BT broadband and TV packages – deals, reviews and comparison guide

BT broadband and TV packages at a glance

BT broadband and TV packages are bundles that combine BT (and EE-branded) broadband with flexible TV packs and, where you want it, a digital home phone line.

Quick overview

• Broadband speeds: Packages are usually paired with BT Fibre 1 or Fibre 2 on FTTC, or BT Full Fibre 100, 150, 300, 500 and 900 on FTTP, with average speeds from roughly 50Mbps up to 910Mbps depending on your address and the deal you pick.
• Broadband type: BT still offers fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) in many areas, but more and more premises can now order BT Full Fibre over Openreach FTTP, which improves speed and latency.
• Routers and Wi-Fi extras: current bundles use the Smart Hub 2, with optional Complete Wi-Fi discs to extend coverage and a Hybrid Connect 4G backup unit on some Halo/Smart Hub packages so the connection can fall back to mobile data during faults.
• TV boxes: BT TV is now delivered through EE TV branding, but the hardware is the same – the EE TV Box Pro (the evolution of BT TV Box Pro) with 4K HDR, recording and apps, plus EE TV Box Mini units for extra rooms.
• TV content: flexible TV packages built from NOW memberships (Entertainment, Cinema, Sports), TNT Sports and Eurosport via discovery+, Netflix on selected plans, and the usual Freeview-style channels through the box.
• Home phone: BT offers a digital home phone service over the broadband connection with call plans such as pay-as-you-go, evening/weekend and anytime options, plus international extras.
• Contracts and price range: BT broadband and TV bundles come with a 24-month contract, with new-customer offers often starting from £25 for Full Fibre 150 plus Entertainment, climbing as you add faster Full Fibre, sport packs and Full Works.

Current BT broadband and TV bundles

Here are the five main flexible TV packages that you combine with a BT broadband plan:

• Entertainment
• Big Entertainment
• Sport
• Big Sport
• Full Works

What is included

• Entertainment – core entertainment TV with NOW Entertainment, Netflix with adverts and discovery+ Basic.
• Big Entertainment – everything from Entertainment, plus NOW Cinema for Sky Cinema channels and on-demand films.
• Sport – TNT Sports channels and Eurosport 1 & 2 with discovery+ Premium, along with Freeview-style channels.
• Big Sport – Sport, plus every Sky Sports channel via NOW Sports, giving you Premier League, EFL, F1, cricket and more.
• Full Works – combines everything from Big Entertainment and Big Sport with Netflix upgraded to the ad-free Standard plan, HD/4K via NOW Boost and TNT Sports Ultimate in 4K.
• BT Fibre or BT Full Fibre broadband plan, with the option to add call plans and Wi-Fi extras.

Which BT bundle is right for which household?

BT’s structure is logical once you map it to viewing habits. In short:

• Entertainment – suits smaller homes and casual TV watchers who mainly want box sets, drama and general entertainment. It delivers core Sky channels via NOW Entertainment plus Netflix with adverts at an affordable add-on price.
• Big Entertainment – better for households that watch a lot of films as well as series. You get the Entertainment content plus NOW Cinema’s Sky Cinema channels and film library, still with Netflix included.
• Sport – for people who want TNT Sports (Premier League, Champions League, rugby, UFC) and Eurosport without needing Sky Sports as well. This is usually the lighter sports option when football and European competitions are the priority.
• Big Sport – tailored to serious sports fans who want both TNT Sports and full Sky Sports via NOW Sports in one place, using BT’s box rather than lots of separate apps.
• Full Works – a premium package for homes that want “everything”: Sky Entertainment and Cinema, full Sky Sports, TNT Sports, Eurosport, Netflix Standard without adverts and HD/4K upgrades on one bill.

On top of that, you choose your broadband speed. For most smaller homes, Fibre 1 or Full Fibre 100 is fine. Busy multi-device homes, especially with 4K TVs and console gaming, are better off on Full Fibre 300 or above.

BT broadband overview

BT offers two types of broadband:

• Fibre (FTTC) – It’s part-fibre broadband using VDSL over the copper phone line between the street cabinet and the home. Typical packages here are Fibre 1 and Fibre 2.
• BT Full Fibre (FTTP) – True fibre-to-the-premises delivering higher speeds and lower latency, with Full Fibre 150, 300, 500 and 900.

Speeds

• Fibre Essential – average 36Mbps speed on FTTC. Adequate for a small home doing HD streaming, browsing, video calls and music streaming on a handful of devices.
• Fibre 1 – average 50Mbps speed. A better base for two or three people watching HD content, working from home and gaming casually.
• Fibre 2 – average 67Mbps speed. A step up for heavier use with more devices and more frequent online meetings.
• Full Fibre 150 – average speeds in the 145–150Mbps range, delivered over FTTP. Enough for busy multi-device homes with 4K streaming and more serious cloud or console use.
• Full Fibre 300 – around 300Mbps average. Suits larger homes with several 4K TVs, online gamers and multiple homeworkers.
• Full Fibre 500 – roughly 500Mbps average. Overkill for light use, but very comfortable for heavy users who want extra bandwidth for large file transfers and higher-quality streaming.
• Full Fibre 900 – roughly 910Mbps average. BT’s top residential plan, comparable to gigabit services from rivals; good for data-hungry tech households and small creative studios using home broadband.

Routers and Wi-Fi

Almost all current BT broadband and TV bundles come with the Smart Hub 2 router. It supports dual-band Wi-Fi, multiple antennas and the Digital Voice phone service for customers using BT’s new phone platform.

You can add:

• Complete Wi-Fi – mesh discs that connect to the Smart Hub 2, extending Wi-Fi coverage into problem rooms. BT backs this with a Wi-Fi guarantee, promising strong Wi-Fi in every room or money back on the add-on.
• Hybrid Connect – a 4G backup device that plugs into the hub and uses EE’s mobile network during a broadband fault. This is included with some Halo or Smart Hub packages and is particularly attractive if you work from home or rely on a constant connection.

BT broadband is widely viewed as reliable once installed, especially when you are on Full Fibre with an advanced hub and, if needed, Complete Wi-Fi.

BT TV packages in detail

BT’s TV hardware now appears under the EE TV name, but the features are the same as the latest BT TV kit.

EE TV Box Pro (formerly BT TV Box Pro)

• 4K HDR output with support for Dolby Atmos on compatible content and equipment.
• Up to 1TB of storage with multiple tuners, so you can record several channels while watching something else.
• Integrated Freeview channels, NOW, Netflix, discovery+, Prime Video and other apps in one interface.
• Voice search via the remote, plus a modern guide and catch-up functions.
• Can work with or without a rooftop aerial (streaming channels over IP in supported areas).

EE TV Box Mini

• Smaller box for extra rooms, connecting over Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
• Streams live channels and on-demand content from the main account.
• Offers pause and rewind, but no local hard drive for recordings – instead you rely on recordings and catch-up from the main service.

Together, they create a multi-room setup where you can watch BT/EE TV content in several rooms at once without a satellite dish.

TV packages

BT TV offers five flexible packages that you can move between during the contract, with 30-day flexibility on the TV element in many cases.

• Entertainment
  • NOW Entertainment membership for Sky channels such as Sky Atlantic, Sky Max and Sky Witness.
  • Netflix included (Standard with adverts) as part of the package price.
  • discovery+ Basic, which covers a wide range of factual content and Eurosport catch-up.
• Big Entertainment
  • Everything in Entertainment.
  • NOW Cinema membership, giving you the full Sky Cinema channel list and on-demand film library.
• Sport
  • All four TNT Sports channels.
  • Eurosport 1 and 2.
  • discovery+ Premium, which is where TNT Sports now lives as a streaming service, bundled in with the TV package.
• Big Sport
  • Everything in Sport.
  • NOW Sports with all Sky Sports channels, including Premier League, EFL, F1 and golf majors, plus NOW Boost in some promotions for HD channels.
• Full Works
  • Everything from Big Entertainment and Big Sport.
  • Netflix upgraded to the ad-free Standard plan.
  • NOW Boost included so Sky content is delivered in full-HD with surround sound, plus TNT Sports Ultimate in 4K on compatible hardware.

The combination makes it easy to focus the package on sport, films or box sets, and you can swap between the options as your viewing priorities change, although changes usually apply for the remainder of the billing month.

Channels and content

BT’s TV proposition is less about fixed channel counts and more about pulling content together from NOW and discovery+, but a few points stand out:

• Sport and Big Sport give full TNT Sports coverage plus Eurosport, with Big Sport adding the Sky Sports range. That covers Premier League, Champions League (through TNT), European football, Premiership Rugby, UFC, F1 and more.
• Big Entertainment adds the full Sky Cinema catalogue to the core entertainment channels delivered through NOW.
• Full Works wraps all of this up and delivers it in higher quality via NOW Boost and TNT Sports Ultimate, alongside an ad-free Netflix Standard subscription.
• Freeview-style channels (BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and others) sit alongside these packs in the guide.

Apps and streaming services

The EE TV Box Pro and Mini act as “super-aggregator” devices:

• Built-in apps include NOW, Netflix, discovery+, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, My5 and others.
• You can search for shows across live channels and apps, then jump straight to the right place.
• Some services, such as Netflix on specific packages, are bundled and managed on your BT bill. Others can be added as paid add-ons to the BT/EE TV plan.
• You still have the option to sign in with standalone app subscriptions if you prefer to keep some services outside your BT bill.

Home phone and call plans

As BT retires traditional analogue lines, its home phone offering is now based on Digital Voice, which uses the broadband connection and Smart Hub 2.

Features:

• Some broadband and TV bundles include a Digital Voice line by default; in other cases it is offered as an add-on.
• Call plans include:
  • Pay-As-You-Go – you only pay for the calls you make.
  • Evening and Weekend – inclusive calls to UK landlines (and sometimes UK mobiles) during evenings and weekends.
  • Anytime – inclusive calls to UK landlines and mobiles at any time of day.
  • International extras – bolt-ons that give inclusive or discounted calls to specific countries or zones.

The Digital Voice phone plugs directly into the Smart Hub 2, and the service moves with you if you upgrade broadband or change packages, which is useful if you want to keep an existing number when moving from older BT plans.

Is bundling BT broadband and TV a good idea?

Why bundling can be good

There are three main advantages to pairing BT broadband with BT/EE TV:

• One provider – you get one monthly bill, one renewal date and one support route if something stops working. That is helpful if you do not want to juggle several subscriptions.
• Package extras – Entertainment, Big Entertainment and Full Works now include Netflix as part of the bundle, and Full Works adds HD/4K boosts and extra TNT Sports quality upgrades. Buying all of this separately can cost more.
• Wi-Fi and backup options – some offers include Complete Wi-Fi or Hybrid Connect as part of the bundle, which can be valuable if you depend on the connection for work.

When BT broadband + TV is better than broadband-only

You can choose BT TV with broadband, when

• Live sport is a big part of your viewing, especially Premier League, Champions League, rugby and European football across TNT Sports and Sky Sports.
• You want Sky Cinema and Sky entertainment channels, but prefer a single TV box with Freeview and apps rather than managing separate streaming sticks.
• You like the idea of Netflix being rolled into the same bill as broadband and TV.
• You are on, or planning to move to, BT Full Fibre, and want a long-term package that will serve a busy multi-device home for a few years.

When broadband-only plus standalone streaming is better

On the other hand, broadband-only plus streaming apps can be the smarter route when:

• You rarely watch live channels and mostly stream through Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video and other apps.
• Sporting interests are limited to occasional big events that you can watch using short-term NOW Sports passes or free-to-air coverage.
• You prefer short commitments and want flexibility to pause, rotate or cancel streaming services throughout the year instead of signing to a 24-month TV plan.

In those cases, Full Fibre 100, 300 or 500 on its own, plus a sensible mix of apps on a smart TV or streaming stick, may be cheaper and more flexible than a full BT TV bundle.

Is BT broadband and TV any good?

Taken as a whole, BT broadband and TV is a strong all-round bundle for UK homes that want a mix of quality broadband, premium sport and flexible streaming:

• Broadband performance is good, and on Full Fibre it becomes very strong, with low latency and high average speeds.
• The Smart Hub 2, Complete Wi-Fi discs and Hybrid Connect give you decent tools to improve coverage and resilience.
• The TV element brings together NOW, Netflix and discovery+ in a tidy way, with clear options for sport, films, box sets or “everything”.

The main negatives are the usual BT issues: annual price rises linked to inflation, the need to keep an eye on promo end-dates, and the fact that BT’s TV offer is now effectively “EE TV”, which some people find a little confusing compared with a classic Sky-style package.

Overall, if you want Full Fibre broadband plus structured sport and entertainment packs on one bill, BT’s bundles do a good job. If your budget is tight and you mostly stream through separate apps, broadband-only is normally better.

Alternatives to BT broadband and TV bundles

Sky broadband and Sky TV

Sky remains the most popular pay-TV brand in the UK. Sky Stream and Sky Glass combine Sky’s own channels with Netflix and apps, all delivered over broadband.

Compared with BT:

• Sky TV offers excellent content discovery and a huge range of native Sky channels, including Sky Atlantic, which is not available as a channel on BT/EE TV.
• Sports and cinema coverage is very strong, and Sky’s own packs are tightly integrated with the interface.
• Sky broadband now includes Full Fibre at a range of speeds, although entry-level speeds are lower than BT’s top Full Fibre plans.

If TV is the priority and you are less concerned about upload performance or specific Wi-Fi extras, Sky broadband plus Sky Stream or Glass can be a good alternative to BT’s bundles.

Virgin Media broadband and TV

Virgin Media offers fast cable and full-fibre broadband combined with TV packs built around Virgin Media Stream and TV 360.

Against BT:

• Virgin’s broadband can deliver faster download speeds than BT’s Full Fibre 900 in some areas, with Gig1 and above available on its cable/FTTP network.
• Virgin Media broadband and TV bundles can include very large channel packs with Sky Sports HD, Sky Cinema HD and TNT Sports, all running through Virgin’s own boxes.
• Customer service and complaint levels have historically been more mixed for Virgin than BT, and upload speeds on cable are lower than symmetrical Full Fibre services.

Virgin is usually better for people who want the absolute fastest download speeds and large channel packs, and are in a Virgin-ready area.

Full Fibre broadband combined with app-based TV

A growing number of homes can now take Full Fibre from BT, Sky, TalkTalk or an altnet such as Community Fibre, Hyperoptic or CityFibre-based ISPs. Many of these providers do not push traditional pay-TV, but pair broadband with:

• Streaming boxes such as Netgem or PLEIO-based platforms from smaller providers.
• Standalone app bundles for Netflix, Disney+, NOW, discovery+ and Prime Video.

For some households, the best option is:

• A strong Full Fibre connection (FTTP 150–500Mbps or more).
• A mix of streaming services on a smart TV or device like Fire TV, Apple TV or Chromecast.

This can keep costs down while still delivering sport passes and film packs when you want them, without tying everything to a single TV contract.

Who should consider these alternatives?

• Sky – better if the TV experience and Sky’s own channels are more important than the exact broadband brand, and if you want Sky Atlantic and premium Sky features deeply integrated with the interface.
• Virgin Media – attractive if you can get its fastest broadband, want large channel packs in one place and are comfortable managing Virgin’s price rises and contract terms.
• Full Fibre + streaming – often the most cost-effective route if you mainly binge box sets, films and sport in a flexible way and do not need a classic pay-TV package at all.

BT broadband and TV FAQs