Compare TV Packages: Your Ultimate TV Guide for 2022

Comparing TV packages can be tricky as there's a lot of factors to take into consideration. You need to decide what channels you want and if you will be locked into a contract or not. You also need to consider whether you can purchase a TV and internet bundle to save money. If this is your first time to compare TV packages, or your hundreth, this guide will help find the TV package that's right for you and your family.

How To Compare TV Packages

Many companies have some great TV packages and it's not easy to say which is the best when we compare TV packages, UK customers really are spoilt for choice and it really depends on what you are looking for in a TV package. Comparing a wide range of deals will help make your decision easier and quicker. In this guide, we've compared the cheapest TV packages to the most complete TV packages to help make your decision easier. We've broken the guide into different sections to compare TV packages in these categories:

• Entertainment
• Movies
• Sport

Looking for the best combined TV package? Check out our guide to the Best TV Packages to see which one offers the most comprehensive TV package.

Compare TV Packages: Entertainment

If you are a movie lover and also love your TV shows, you may want to compare TV packages that offer a great selection of shows, movies and even documentary channels. See the Factual Content section below where we go into more detail about factual channels.

Sky TV Entertainment Options

Sky TV is probably the best known provider of subscription TV in the UK, but is Sky the right choice for you. Let's take a deeper look at what it offers with its entertainment package.

all Sky customers get the “Sky Entertainment” package, which includes the channels such as:

• Sky Atlantic
• Sky Max
• GOLD
• Animal Planet
• Sky Sports News
• MTV

With this basic entertainment package from Sky, you can then boost your subscription with Sky Add-Ons. You can add as many or as few as you like. Some add-ons give you additional channels and others enhance your viewing experience by upgrading to Ultra HD or Sky Multiscreen which lets you watch on up to four different screens at the same time - great for families who can never agree on what to watch.

At the time of writing, the basic Sky TV Entertainment package costs £26 per month, with a one-time set up fee of £20. But you should always be on the lookout for special deals and offers, however even with a Sky TV contract your prices can change during the contracted period so bear this in mind when you compare TV packages from Sky.

BT TV Entertainment Options

With a basic Netflix subscription and a NOW TV Entertainment Pass included, worth £6.99 and £9.99 a month respectively, BT TV is worth considering when you compare TV packages.

The only caveat with BT TV is that you must also take out BT Broadband to be eligible for any TV package with them. The cheapest option at the time of writing is BT Fibre Essential + Entertainment for £45.99 per month which give you:

Fixed price for 24 months

• Average download speed of 36 Mbps
• Netflix Basic
• NOW TV Entertainment Pass
• 600 hours of recording space on the set top box

There are also more expensive options that include faster broadband.

If you're looking for a TV package that includes broadband, it's a great deal. But if you only need a TV package then you might want to keep reading to compare TV packages that don't need you to take out broadband as part of the package.

Virgin Media Entertainment Options

Virgin Media has a lot of options to pick from when you compare TV packages, but similar to BT TV you will need to take out an internet connection with the provider as it no longer offers TV only packages. Though not all customers can get Virgin Media, as it uses its own network.

The Virgin Media Network As Virgin Media has its own independent network, you might have to wait until its available in your area. In the meantime you can read our Fibre Optic vs Cable guide to find out if its worth waiting for.

When you compare TV packages from Virgin Media, the entertainment package has two options:

• Broadband + TV
• Big bundle + Drama & Docs

Virgin Media Broadband + TV Pacakge

This option from virgin media includes:

• Average download speed of 108 Mbps
• 190+ channels
• Ability to record, pause, and rewind live TV
• Some BT Sport and Sky TV channels

At £75 a month it is one of the more expensive options in this compare TV packages guide, but is worth a consideration if you need a faster internet connection as the speeds are generally faster than those on the BT Openreach Network.

Virgin Media Big bundle + Drama & Docs

The second entertainment option from Virgin Media includes:

• Average download speed of 108 Mbps
• 145+ channels
• Ability to record, pause, and rewind live TV
• Unlimited weekend calls to landlines and Virgin Mobile numbers
• Inclusive weekend minutes to 0870 numbers

This option works out cheaper at £51 a month for 18 months before increasing to £71 a month thereafter, but you don't have BT Sport and Sky TV channels included. Whilst this will be a deal-breaker for some, those who often make phone calls will benefit from the included minutes.

If you want to keep the 190+ channels and have the weekend call package, upgrading to the Virgin Media Bigger Bundle at £69 a month might be an option. The Bigger Bundle also includes a faster internet connection as standard.

Netgem TV Entertainment Options

You might never have heard of Netgem TV, but they are one of the best options when you compare TV packages. Whatsmore, they are one of the cheapest options as well. But the price doesn't mean you have to sacrafice on quality as for £10 a month you get the following entertainment TV package as standard:

• 210+ channels
• 50,000 hours of on-demand content
• Unlimted mobile TV app
• 4K set top box

You can also connect your existing TV subscriptions to your Netgem TV box and take advantage of its Universal Searching that allows you to search through all your subscriptions at the same time.

TalkTalk TV

With just 70+ live TV channels, TalkTalk TV offers the fewest channels in this compare TV packages guide. TalkTalk TV is powered by Netgem TV, and could be considered a light version of the Netgem TV Package mentioned above. However, you will need to take out a TalkTalk broadband package to be eligible for its TV options.

TalkTalk TV doesn't include any additional entertainment channels, but if you already have TalkTalk broadband then for only £4 a month extra you can get the TV box.

NOW TV

The NOW TV Entertainment Pass is actually great value for money at only £9.99 a month. Rather than providing live TV channels, a NOW TV Entertainment Pass allows you to stream entertainment from sources such as:

• HBO
• Sky Witness
• Sky Atlantic
• Sky Comedy
• GOLD

NOW TV is best for those who don't want to be stuck to a schedule, but still want to enjoy the shows that are broadcasted live. It is worth pointing out that there are ads with NOW TV, though these can be removed by purchasing the NOW TV Boost add-on for an extra £4.99 a month.

Compare TV Packages: Movies

If you enjoy watching movies then you'll probably be looking to compare TV packages that include movies. In this section, we've covered the best movie subscription packages so you can be sure to find the right one for you.

Sky Cinema

Sky TV subscribers can add the Sky Cinema package to their subscription to get access to the 11 Sky Cinema channels. Including the base cost of the Sky TV subscription you can expect to pay around £38 a month which is something to consider when you compare TV packages.

Once you purchase the Sky Cinema add-on package, you will be able to enjoy the following channels, along with their +1 hour sister channels and HD/UHD if you've subscribed to the Sky TV HD/UHD option.

1. Sky Cinema Action
2. Sky Cinema Animation
3. Sky Cinema Comedy
4. Sky Cinema Drama
5. Sky Cinema Family
6. Sky Cinema Greats
7. Sky Cinema Hits
8. Sky Cinema Premiere
9. Sky Cinema Sci-Fi Horror
10. Sky Cinema Select
11. Sky Cinema Thriller

BT TV Big Entertainment Package

For BT TV movies, which are all from Sky Cinema via a NOW TV Cinema Pass. Including the NOW TV cinema option will mean that you'll pay around £27 a month, with a £30 set up fee. This includes:

• BT Broadband
• Netflix Basic
• NOW TV Entertainment Pass
• NOW TV Cinema Pass

As mentioned before, BT TV is only available when you take out BT Broadband.

Virgin TV

Virgin Media also provides Sky Cinema to its subscribers who will be able to enjoy all 11 channels by purchasing the Sky Cinema Add-On. What's great is that you have HD as standard and also get access to more than 1,000 on-demand movies as well.

Netgem TV

Netgem TV offers the most movie channels in our compare TV packages guide. Whilst they may not be premium Sky Cinema channels, it doesn't cost anything extra. You'll still pay the same £10 a month which leaves you with some extra cash for a subscription to Netflix or Amazon Prime TV.

TalkTalk TV

TalkTalk TV customers can purchase the NOW TV Cinema Pass to gain access to on-demand Sky Cinema. It is a little more expensive than other providers at £11.99 a month on top of the base subscription. As with BT TV and Virgin Media, you will need to have your internet supplied by TalkTalk to be able to subscribe to TalkTalk TV and its add-ons.

NOW TV

NOW TV provides its subscribers with access to all Sky Cinema channels on-demand for £9.99 a month. There are no hidden costs and you can choose to take out just movies or bundle with its Entertainment or Sports pass. If you choose the NOW TV bundle offer, it does work out a bit cheaper. There are no contracts involved so you can join and leave whenever you want.

Compare TV Packages: Sport

BT, Netgem TV, Sky, NOW, TalkTalk, Virgin; all these big TV provider names offer a package for sports lovers but which one is the best? Here we bring you the options from each provider so you can see which one has the sports channels you are after.

Sky Sports

Known as the home of sports, Sky Sports is probably the first place you'll look when you compare TV packages for sports channels. A Sky Sports bundles comes in two flavours: Complete Sky Sports and Sky Sports Golf. If it's just the golf you're interested in, you'll need to pay £18 a month extra to your standard Sky TV package. But if you want the complete Sky Sports package, that's going to be £20 a month extra.

It's also worth mentioning that even on a contract, the price can change at any time.

BT TV Sports

Another big hitter in the world of sports TV channels, BT Sports offers six sports channels and on-demand sport broadcast in 4K UHD as standard for just £25 a month and that's without a contract. Unlike the other BT TV options, you don't need BT Internet to subscribe. The channels on offer are:

• BT Sport 1
• BT Sport 2
• BT Sport 3
• BT Sport ESPN
• BT Sport Ultimate
• BT Sport Extra

The only problem with a BT Sport Monthly Pass Pass is that you can only watch through the BT Sport app that is available on Android, iOS, Android, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV, Xbox & Playstation, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, etc. You can also watch online via your computer. So unless you own a smart TV or console, you might be limited to watching on your mobile device.

Virgin TV Sports

Virgin TV offers Sky Sports bundles and if you're here to compare TV packages specifically for sports you might find Virgin is more expensive than the other providers we've covered. At the time of writing it costs £72 a month for the option with 195+ TV channels and Sky Sports. You will need to have a Virgin Media internet package as well.

Netgem TV Sports

Once again, Netgem TV has the biggest lineup of sports TV channels in this compare TV guide with a whopping 39 sports channels including:

• Premier Sports 1
• Premier Sports 2
• La Liga
• Racing America
• Football TV
• ESTV

Whilst you won't find the likes of BT Sport, which can be subscribed to separately, there is a fantastic selection of sports channels from mainstream to more unconventional sports channels. You get all this included in your standard subscription for £10 a month.

TalkTalk TV Sports

With TalkTalk TV, you have two options to choose from when you compare TV packages for sports:

• BT Sport on TalkTalk
• Big Sport

With the first option, can bundle BT Sport for £29.99 a month with a £35 set up fee - however there is no minimum contract for this option meaning you can cancel at any time.

Also via BT Sport you can get the Big Sport Package which includes all the BT Sport channels as well as Sky Sports channels for £41 a month with a 24 month contract and £30 set up fee.

NOW TV Sports

With Now TV, you have the option to choose to access sports channels for a certain amount of time; daily or monthly.. With a monthly option for £33.99 a month, though NOW TV often runs promotions meaning it may be cheaper when you compare TV packages from NOW TV. For this, you get access to all Sky Sports channels in Full HD that you can stream on up to three devices at a time.

If you just want to treat friends to a sports game night-in, you have the Day Pass option for a one-time charge of £11.98 and includes five Sky Sports channels.

Compare TV Packages Verdict

The TV package that you choose should reflect your needs and your budget and we hope that this compare TV packages guide has made it easier for you to compare what's out there.

If you’re still unsure about TV packages, broadband and how it all works, take a look at our comprehensive TV and broadband guide. It explains everything from “what is broadband” to “saving money on your broadband and TV”.

You can also get in touch with our TV and Broadband Experts who will be able to compare TV packages to find the most suitable option for you.