Your guide to sports TV subscriptions
Dan Howdle
It used to be so simple back in the day. Get around 50% of the sport on regular, free terrestrial telly, and if you're a proper sport nut, subscribe to Sky Sports. That would be it. How times have changed. Now, thanks to competition rules that are meant to serve the average customer, but actually torpedo your chances of seeing all the sport without remortgaging your house, everything is split across multiple services.
Added to that is the fact that the methods by which you can watch the various sport subscription services now boil down to your TV provider of choice, which by dint of many of them only being available in a bundle with broadband, also means the sport you want to watch and how you want to watch it can depend entirely on who you choose to get your broadband with.
Here then, we'll cover the sports subscription services, what they offer, how to get them and who offers them, as well as what to look out for in terms of terms and contracts. Hopefully, should you need help in this regard, this should clear up any outstanding questions you may have.
How to choose a sports TV package
Let's start by taking an overview of the key considerations for choosing a sports TV package. We will then look at each in a little more detail further down.
- Which sports do you want to watch? – Obviously if it's cricket, you may want to look at one service of combination of services, but if it's F1, Sky is the right choice. Think about what you actually want to watch
- Deals and pricing – Less of a factor than what's actually showing, but even looking at market leader Sky Sports, there are a number of different ways to get it, and at wildly varying price points. There are also times of year where new subscriptions are cheaper or come with tempting introductory offers
- Contract terms – Need a quick fix for a few weeks or are you always going to want to have access to sport? Contract lengths can vary from just a single day all the way up to two years
- Streaming quality – You want your sport to look good, so it's worth considering that sports TV can come at any quality from standard definition all the way up to 4K and everything in between, depending on what service or services you're on
- Other features – Some services and providers go the extra mile in, for example, allowing you to watch on your mobile devices or sending you notifications of upcoming events
What to watch
We don't need to be the ones telling you what you want to be watching when it comes to sport. You already know what you're after. Here then, we'll take a quick look at some popular sports and which services you can watch them on.
Football
If you're after live football, Sky Sports and TNT Sports have you covered. Sky Sports offers extensive coverage of the Premier League, EFL Championship and more. TNT Sports, on the other hand, provides live Premier League matches and exclusive coverage of the UEFA Champions League and Europa League.
Cricket
Cricket enthusiasts will find a home on Sky Sports, which broadcasts domestic and international matches, including England's home Tests, ODIs, and T20s. It also covers major tournaments like the ICC Cricket World Cup.
F1
For Formula 1, Sky Sports F1 is the go-to channel, offering comprehensive coverage of every race, qualifying session, and practice run throughout the season. You can see highlights elsewhere like the BBC, but if you want to watch the full races, Sky is the place to do it.
Boxing
Boxing matches are broadcast across various platforms. Sky Sports and TNT Sports both air significant bouts. Additionally, streaming services like DAZN have become prominent in broadcasting major boxing events, including exclusive partnerships for high-profile fights.
Other sports
If you're into sports like tennis, golf, rugby, or darts, Sky Sports offers dedicated channels and comprehensive coverage for these events. Eurosport is another excellent option, providing a wide range of sports, including cycling, athletics, and winter sports, and you can get it free with a variety of TV subscription options.
Pay-per-view events
For special events like major boxing matches or wrestling pay-per-views, services such as Sky Sports Box Office and TNT Sports Box Office offer these on a pay-per-view basis. You can purchase access to these events on a case by case basis and prices vary.
Remember, the availability of these events can vary depending on your TV provider and broadband provider.
What our expert says...
"So long as you know what sport or sports you specifically want to watch, the actual service you choose becomes a fairly simple matter. However, some sports like football for example, are split across multiple services and what you can watch or subscribe to, as well as the price you pay and the quality it is broadcast at can vary by provider and some providers only offer TV bundled with their broadband."
Dan Howdle, Broadband and mobile expert
Deals and pricing
One aspect of sports TV subscriptions that can be quite difficult to get your head around is the wide range of prices you can pay for essentially the same thing. For example, with NOW you can pay for a one-day access pass to Sky Sports, which will cost you £14.99. That works out at £450 per month! And at the other end of the spectrum, you'll occasionally see cut-priced new-customer offers from Sky Stream that'll get you Sky Sports for a month for around £10, or for Sky Sports to be bundled into a Virgin Media or EE TV bundle for an equally small chunk of change. If you want to pay the bare minimum for your sports TV it's worth considering who you get it from and under what terms.
New customer deals
Sometimes both Sky Sports and TNT Sports will slash their pricing in a sale. Well worth looking out for. You can also find special new customer deals that include sports TV in TV bundles from the likes of Virgin Media, EE TV and Sky TV which therefore reduce the cost of all services contained within the package. These can sometimes also take the form of bill credit, reward cards or cashback.
Contract terms
As previously discussed, you can get sports TV services in a variety of contract formats an lengths. Here is a breakdown.
- One-day passes – NOW (formerly known as NOW TV) is Sky's secondary streaming service, accessible through the NOW app on a wide variety of devices. It allows you to subscribe to Sky Sports for just one day. It's handy if you just want to watch one important match, race, test, or other sporting event, but is so expensive if you go beyond a single day, it's not worth considering otherwise
- One-month rolling contracts – NOW, Sky Sports (via Sky Stream), and TNT Sports all allow you to subscribe on a one-month rolling contract basis where you can quit at any time with 30 days notice. It's worth noting however that one-month contracts will tend to be a more expensive way to watch, broadly, than a full length contract
- 12-month contracts – NOW offers a combined Sky Sports and TNT Sports bundle on a 12-month contract
- 18-month contracts – All Virgin Media bundles are on 18-month contracts. It's therefore possible to add Sky Sports, TNT Sports or both to your bundle and get your sports TV on an 18-month contract term
- 24-month contract – Sky offers Sky Sports on a 24-month contract when taken out alongside your Sky Stream package. Sky Stream is offered on either a one-month or 24-month contract, and you can do this only if you subscribe to the latter. This tends to work out as the cheapest way of getting Sky Sports
Sports TV services
There are a number of ways to watch sport on your telly, or indeed on your mobile device. And which one(s) you choose to subscribe to will mostly depend on your budget, your provider or providers, and which sports you mainly want to focus on. Here's an overview of the main ways to watch sport as well as some of the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is a leading sports broadcaster in the UK, offering a wide range of sports coverage, including football, cricket, Formula 1, golf, and more. With multiple dedicated channels, Sky Sports provides extensive live coverage and in-depth analysis.
Advantages
- Comprehensive coverage of major sports events
- High-quality broadcasts with expert commentary
- Availability on dedicated channels for specific sports
Disadvantages
- Requires a subscription,can be expensive
- Some events like big title fights are pay-per-view
TNT Sports
TNT Sports offers coverage of various sports, including football, rugby, and more. It holds broadcasting rights for certain UEFA Champions League matches and other premium sports content.
Advantages
- Access to exclusive sports events not available on other platforms
- Available through various TV providers, including EE TV, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media
Disadvantages
- Some events may overlap with other services, leading to potential redundancy
Eurosport
Eurosport provides coverage of a diverse range of sports, including cycling, tennis, winter sports, and more. It's known for broadcasting major international tournaments as well as more niche sports events.
Advantages
- Wide variety of sports content, including less mainstream events
- Available free as part of various TV packages
Disadvantages
- Does not cover many popular events such as Premier League football
Other services
For additional options, you can turn to platforms like Amazon Prime Video, DAZN, BBC, ITV, and other services. DAZN is particularly known for boxing, while BBC and ITV provide free-to-air sports coverage, including football and rugby highlights.
Advantages
- Some services, like BBC and ITV, are free to access (with a TV license)
- DAZN offers exclusive boxing matches and other niche sports
- Amazon Prime Video UK offers 20 Premier League matches, weekly UEFA Champions League games (from 2024/25), NFL and other events
Disadvantages
- Limited access to major sports events compared to premium services
- Some services require standalone subscriptions
Sports TV providers
The bulk of sports TV can be watched on either Sky Sports or TNT Sports, but there are myriad ways to access those services. Here then is a comprehensive overview of what you can get with each TV provider or standalone subscription, as well as roughly what it's going to cost you at the time of writing.
Devices and access
Who you choose to watch your sport with is one question we've hopefully helped you answer in the previous sections. However, it also impacts what devices and apps you'll have access to – whether you can watch your sport on the go, or whether you're confined to a particular device or app.
Provider TV boxes
Each provider offers its own set-top box, which serves as the primary means of accessing sports channels on your television. Here's a quick overview:
- Sky – Provides the Sky Stream puck, allowing access to Sky Sports and TNT Sports channels directly through the TV guide
- Virgin Media – Offers the Virgin TV 360 box (via cable) or Flex streaming device (via the internet), to provide access to Sky TV and TNT Sports
- EE TV (also provided with BT bundles) – Supplies the 4K Box Pro and Box Mini for multi-room, or an Apple TV 4K
- TalkTalk TV – Utilises the TalkTalk TV Hub for accessing sports channels via NOW, or via discovery+ (TNT Sports)
- NOW – Allowing streaming of sports content through the NOW app on a vast array of devices from games consoles to phones, laptops, smart TVs and streaming sticks
Other devices
Beyond provider-specific TV boxes, you can watch sports on various devices, depending on what specifically you subscribe to and with whom.
- Smart TVs – Many modern smart TVs have apps for Sky Go, discovery+ (TNT), or NOW, enabling direct streaming without additional hardware
- Streaming devices – Devices like Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku, and Apple TV support apps for Sky Go, discovery+ (TNT), and NOW, allowing you to stream sports content
- Games consoles – Both PlayStation and Xbox consoles have apps for streaming services like NOW, providing another avenue to watch sports
- Mobile devices – Smartphones and tablets can access sports content via dedicated apps, offering on-the-go viewing. Subscription TV services like Sky Stream, Virgin TV and EE TV have their own apps that allow you to also watch your sport on mobile devices
- Computers – Laptops and desktops can stream sports through web browsers or desktop apps
Apps
Some sport TV services such as a Sports Membership from NOW are delivered through apps rather than through a dedicated TV box like Sky Stream.
- Sky Go – Allows Sky customers to stream Sky Sports channels live and on-demand on compatible devices. TNT Sports is also be accessible through Sky Go, provided you subscribe to it via Sky
- discovery+ – Provides access to TNT Sports channels for subscribers, available on a wide range of devices, including smart TVs, streaming devices, and mobile devices
- NOW – The NOW app enables streaming of Sky Sports channels for those with a NOW Sports Membership, accessible on various devices
- Virgin TV Go – Allows Virgin Media customers to watch subscribed channels, including sports, on compatible devices
- EE TV App – Enables EE TV subscribers to stream live and on-demand content, including sports channels, on supported devices
