What is a TV, phone, and broadband deal?
A TV, phone, and broadband package combines three services from the same provider, delivering a complete entertainment and communications solution in one tidy package.
These bundles can also known as triple-play deals.
Many of the best broadband providers now have a TV option alongside broadband, including the UK’s leading home broadband providers: BT, Sky, Virgin Media, and TalkTalk. There has never been a better time to be in the market for TV, phone, and broadband packages.
What providers offer broadband, home phone and TV packages?
In the comparison table, you’ll find the following TV services alongside phone and broadband.
It's also worth noting that all of these services will come with a set-top box, which in most cases will allow you to pause/rewind live TV and give you access to catch-up apps such as BBC iPlayer, All4, and ITV Hub.
Sky TV
Premium television beamed to your home via satellite. Sky Broadband and TV bundles offer a vast selection of channels, including top sporting events and on-demand content.
Sky offers Sky Sports, for premier league football; Sky Cinema; Sky Atlantic, for US dramas and many more premium channels. You can also add Netflix to your subscription
Virgin Media TV
Also known as cable TV, Virgin Media delivers its services over the same line used for its superfast broadband and phone so there’s no need for a satellite dish or any other external equipment. Like Sky TV, Virgin Media has lots of channels (including access to Sky Sports and Cinema), plus free streaming and catch-up, and optional extras. Virgin Media also allows you to add Netflix.
NOW TV
A NOW TV subscription is a cheap and easy way to get access to the best of Sky TV (including Sky Sports and Cinema) without a satellite dish or any lengthy contracts via flexible monthly TV passes. NOW also offers great value home broadband.
To view NOW TV you will need a compatible device, but it is supported by a wide range of hardware including smart TVs, streaming sticks, smartphones, and TV boxes.
BT TV
BT offers IPTV (i.e. TV via your BT broadband connection) with a wide range of channels including BT Sport, premium Sky channels (Sport, Cinema etc.) and more. You can also add Netflix.
TalkTalk TV
TV, broadband and phone bundles are also available from TalkTalk. This service is very similar to BT TV: it offers Freeview plus optional premium channels via bundles and add-ons.
EE & Vodafone TV
These are slightly different as their TV and broadband bundles comes with an Apple TV box. This provides access to streaming services and catch-up TV, but no live broadcasts.
Freeview
Other TV, phone and broadband bundles such as BT TV, TalkTalk TV, and Plusnet TV make use of Freeview TV enhanced with extras. Each provider offers a branded TV box with exclusive extras such as free sports and free on-demand content.
What TV channels can I get with a TV and broadband bundle?
There are too many channels for us to list here, but the most popular TV channels include:
Sky Atlantic
Available on: Sky, NOW TV - or via BT and TalkTalk by adding a NOW TV pass.
BT Sport
Available on: BT, Sky, Virgin Media and TalkTalk.
Sky Sports
Available on: Sky, Virgin Media, NOW TV - or via BT and TalkTalk by adding a NOW TV pass.
Sky Cinema
Available on: Sky, Virgin Media, NOW TV - or via BT and TalkTalk by adding a NOW TV pass.
See more on TV channel availability on our broadband and TV page.
Which TV service is best for me?
The premium services from Sky, Virgin Media, and BT offer masses of channels and are particularly good for fans of movies, sports, and US TV imports. But these can be expensive.
NOW TV passes can be much cheaper and may provide a little more flexibility when it comes to selecting the type of extra content you’re willing to pay for. But they don’t have as many channels.
Your best option is often to think about the selection of channels or type of TV you want and find the cheapest deal that can fulfil that requirement.
What calls packages are available?
You can generally get the following calls packages with your broadband bundle:
- Free anytime: Free calls to most numbers at any time.
- Free evening/weekend: Free calls to most numbers at these specific times
- No calls: Pay the standard network rate for calls.
- International calls: Some packages include free international calls too, although these are less common and more expensive
What is the right one for me?
Have a think about when you make most landline calls. If you can limit this to evenings and/or weekends, these packages are the cheapest.
Also, consider if you do need a calls package? Increasing numbers of people are not using landlines, and just using their mobile for calls. If so, or if you make very few, then you may want to save money and do without a calls package.
What are the advantages of bundles?
There are a number of reasons to consider bundling your TV, broadband and phone packages:
- Price: Combining these will usually give you a cheaper bill overall; this often is much more cost effective than getting separate TV, phone, and broadband only packages.
- Bigger rewards: Providers offer free gifts such as reward cards to attract new customers. These can be slightly larger if you go for a bundle (although it's not always the case).
- Ease of use: There's also the convenience of only having to deal with one bill, and one point of contact for customer service and tech support.
What are the downsides?
As with anything, there are drawbacks to combining your TV, phone and broadband services:
- Not always cheaper: On some occasions, it can be cheaper to get Wi-Fi, TV and phone from different providers (but it will most likely be more admin).
- Don't pay for what you don't need: It can be tempting to go for a premium bundle with a load of great TV channels and a free calls package. However, we strongly advise you make sure you really need everything you're getting.
- Contract-end price hikes: Bundles can serve up some of the steepest price hikes at the end of your contract. This is something that, unfortunately, almost all providers will do. Make sure you know when your contract ends so you can switch or haggle for a better deal.
Is a TV, phone, and broadband deal right for me?
There are several advantages to putting your phone, broadband, and television eggs in one basket.
Combining them will usually give you a cheaper bill overall; this often is much more cost-effective than getting separate TV, phone, and broadband only packages.
There's also the convenience of only having to deal with one bill, and one point of contact for customer service and tech support.
Even if you already have a Wi-Fi deal with one of the TV service providers, you can usually find great offers to encourage you to add TV to your existing deal.
How can I find the best TV, phone and broadband bundle for me?
Once you've entered your postcode to see what's available in your area. Consider the following when you're looking at broadband deals with TV and phone.
Monthly price
This is what you’ll pay per month for your broadband, phone, and television services. Generally, broadband TV and phone bundles are the most expensive packages - so be ready for higher prices.
Line rental is included, but optional extra channels are not. Pay-per-view purchases and phone calls can also be added to the monthly bill.
Note that providers have the right to increase prices mid-contract, but some offer fixed-price guarantees which mean your bill won't increase during the initial contract term.
Contract
The minimum contract length. It will usually be 12, 18, or 24 months on a TV deal. If you may be moving soon, you’ll need to consider if these services will be transferable to your new address. Most packages will also require a credit check, with the exception of NOW Broadband.
Unfortunately, we are not aware of any shorter-term or one-month contracts for TV, broadband and phone bundles.
Broadband Speed
This is the average speed of the service. This will only really have a direct bearing on your television services if you go for a BT, Virgin, TalkTalk, EE, or NOW deal, and even then only if you really have problems getting a speed of 5Mb, which is the minimum you should aim for to stream video. Although you would probably still be best off on at least an entry-level (speed of ~35Mb) fibre broadband service.
If you have multiple people online using bandwidth-heavy services such as streaming at the same, or if you want to view 4K UHD content, you should choose a faster fibre optic service.
For more information on this, check out our guide to what broadband speed you need.
Data limit
You should find that all but the cheapest TV, broadband and phone packages offer unlimited broadband. In fact, on Broadband Genie, you will only find unlimited broadband providers.
However, do look out for the dreaded small print as what you think ‘unlimited’ means may differ from your broadband supplier! Streaming TV uses lots of data so unlimited is always best for triple-play bundles. Read more in our guides to traffic management and fair use policies.
Effective cost
Here we take the monthly prices but work in any upfront fees (setup fees can be higher with TV bundles) and special offer discounts, showing you what you’ll actually pay per month over the whole contract (plus landline charges of course). This can be a real eye-opener!
So what are the best broadband deals with TV and phone?
This depends on so many criteria. We would recommend looking for a specific channel/set of channels you want and then
However, our current top deals can be found below:
What are the cheapest bundles?
In general, the cheapest triple play bundles will be those that use 'Freeview' boxes, such as BT TV or TalkTalk TV. With these, you can usually opt for a basic bundle that includes a TV box but does not have any extra premium services. NOW TV is another good budget option to consider. The cheapest deals can be found below
In most cases, if you decide you'd like to add more channels later this can be done very quickly with a phone call or through the provider's site. Channel package add-ons are usually available on a rolling monthly agreement so you can change them frequently without paying any fees.
Frequently Asked Questions about broadband and TV bundles
Can I get TV and broadband without a landline?
TV and broadband bundles without a phone line are available from Virgin Media and BT, or with the ultrafast FTTP (Fibre To The Premises) services from Sky and TalkTalk.
Most other services use the Openreach (BT) telephone network and require an active telephone line.
It's worth noting that all of these still require a dedicated line to be installed at your property, if there isn't one already.
Do I need a TV licence if I have a TV, phone and broadband bundle?
A TV licence is required to watch any live content, regardless of whether you’re viewing it through a TV aerial, satellite dish, or streaming over the internet. TV bundles do not include a TV licence.
Streaming TV does not require a licence, with the exception of BBC iPlayer.
How are TV, broadband and phone services installed?
They are installed much like broadband connections (which you can read about here). The exception is Sky, which requires a satellite dish at your property.
Activation can take around 14 days - you will often be asked to choose a convenient date around two weeks after taking out a deal for your services to be activated. In that time you should receive your equipment (i.e. TV box and router). You should be able to set these up yourself.
Will I need an engineer?
You will need an engineer in the following circumstances:
- To install a Sky dish.
- To install a fibre, phone, or Virgin Media line if not already present at the property.
What streaming services can I get included in TV and phone bundles
Netflix can be added to Sky, BT, TalkTalk and Virgin TV and phone deals. Similarly, Disney+ can be added to Sky. As mentioned, Vodafone and EE give access to Apple TV.
Other streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video, are not available as part of a bundle. However, many of the boxes you will get with a broadband, TV and phone deal will allow you to watch Amazon Prime via a separate subscription on a built-in app.
Can I add mobile?
You can add mobile to broadband, TV and phone services. These are known as quad-play bundles. BT, Sky and Virgin all allow you to add either mobile phone or SIM-only contracts your deal.
Is it easy to switch?
Yes! switching broadband is pretty easy - you can read more about it in our guide to switching broadband.
When you are switching broadband, TV and phone, there is a greater chance you will currently be with a variety of providers currently. So, ensure you are out of contract with any/all of your current providers.
You will often have to pay fees if you cancel early, and if your current services are from different providers then there's a chance they will have different contract end dates. So ensure you're out of contract for everything unless you want to avoid a fee.