BT Sport: Ultimate TV Channel Guide & Updated Cost Options

You’ve most likely heard of BT Sport but what exactly is it? BT Sport is considered one of the most popular go-to options for sports lovers for live sporting coverage and analysis. Let's take look at what's on BT Sport, how much it costs and how to get it.

BT Sport Channels

BT likes to call BT Sport ‘the heart of sport’. Even though BT Sport channel content can change depending on the season, we still want to know where to catch the game whether it's Premier League or National League football.

With so many BT Sport channels, we want to make sure we can find the coverage for all the sports we love, from MotoGP to WWE. Here's our BT Sport TV Guide for all the channels, so you know what to expect from each one.

BT Sport 1

BT Sport 1 is the flagship channel for BT Sport and for this reason it primarily showcases live coverage of the most popular events in the season, sprinkled with analysis and highlights.

Currently, that is the Premier League and Premiership Rugby but also European Football and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) or WWE (World Wrrestling Entertainment) Fight Nights and Smackdowns late into the night. One thing is for sure, there is no shortage of sports action, live or otherwise.

BT Sport 2

BT Sport 2 is the go-to channel for watching Australian Rules Football. For any AFL fans or any Australians missing home, this is the channel you’ll want to stay updated with. Additionally, BT hasn’t forgotten fans of European football either, making BT Sport 2 also the go-to channel for the European Champions League (UEFA Champions League), Men's Hockey and Cricket, as well as late night WWE UK and NXT coverage.

BT Sport 3

BT Sport 3 features a mix of US College Basketball, E-Motorsports, as well as overflow for various highlights and repeated content from BT Sport 1 and 2 for those who missed the live coverage on the previous two channels.

What other channels do I get with BT Sport?

When BT TV and other providers who also include BT Sport in their TV Packages talk about BT Sport, they are normally referring to the standard BT Sport channels (BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2 and BT Sport 3) however, there are more BT Sport channels, matches and events:

• 46 Premier League matches per season shown twice every 10 days
• Australia's home cricket matches
• UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League
• National League, Ligue 1, the Bundesliga and the Primeira Liga
• FA Community Shield, FA Trophy and the European Rugby Challenge Cup
• Premiership Rugby Cup, MotoGP, and the FIH Hockey World League
• European Rugby Champions Cup and Premiership Rugby
• BDO World Darts Championship and the FA Cup

BT Sport ESPN

This is a match made in heaven for sure. BT Sport has partnered with the largest US-based premium sports broadcaster to fill out the sports coverage slate with top-tier coverage and analysis. Here you can find everything in terms of US-centric sport from College Basketball to American Football and Ice Hockey, thanks to unparalleled access to NFL and NHL events.

Box Nation

BT Sport undoubtedly caters to Boxing fans with Box Nation. Here is where you can get Main Events Boxing coverage and analysis but also Wrestling and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) coverage. Additionally, Box Nation also carries classic Boxing match reruns for the real Boxing fans wanting to re-visit key moments in Boxing history.

BT Sport Box Office

BT Sport Box Office is not a conventional BT Sport channel. Instead, BT Sport Box Office is a set of Pay Per View channels, not included with any version of BT Sport, that air high-profile live sporting events such as exclusive Boxing Matches or the WWE Royal Rumble.

To get BT Sport Box Office content, you will need to make additional one-off payments that depend on each event in order to view it. For example, the most recent WWE Royal Rumble, a highly-anticipated battle royal, was available for £19.95 standalone. While this might seem excessive for a single event, it's worth bearing in mind that generally those who buy BT Sport Box Office will make it into a social event. By inviting friends and family over, the gracious BT Sport subscribing host can split the cost with the guests.

BT Sport TV Guide

To make sure you know when your favourite sports matches are on, you can consult the BT Sport TV Guide. It gives you absolutely all the information you need for a weekday or weekend of sports. With the BT Sport TV Guide online, you’ll see the dates across the top and you’ll be able to see what’s on and when on any given day.

If you miss match or event you were hoping to catch live on BT Sport 1, then your best bet is to look at the BT Sport TV Guide for BT Sport 2 or 3 throughout that week. It is likely that what you missed will be replayed at a different time or, at the very least, you should be able to find highlights or analysis for the event. Only the BT Sport TV Guide can give you a second chance at replay redemption.

Just note that the BT Sport TV Guide is only about a week ahead, so you won’t be able to plan for a sports day a month ahead. Underneath the dates, you’ll see the streaming times and you can also change these by using the arrows on each side of the times to get a sense of what's on BT Sport throughout the day.

You can also see the channels on the left-hand side and of course, the actual programmes, games or matches to the right of the channels list. If you click on a programme, you will get a helpful pop up with a synopsis and whether it is also available on BT Sport Ultimate.

What's on BT Sport

If you're looking for a specific match or event, you need to check out the What's on BT Sport webpage. Instead of sorting things by BT Sport channel, this page us organised by matches and events to show you on which channel it will be aired.

As opposed to the BT Sport TV Guide, you can look ahead further out than a single week to get an overview of the month ahead. With so much going on, BT Sport let's you filter by sport, competition, league and Teams - A handy way to zero in on what's actually on for you.

BT Sport TV Catch-Up

For those of us who lead busy lives, BT Sport TV Catch-Up is a godsend. Right from the BT Sport website, paid subscribers get full event, match, race replays as well as analysis and hightlight show reruns. You can easily catch up with overseas sports without having worry about time zones and crucially never miss your favourite sports analysts and commentators online.

 

BT Sport Ultimate

BT Sport Ultimate is not a new BT Sport channel with unique content but rather a value added service that bumps up image and sound quality on some content currently available on the service, especially live matches.

The BT Sport Ultimate enhancements have two key features:

1. Improved Image Quality: 4K resolution & HDR
2. Improved Sound Quality: Dolby Atmos Surround Sound

4K resolution means being able to watch supported BT Sport events with twice the detail than regular HD broadcasts. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, which doesn't refer to resolution like 4K. Instead HDR means that you can see more in the dark and light parts of the image.

Dolby Atmos sound for BT Sport leads to a more immersive sporting experience, with sound coming more clearly from specific directions, when compared with standard stereo sound. Both of these features can greatly contribute to a great viewing experience.

However, in order to benefit from this potentially paid upgrade you need to have a supported device, which could be anything from a recent mobile phone to a 4K or HDR capable TV.

It's worth noting that in order to get the desired benefits from BT Sport Ultimate, both the streaming box or games console and the TV or display they are connected to need to support the stated features.

For example, having 4K support in only one but not the other means that you'll lose the 4K image quality in the end. It is for this reason, that we strongly recommend anyone considering BT Sport Ultimate to look closely at the devices they will be using to ensure the features they are interested in are actually supported.

Does BT Sport Ultimate work on all BT Sport channels?You will only be able to watch BT Sport Ultimate enhanced events on the BT Sport App, channel 433 on BT TV and channel 531 on Virgin Media. The supported image and sound quality enhancements will depend on your device and the event that is being broadcast. Additionally, when watching the BT Sport Ultimate TV channel on BT TV or Virgin Media will be in 4K only.

How do I get BT Sport?

Whether you’re an existing BT customer or completely new to BT TV, getting BT Sport is simple. Not only is it simple, but there are also a few different ways to do it, through BT TV itself or through another provider. Read on to find out how you can make BT Sport a part of your TV experience.If you're a cordcutter, you can also watch BT Sport online on your computer or through the BT Sport App. Don’t forget that if you watch BT Sport online, you must have a TV licence.

Remember, you must have a TV licence if you’re planning to stream any BT Sport live events and this includes live sports events on any device, whether it’s a mobile phone, a TV or a desktop computer.

BT Sport for new BT TV customers

If you’re completely new to BT TV and you’re interested in getting BT Sport through them, you’ve come to the right place. Here you’ll find all the information you need about feeding your love for sport via a subscription through BT TV directly.

BT TV doesn’t just let anyone access BT Sport, first you must meet some requirements; you must have BT broadband and a BT TV package OR a BT Mobile SIM only plan above 6gb which comes with BT sports online access.

There are quite a few broadband and TV packages to choose from with BT, which will then allow you to get BT Sport. Here at Selectra, we’ve also put together a guide to help you choose a BT TV package so you can pick the right one for you and your home.

In summary, if you’re a completely new BT TV customer, you’ll have to first sign up for BT broadband and choose a BT TV Package. This package may or may not come with the sports channels you want. If it does, you’ll be all set to enjoy your sports experience and if it doesn’t, you’ll be able to add BT Sport as an extra with the help of a customer service agent.

BT Sport for existing BT TV customers

If you’re already with BT because you have their broadband, you can add a BT TV package that comes with sports channels already. Alternatively, if you’re a dedicated customer with BT broadband and a BT TV package already, all you have to do is add on BT Sport as an extra for £10 per month.

BT Sport App

Another option for existing BT Broadband customers, even without a BT TV package, is to add the BT Sport App for £15 per month which gives you access to everything other BT Sport subscribers get through BT Sport Pack.

To recap, that is the four core BT Sport channels BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2, BT Sport 3 and BT Sport ESPN. What is this effectively means for sports fans is that they get to see Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Ultimate Fighting Championship and MotoGP among other recognised sporting events.

With the BT Sport App, you can use your computer, tablet, phone or Google Chromecast to watch BT Sport. If you can play computer, tablet, phone or Chromecast video on your home TV, then you can watch BT Sport on your TV without needing to pay more for that feature.

How do I get BT Sport without BT?

The good news is you can get BT Sport even if you're not a BT broadband customer. Let's take a look at what the options are for getting BT Sport without BT because they have changed since the last time we reviewed them.

BT Sport on Sky

As we said earlier, you don’t necessarily have to get BT Sport from BT TV directly, you can also get it through a provider who has a collaboration with BT TV. One of these providers is Sky and you can access BT Sport through Sky without needing to get BT broadband nor a BT TV package.

You can get BT Sport through Sky through one of the options that BT offers in collaboration with Sky, a 12-month contract or a 1-month rolling contract. Both of these options come with all four BT Sport channels in standard definition and you’ll get the option to add HD to the channels for £6.50 per month after Sky lets you have it for free for 3 months.

BT Sport on Sky will cost you £29.99 per month with a £20 upfront fee for the 12-month contract and the same for the 1-month rolling contract, although the upfront fee will be £35. To order BT Sport through Sky, you can order online or call BT.

How to Watch BT Sport on Sky If you have Sky TV and want to watch BT Sport on Sky, read our How to Watch BT Sport on Sky guide to find out everything you need to know.

BT Sport on Virgin Media

Virgin is a provider that offers both BT Sport and Sky Sport together through their Maxit TV package, so if you’re really a dedicated sports nut, starting with a Virgin TV package and then adding sport options is an alternative that’s worth considering. Another is to directly get a Virgin bundle that includes BT Sport. Two out of three of Virgins bundles come with BT Sport already, the Bigger Bundle and the Ultimate Oomph Bundle

There is also a dedicated sports bundle, the Bigger Bundle + Sports. Virgin bundles that include BT Sport range from £29 per month to £99 per month but since these are bundles, you are not only paying for BT Sport. To find the best deals or see exactly what’s in a Virgin TV package or bundles, consult our guides.

BT Sport on TalkTalk

While they don't advertise it, TalkTalk is another provider which has collaborated with BT TV to bring you BT Sport. You can get BT Sport through TalkTalk in exactly the same way you can get it through Sky, on either with a 12-month contract or a 1-month rolling contract. The prices are also exactly the same; £29.99 per month with a £20 upfront fee for the 12-month contract and the same for the 1-month rolling contract which has an upfront fee of £35.

Since there aren’t any differences between BT Sport through TalkTalk and Sky, the only reason you would get BT Sport through TalkTalk is if you already have broadband and a TV package with them. This is because you can only get a TV package or BT Sport through TalkTalk if you also have broadband with them.

To get BT Sport through TalkTalk, you need to order it through BT directly by going to the dedicated BT Sport page. You’ll see the two options and once you’ve decided which option you want, click the pink ‘Add and continue’ button to begin your order. It’s that simple!

BT Sport on EE

BT Sport on EE can be accessed in a number of ways. First up, you can get the BT Sport App by logging into your My EE and adding BT Sport as a Smart Benefit. For those EE customers who want BT Sport on their TV, EE has a BT Sport in a Box option which gives you three months of access to BT Sport and a free Google Chromecast for £45.

Finally, you can also choose to get the BT Sport Season Pass which let's you watch BT Sport, with all the BT Sport Ultimate enhancements (4K, HDR, Dolby Atmos), for £15 a month with a 10 month contract. To get started with BT Sport on EE, have a look at the following video tutorial.

Is there a BT Sport Day Pass?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. Unlike with Sky Sports, You cannot get access to BT Sport for just one day. The minimum period you can get BT Sport for is a month and that would be on a 1-month rolling contract with Sky. If you’re thinking that you’ve seen day passes somewhere before, you’re not wrong to think that they exist. You can get a sports day pass through Now TV for Sky Sports, but not BT nor BT Sport.

How much does BT Sport cost?

The cost of BT Sport per month varies depending on whether you are already a BT Broadband customer or not. Take a look at the updated pricing information below to see how much BT Sport costs for you.

Prices and Details last updated on 23/04/2021. These prices and details are provided for illustrative purposes only.

What is the cheapest way to get BT Sport

By far, the cheapest way to get BT Sport only is by signing up for the BT Sport App. This applies whether you are with BT already (£10 a month) or have a different broadband provider (£25 a month).

That is unless you are looking for a new TV Broadband package that has BT Sport. In that case, you might be better off with either BT, Virgin Media or EE. Your choice will depend on the other features each provider piles on their deal - from a free Apple TV 4K to access to Sky TV and other channels.

How can I watch BT Sport for free?

Here’s an important question that’s probably crossed your mind before, “how can I watch BT Sport for free?” The sad news is that you can’t, well not really. If you want ALL the sports channels that BT Sport offers, there is no way to get them for free.

You used to be able to watch some BT Sports channels even if you didn’t have a pay-TV package. This was possible through Freeview’s channel ‘BT Sports Showcase’. Unfortunately, BT Showcase has been slowly winding down since 2015 and getting a TV package and adding BT Sport seems to be the only way to get access to all the biggest sports channels now.

You can also get access to BT Sport on your mobile as a BT Mobile customer but this isn’t a free option as you’re still paying for your BT mobile package. So the final answer is no, you cannot fully watch BT Sport for free.

Watching BT Sport on YouTube

So you still want to watch BT Sport online free, here are some good news. BT announced back in 2016 that it was making some sports events available on their YouTube channel. This was mainly the BT Sport Showcase channel which showed the Champions League and European League finals.

Since these are live streamed events, fans and viewers can really get involved while watching as it’s possible to leave comments on live streamed YouTube videos. On BT Sport’s YouTube channel you’ll also find plenty of interviews, highlights and conferences, all for free and available to watch from any device you can watch YouTube on.

BT Sport Pub Finder

With well over ten thousand pubs carrying BT Sport, you can enjoy the atmosphere of live sports with like-minded punters. While technically not completely free, for the price of a freshly poured pint or other beverage of your choice you can enjoy live BT Sport in a vibrant context and probably on a bigger screen than at home.

For this, you will need to find a pub that has BT Sport. Fear not, for aside from stickers advertising BT Sport on the pubs themselves, BT have also created a fully-fledged BT Sport Pub Finder to help you find where to go for a drink and a BT Sport game.

BT Sport Login

To login to BT Sport, you will need your BT ID and password. Your BT ID is most likely the email you put down to sign up for BT Sport. Additionally, the BT Sport Login has a show password option which makes it easier to see what you're typing when logging in from mobile phones.

If you've forgotten your BT Sport login credentials, you have a Forgot Password option that will let you change your BT Sport password. If you've forgotten your BT ID completely, you can still regain access to BT Sport by entering a phone number linked to your BT Sport account - usually a home mobile or landline number.

After logging in to BT Sport, you can choose between watching live content on BT Sport 1, 2 or 3 online. Anyone can see what’s coming up on these channels but only BT Sport customers will be able to login to their BT Sport account and watch the live content. To see what’s coming up on BT Sport 1, head to BT’s website and choose the option at the top that says ‘BT Sport’.

Then choose the ‘Plan your viewing’ option from the menu that drops down and then click on ‘BT Sport 1’. You’ll be taken to the guide which tells you what’s going to be live streamed.

If you actually want to login as a customer and watch, choose the ‘BT Sport 1’ option but this time, the option that’s under the ‘Watch live’ heading. This will take you to a login page where you will have to enter your BT ID and password. If you don’t know these details, consult our BT login page.

If you got BT Broadband before August 1st 2020 and you only want to use BT Sport through the website or app then you need to activate your BT Sport account. However, if you got BT Sport through either Sky or BT TV, then your app and online access are already active.

Cancel BT Sport

If you have BT Sport through BT, Sky or TalkTalk, you can cancel it directly through BT TV. The easiest and quickest way to cancel is to contact BT by phone. Before calling them, have your account number ready, you’ll find this on any of your bills from BT TV.

When you have that ready, you can get in touch with BT TV by calling 0800 783 1401.

BT Sport Reviews

Judging by the number of subscribers that BT Sport has, we think it’s safe to say that it’s a popular service for sports lovers. In 2018, BT Sport had 1.8 million subscribers and although this is an impressive number, it’s also true that in the same year BT lost 16,000 TV subscribers due to competitor tactics.

BT Sport is undoubtedly a fantastic option for sports fans giving them access to 46 Premier League matches per season, channels such as BT Sport 1, 2, 3 and more plus the opportunity to watch the finals of popular events such as the Champions League and the Europa League. If you’re a sports lover and want to add sports to your TV experience, we believe that BT Sport is hard to beat in terms of coverage and prices aren’t as expensive as some other providers on the market.

If you’re already a BT TV customer, then you're in even more luck because you’ll get everything BT Sport has to offer for just £10 per month. If you’re not a BT TV customer, you’re also lucky enough to be able to get BT Sport through a different provider. Of course, this is more expensive but we still think that £29.99 per month for BT Sport through Sky is a reasonable price.

BT Sport through Virgin TV is where it starts getting a little more expensive but if you’re still tossing up between TV packages or bundles, we recommend you take a look to see if a Virgin TV package could be the best option for you.

While competitor tactics could definitely have something to do with it, after looking at what customers are saying about BT sport on Twitter, we think that sneaky price hikes might be the actual culprit.

Lately, customers have been furious that the wrestling channel UFC239 has been made a pay-per-view channel. Customers are frustrated they can’t even watch these matches live due to the time difference between the UK and the US, where the matches are usually filmed. Some customers have been up in arms on Twitter threatening BT Sport with a subscription cancellation. Instead of giving BT Sport some constructive feedback, these customers are furiously telling Twitter what they really think of BT Sport.

Until now there has been no response from BT. Only time will tell how BT Sport will respond to these comments. Will they listen to their customers’ harsh but warranted reviews? Or will they keep charging the prices they charge, knowing that, despite the complaints, sports fans are normally willing to shell out?

Our final BT Sport verdict

So, is it true? Is BT Sport really the ‘heart of sport’? We say that, with everything BT Sport has to offer; 46 premier league matches a season, exclusive access to every match of the UEFA Champions League Customers, a comprehensive TV guide and availability of sports matches online, it really is.

Something that really stands out for us is the fact that other providers also offer BT Sport. If there’s offer, it means there’s demand and if other providers are offering a service that’s not even theirs, it can only mean that they’re trying to meet the customer demands. For now, they seem to have everything covered for lovers of sport and we’re looking forward to seeing the evolution of BT Sport.

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