BT TV packages review
BT TV offers a flexible way of watching BT Sport and Now TV content in a package that can be altered at any time.
BT TV offers flexible packages with good content, and their latest set-top box is an excellent piece of kit.
Price:
Content:
Features:
Customer Service:
BT’s flexible TV packages allow their flagship BT Sport channels to be taken alongside content from Now TV memberships.
Add-ons means the content can be customised month by month within the BT TV app, although much of it is available from other partners.
As BT TV must be taken with BT broadband on a 24-month contract, customers are locked into the deals for longer than with most TV and broadband providers.
In this guide:
1. At a glance
5. TV add-ons
6. BT TV in HD
7. TV boxes
8. On the move
10. Verdict26 October 2021 (Last updated)
At a glance
BT TV special offers
| Offer | Terms | |
|---|---|---|
 | £90 BT Virtual Reward card with BT Fibre 2 broadband and BT TV Entertainment for £48.99/mth (now includes Netflix).Hurry! Offer ends today! 30 December 2021 | 24 month minimum term. £39.99 set up fee. £56.99/mth after 24 months.Get this offer |
What BT TV offers
| Content | BT Sport, Now Entertainment, Now Sports, Now Cinema |
|---|---|
| Watch on | TV, tablet and mobile |
| TV box | BT TV Pro Box |
| Minimum term | 24 months |
| Price from | £12 (plus broadband) |
 What we like |  What we don’t like |
|---|---|
| Good range of packages | Must be taken with BT broadband |
| Way to access Sky content without taking Sky | Much of the content is available elsewhere |
| BT TV Pro Box is a great piece of kit | On a 24-month contract |
| Packages can be downgraded or upgraded | |
| Can be integrated with Netflix and Amazon Prime Video |
BT TV channel breakdown
| Entertainment | Big Entertainment | Sport | Big Sport | VIP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £12 | £22 | £15 | £40 | £65 |
| Sky Atlantic / Sky One |  | | | ||
| Sky Cinema | | | |||
| Kids pack | | | | ||
| BT Sport | | | | ||
| Sky Sports | | |
BT TV Packages
BT revamped their TV packages in February 2020, scrapping their traditional TV deals and moving to a subscription service based on Now TV memberships instead.
Here are the BT TV packages before broadband is added:
| Package | TV | Monthly price | Upfront price | Contract term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Go | Entertainment (BT broadband customers only) | 115 | £16 | £39.99 | 24 months |
| Offer: Includes Netflix | |||||
| Go | Big Entertainment (BT broadband customers only) | 149 | £26 | £39.99 | 24 months |
| Offer: Includes Netflix | |||||
| Go | Sport (BT broadband customers only) | 43 | £15 | £39.99 | 24 months |
| Go | Big Sport (BT broadband customers only) | 55 | £40 | £39.99 | 24 months |
| Go | VIP (BT broadband customers only) | 200 | £73 | £39.99 | 24 months |
| Offer: Includes Netflix |
We look at the content in the different plans below but it’s worth remembering BT TV can only be taken alongside BT broadband.
BT TV and broadband packages
These are some examples of BT broadband with TV packages added:
| Package | Broadband | Monthly price | Upfront price | Contract term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Go | Entertainment + Fibre 2 | 67Mb average | £48.99 | £39.99 | 24 months |
| Offer: £90 BT Virtual Reward Card + (Ends 30/12/2021) | |||||
| Go | Sport + Fibre 2 | 67Mb average | £47.99 | £39.99 | 24 months |
| Offer: £90 BT Virtual Reward Card + (Ends 30/12/2021) | |||||
| Go | Big Sport + Fibre 2 | 67Mb average | £72.99 | £39.99 | 24 months |
| Offer: £90 BT Virtual Reward Card + (Ends 30/12/2021) | |||||
| Go | VIP + Fibre 2 | 67Mb average | £105.99 | £39.99 | 24 months |
| Offer: £90 BT Virtual Reward Card + (Ends 30/12/2021) |
As we can see, the costs of adding broadband on to the biggest BT TV package available can be rather high – and this isn’t even the most expensive broadband plan offered by BT. So, customers should be sure to check the costs carefully.
Let’s have a closer look at the different BT TV packages on offer and ask that all-important question: is BT TV any good?
What does BT TV offer?
BT TV content is delivered through Now TV memberships combined with BT’s flagship BT Sport service.
BT also allow customers to upgrade and downgrade their TV packages during their contract term, providing some flexibility while still locking customers into 24-month TV and broadband deals.
Let’s look at what each BT TV plan includes.
Entertainment
BT TV’s Entertainment uses the Now TV Entertainment Membership as its base and costs £12 per month on a 24-month contract.
It includes the following channels plus Freeview and AMC:
| Sky Atlantic | Sky One | Sky Witness |
| Sky Crime | Sky Comedy | Sky Arts |
| Sky Documentaries | Sky History | Sky News |
| Gold | Comedy Central | Syfy |
| National Geographic | Discovery | MTV |
| Boomerang | Cartoon Network | Cartoonito |
| Nickelodeon | Nick Jr | Nick Toons |
The kids’ channels associated with this membership were added recently when Now combined their entertainment and kids plans into one deal.
Entertainment also includes 300+ box sets through the Now TV Entertainment Membership which change regularly.
BT TV Entertainment can be upgraded to any of the other packages during the term of the contract or customers can downgrade to it if they wish.
Big Entertainment
BT TV’s Big Entertainment combines two Now TV memberships – Entertainment and Sky Cinema for £22 per month on a 24-month contract.
It includes the following premium channels plus Freeview, AMC and everything listed in the Entertainment package above:
| Sky Cinema | Sky Cinema Greats | Sky Cinema Animation |
| Sky Cinema Family | Sky Cinema Action | Sky Cinema Comedy |
| Sky Cinema Thriller | Sky Cinema Drama | Sky Cinema Sci-fi Horror |
| Sky Cinema Premiere | Sky Cinema Select | Sky Cinema Hits |
This package also offers on demand content included in the Now TV Entertainment and Sky Cinema memberships – over 300 boxsets and over 1000 movies are available on demand.
BT TV Big Entertainment can be upgraded and downgraded during the 24-month contract term.
Sport
The Sport package from BT TV includes the BT Sport channels for £15 per month on a 24-month contract:
| BT Sport | BT Sport 1 | BT Sport 2 |
| BT Sport 3 | BT Sport ESPN | BoxNation (Opt in) |
It also includes AMC alongside general Freeview channels and can be swapped with other packages during the life of the contract.
Instant access is available using the BT Sport app, so customers will be able to start enjoying their sport content before their TV box arrives.
Big Sport
Big Sport combines BT Sport with Sky Sports for £40 per month on a 24-month contract.
It includes Freeview plus the following premium sports channels:
| Sky Sports | Sky Sports Main Event | Sky Sports Premier League |
| Sky Sports Football | Sky Sports Cricket | Sky Sports Golf |
| Sky Sports Racing | Sky Sports F1 | Sky Sports Action |
| Sky Sports Arena | Sky Sports Mix | Sky Sports News |
| BT Sport | BT Sport 1 | BT Sport 2 |
| BT Sport 3 | BT Sport ESPN | BoxNation (Opt in) |
| Eurosport 1 | Eurosport 2 |
Again, this package can be upgraded or downgraded during the contract, and customers can get instant access to the sport they want through the Now TV and BT Sport apps.
If Sky Sports content is of interest, be sure to read this guide about the cheapest ways to get Sky Sports or learn about the different fixtures offered by BT Sport and Sky Sports.
VIP
The VIP package from BT TV combines everything within the Big Entertainment and Big Sport packages for £65 per month on a 24-month contract.
It also includes the dedicated 4K UHD channel – BT Sport Ultimate.
This is the most comprehensive package available from BT TV, incorporating everything they offer yet it can still be downgraded to any of the other packages during the contract term if a customer wants to lower their monthly bills.
How does swapping BT TV packages work?
All BT TV packages can be upgraded or downgraded on a monthly basis.
This means customers can take the VIP pack for £65 during the winter months when there’s plenty of sport available and the family is at home more but potentially downgrade to the Entertainment pack for £12 per month in the summer when they’re at home less.
It’s important to remember that BT TV itself is on a 24-month contract – so, the minimum a customer could pay per month would be £12 per month with the Entertainment pack.
What add-ons are available with BT TV?
BT TV currently offer the following add-ons to customers alongside their BT TV deals. These are all on 1-month rolling contracts and can be cancelled at any time during the contract:
| Add-on | Includes | Contract term | Monthly price |
|---|---|---|---|
| BoxNation | Live boxing channel | 1-month rolling | Free with BT Sport packages |
| Netflix | TV and movies on demand | 1-month rolling | £5.99 |
| Amazon Prime Video | TV and movies on demand | 1-month rolling | £5.99 |
| Now TV hayu Membership | Over 5000 episodes of reality shows on demand | 1-month rolling | £4.99 |
Here’s a little more detail about the add-ons.
BoxNation
Although BoxNation is listed as an add-on by BT, it’s actually included in the Sport, Big Sport and VIP packages – but customers must opt in.
So, when purchasing, make sure to click to add BoxNation to the package on the way through the process.
Netflix
Netflix is available from £5.99 a month for an SD subscription viewable on one screen at a time, up to £11.99 a month for Netflix’s Ultra HD / four screen service.
As it operates on a monthly rolling contract, Netflix can be cancelled at any time.
Netflix is now fully compatible with BT TV and can be managed through the YouView box.
After the Netflix subscription has been added to the package, BT will email the customer to set up their plan.
Amazon Prime Video
Prime Video is Amazon’s streaming service and can be added to any package for £5.99 per month.
Amazon Prime Video is a monthly rolling add-on to BT TV and customers will be emailed a link to activate the service after purchasing their package.
Now TV hayu Membership
Now TV’s reality TV pass is the hayu Membership, and this costs £4.99 per month on a rolling contract.
It includes over 5000 episodes of reality TV episodes on demand and 200 reality shows, with brand-new episodes available at the same pace as the US.