internet suppliers. Virgin Media’s TV 360 and Flex services, however, can only be used with Virgin Media Broadband.

Sky Full Fibre 150 + Stream + Essential TV + Netflix No dish neededNext day deliveryStream live TV 145Mb Average speed 100+ TV channels Pay as you go calls 24 Month contract Zero upfront cost £35.00 Per month

Effective monthly cost is calculated by adding up all the monthly costs, price rises and any discounts and dividing it by the contract length.

Prices may change during contract. If Sky increase the price during the contract you can exit for free.

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0330 221 9428

Virgin Media M125 Fibre Broadband + Flex 150+ channelsStream boxFixed price until March 2026 bill 132Mb Average speed 150+ TV channels No phone line 24 Month contract £10 upfront cost £27.99 Per month

Effective monthly cost is calculated by adding up all the monthly costs, price rises and any discounts and dividing it by the contract length.

£27.99 until 31 March 2026£31.99 until 31 March 2027£35.99 from 1 April 2027

Switching credit offer

Up to £200 switching credit

Virgin Media are offering a switching credit of up to £200. Switching credit offer ends 10/12/2025. Claim within 60 days of activation.

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0330 221 9429

Calls and landlines: Sky vs Virgin

Winner: Sky

Both providers now run digital landlines (voice over broadband). The main difference is is simply that Sky will give you a landline as standard, included in the price of the package. Virgin won't, and will ask instead you pay extra if a landline is a must.

Calls and landline features

Feature	Sky	Virgin Media	Winner
Included by default	Yes	No	Sky
Unlimited UK call add-ons available	Yes	Yes	Draw
International call add-ons	Yes	Yes	Draw
Digital Voice (runs over broadband)	Yes	Yes	Draw
Number porting supported	Yes	Yes	Draw

Landline included by default?

Sky includes a pay as you go landline automatically, while Virgin Media now asks you bolt ona landline if you need one, and at extra cost. It’s an optional extra you can add if you still need one for home or business use. But since Sky gives it you as standard, it's the clear winner here, and as a result, Sky wins the entire landline category.

Unlimited UK call add-ons available

Both Sky and Virgin offer optional unlimited call packages covering UK landlines and mobiles. Pricing and availability are broadly similar, with no real advantages either way.

International call add-ons

Sky and Virgin Media both offer bolt-ons for discounted or inclusive international calls. The countries covered and costs differ slightly, but overall, they're pretty evenly matched.

Digital Voice (runs over broadband)

Both providers now use Digital Voice technology, meaning your phone connects to your router and works via broadband instead of a traditional phone socket. The experience is identical, so this one’s a draw.

Number porting supported

If you’re switching from another provider, both Sky and Virgin let you keep your existing phone number. The process is straightforward and handled automatically during setup, so neither has the edge here either.

Mobile SIMs: Sky vs Virgin

Winner: Virgin Media

Virgin Media pairs with O2 for Volt bundles – add an O2 SIM by selecting 'Volt' and your broadband and mobile both get boosted. Sky has Sky Mobile, but it sits completely separately from Sky Broadband. You can get both, but it'll work the same as if you join any other mobile provider. If you want your mobile SIM actually included in your bundle under one bill, Virgin Media is the only choice.

Mobile features

Mobile bundle benefits with broadband/TV

Sky Mobile and Sky Broadband live separately and one doesn't really affect the other in any meaningful way. With Virgin Media and )2 now being the same company, take both and you'll unlock 'Volt' benefits that improve both services!

Automatic bundle perks (speed/data boosts)

Volt adds tangible extras automatically – a broadband speed bump and more mobile data, without any extra faff. Sky doesn’t, so if you want upgrades that kick in just for pairing mobile with broadband, Virgin Media's the obvious pick.

Data rollover

In Sky's favour though, Piggybank is really good if you hate wasting data. O2’s pay-monthly SIMs don’t roll over data in the same way, so Sky takes this category, while losing the mobile SIM category overall by dint of simply not being included in your bundle.

Customer service: Sky vs Virgin

Winner: Sky

Sky consistently outperforms Virgin Media when it comes to customer service. Ofcom’s latest data shows Sky among the least complained-about providers, with fast response times and high customer satisfaction. Virgin Media, while improving, still trails in complaint volumes and issue resolution. If you value peace of mind and quick help when things go wrong, Sky is the clear winner.

Customer service features

Customer satisfaction

Sky maintains a consistently high customer satisfaction rate, regularly ranking near the top of Ofcom’s reports. Virgin Media has improved, but it still sits just behind Sky in this year's report (though there's not all that much in it).

Complaints per 100,000 customers

Sky receives far fewer complaints than Virgin Media, both to Ofcom and through customer feedback channels. Virgin has made strides to reduce complaints, but the difference remains notable.

Average call waiting time

Sky customers typically wait just 46 seconds to speak to an advisor, compared with awell over two minutes for Virgin Media. That quicker response time gives Sky a clear edge.

Value for money: Sky vs Virgin

Winner: Draw

Both run constant deals and offers – you'll rarely encounter a deal from either provider without some sort of new customer incentive. Virgin Media tends to lean on big bill credits and Volt bundle value with an O2 SIM. Sky counters with killer Stream TV pricing, simple TV packages and regular gift card offers. When you strip out the noise, Sky usually lets you spend less to get exactly what you want, while Virgin Media is strongest when you want everything bundled in. For that reason, this is kind of a draw.

Value for money features

Broadband bang for buck

If you only care about broadband, Virgin Media usually gives you a bit more speed for your money, provided you can get it. However, it should be noted that while fast, Virgin Media broadband, if you're going to be getting it on its older cable network, is not strictly speaking Full Fibre, with the main downside being slightly higher latency, which can be important for online gaming.

TV and broadband flexibility

Sky’s Stream can be really lean if that's the way you, er, lean. You can start with Essential or Ultimate and bolt on Sport, Cinema or multiscreen (Sky Whole Home) only if you need them. No dish, no coax cables, and you can pair Sky Stream with any broadband provider. Virgin’s TV is good enough, but you’re nudged into set bundles or Flex packages tied to Virgin broadband. That extra commitment often means paying for bits you don’t use. Sky wins on keeping the monthly outlay tight and targeted.

Deals and offers

Virgin’s headline offers are chunky: bill credits making the first months free, flat out free months, with switching credit if you leave your previous provider early, and Volt bundles that add an O2 SIM and boost speeds and mobile data for very little money. If you want broadband, TV and mobile under one roof, those freebies stack up fast. Sky’s incentives are simpler – typically lower starting prices and they might throw in a gift card. Virgin takes it.

Our verdict: Sky or Virgin Media?

Winner: Sky

When taking all the elements together – TV, broadband, reliability, customer service and flexibility — Sky takes the overall win. Virgin Media still leads in raw broadband speed, but that advantage has narrowed significantly as Sky’s Full Fibre network (Openreach, to be precise) has expanded. Sky Stream, meanwhile, has completely redefined what Sky TV means: no dish, no installation hassle, no bundles you don’t need – just plug in and start watching, on any broadband connection.

Virgin Media’s Gig2 broadband is lightning fast on paper, but it’s available to relatively few homes, is very expensive, and almost no one needs it. And Virgin's TV offering still comes with a lot of caveats – namely that you must also have Virgin Media broadband, and that you won’t get Sky Atlantic or Sky’s own box-set catalogue. Sky, by contrast, gives you total freedom to mix and match broadband and TV, with smoother account management, more transparent pricing, and consistently better customer satisfaction scores.

If top-end broadband speed is your priority, Virgin Media remains the go-to. But for the complete package – great entertainment, solid speeds, flexibility, better availability, and fewer installation headaches – Sky is the better all-round choice for most UK households.

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Need help choosing the right deal?

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