BT offers five flexible BT TV packages including Entertainment, Sport and VIP. You’ll get a BT TV Box and will be able to watch Netflix & Sky TV channels.
In the UK, BT now offers a flexible television service called BT TV. Available with BT Broadband, it gives you access to Netflix and the Sky TV channels through NOW. You’ll get a clever BT TV box with the ability to pause and rewind live television, as well as recording up to 300 hours of TV. The BT TV box also gives you access to Freeview channels, BT Sport, BBC iPlayer, AMC, Prime Video and more (all dependent on your plan).
At the moment, you can get a BT TV package from £16/month if you’re a BT Broadband customer. Alternatively, you can get BT’s fibre broadband service with BT TV from £48.99/month.
In this article, we’ll review the BT TV service. We’ll start by looking at how it works and at the flexible television packages that are available on BT TV. We’ll then look at the BT TV box in more detail before finding out how you can switch your television provider to BT.
| Prices From: | £48.99 per month |
|---|---|
| Best TV Offer: | £100 reward card (currently available on BT Fibre 2 with BT TV) |
| BT TV Packages: | Entertainment (£17/month) Big Entertainment (£27/month) Sport (£16/month) Big Sport (£41/month) VIP (£74/month) |
| Contract Length: | 24 months (but BT TV packages can be changed monthly) |
| Box: | BT TV G5 Box on fibre plans BT TV G4 Box on copper plans BT TV Z4 Box with extra box (multi-room) |
Contents
How Does BT TV Work?
In the UK, BT’s television service, BT TV, allows you to watch, pause, rewind and record live television. You can also watch on-demand TV shows and movies from a number of providers including Netflix and NOW.
Customers subscribing to BT TV can currently choose from five flexible TV packages. These give you access to channels including those from Sky, Freeview and BT. Depending on the plan you choose, channels available might include Sky Atlantic, Sky Showcase, Sky Witness, Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, BT Sport, AMC, Nickelodeon and more. You can also change your channels every month (e.g. removing sport when the football season ends or adding a kids bolt-on when the school holidays begin).
You’ll be given a BT TV box when you sign up to the service. This plugs in to the back of your television, allowing you to access everything you’ve paid for. It connects to both your aerial and your fibre broadband connection (there’s no need to have a satellite dish or another cable connection). You’ll also get the BT TV app, allowing you to watch television on-the-go and to schedule recordings on your box.
BT Broadband & BT TV
Before you’re able to get BT TV, you’ll need to choose a BT fibre broadband plan. This is because BT TV isn’t available as a stand-alone service. Instead, it uses your BT Broadband connection to deliver a lot of the content into your home (as opposed to using a satellite dish or a cable connection like some other TV providers).
If you don’t currently have BT Broadband, you can choose from the following BT Broadband plans from £29.99 per month:
| Service | Average Speed | Contract Length | Upfront Price | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Fibre Essential | 36Mbps download | 24 month contract | £29.99 | £30.99/month |
Fibre 1 | 50Mbps download | 24 month contract | £29.99 | £31.99/month with £70 reward card |
Fibre 2 | 67Mbps download | 24 month contract | £29.99 | £31.99/month with £100 reward card |
All of BT’s fibre broadband plans will work with BT TV. Watching HD-quality content will only use around 5Mbps of your broadband connection.
However, customers wanting to watch BT TV in 4K ultra-HD quality are recommended to choose the Fibre 2 plan (or a BT full fibre plan if that’s available in your area). This is because a 4K ultra-HD stream will normally use around 25-30Mbps of your connection. For a smooth experience watching BT Sport Ultimate, BT recommends a minimum connection speed of 44Mbps for your BT broadband connection.
BT TV Packages
Once you’ve chosen a BT Broadband plan, you can choose from the following BT TV packages:
- Entertainment (£17/month)
- Big Entertainment (£27/month)
- Sport (£16/month)
- Big Sport (£41/month)
- VIP (£74/month)
Although there’s a 24-month contract for your BT TV service, you can change between the five packages whenever you like. You can also add a range of add-ons like access to children’s TV channels.
Entertainment
The BT TV Entertainment package costs £17/month, including access to Netflix and a NOW Entertainment Membership. This gives you access to channels including Sky Atlantic, Discovery and Comedy Central. You’ll also get access to AMC, more than 300 on-demand box sets and over 70 channels from Freeview.
The following channels are included within the BT TV Entertainment package:
NOW Entertainment Membership channels:
- Sky Atlantic
- Sky Showcase
- Sky Max
- Sky Witness
- Sky Crime
- Sky Comedy
- Sky Arts
- Gold
- Comedy Central
- Syfy
- MTV
- National Geographic
- Cartoon Network
- Boomerang
- Nickelodeon
- NickToons
- Nick Jr
- Cartoonito
Other Channels:
- AMC
- 300+ on-demand box sets
- Netflix Basic
- 70+ Freeview channels
You’ll also get inclusive access to the BT TV and NOW apps, allowing you to watch and catch up on TV whilst you’re on-the-go.
If you’re not currently a BT Broadband customer, you can get the following BT Broadband plans with the BT TV Entertainment package from £50.99 per month:
| Service | Broadband | Television | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Fibre Essential + Entertainment | 36Mbps average download |    111+ channels included | £50.99/month for 24 months plus £59.99 upfront |
Fibre 1 + Entertainment | 50Mbps average download | 111+ channels included | £51.99/month for 24 months plus £59.99 upfront with £70 reward card |
Fibre 2 + Entertainment | 67Mbps average download | 111+ channels included | £51.99/month for 24 months plus £59.99 upfront with £100 reward card |
Big Entertainment
For customers wanting a larger selection of TV shows and movies, it’s possible to get the Big Entertainment package for £27/month.
Big Entertainment gives you everything that’s on the Entertainment package, plus a NOW Cinema membership. This gives you 11 Sky Cinema channels, plus more than a thousand movies to watch on-demand at any time.
Customers choosing Big Entertainment will have access to all of the following channels:
NOW Cinema Membership Channels:
- Sky Cinema Greats
- Sky Cinema Disney
- Sky Cinema Family
- Sky Cinema Action
- Sky Cinema Comedy
- Sky Cinema Thriller
- Sky Cinema Drama
- Sky Cinema Premiere
- Sky Cinema Select
- Sky Cinema Hits
- Sky Cinema Sci-fi & Horror
NOW Entertainment Membership Channels:
- Sky Atlantic
- Sky Showcase
- Sky Max
- Sky Witness
- Sky Crime
- Sky Comedy
- Sky Arts
- Gold
- Comedy Central
- Syfy
- MTV
- National Geographic
- Cartoon Network
- Boomerang
- Nickelodeon
- NickToons
- Nick Jr
- Cartoonito
Other Channels:
- AMC
- 300+ on-demand box sets
- 1,000+ on-demand movies
- Netflix Basic
- 70+ Freeview channels
You can get BT Broadband with BT TV and the Big Entertainment package from £60.99 per month:
| Service | Broadband | Television | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Fibre Essential + Big Entertainment | 36Mbps average download |  123+ channels included | £60.99/month for 24 months plus £59.99 upfront |
Fibre 1 + Big Entertainment | 50Mbps average download | 123+ channels included | £61.99/month for 24 months plus £59.99 upfront with £70 reward card |
Fibre 2 + Big Entertainment | 67Mbps average download | 123+ channels included | £61.99/month for 24 months plus £59.99 upfront with £100 reward card |
Sport
For access to the BT Sport channels, you can choose the BT TV Sports package for £16/month. This gives you access to all four BT Sport channels, along with BoxNation and drama on AMC.
With the Sports package, you’ll be able to watch live games from the UEFA Champions League along with matches from the Emirates FA Cup, the UEFA Europa League, the Premier League, the Scottish Premier League and more.
BT Sport Channels:
- BT Sport 1
- BT Sport 2
- BT Sport 3
- BT Sport ESPN
- BoxNation
Other Channels:
You’ll also get access to the BT Sport app included with your package. This allows you to watch live and on-demand sporting content on-the-go. There’s also lots of additional content available through the app including highlights, interviews, news and more.
At present, it’s possible to get BT Broadband with the BT TV Sports package from £48.99 per month:
| Service | Broadband | Television | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Fibre Essential + Sport | 36Mbps average download |  95+ channels included | £48.99/month for 24 months plus £59.99 upfront |
Fibre 1 + Sport | 50Mbps average download | 95+ channels included | £49.99/month for 24 months plus £59.99 upfront with £70 reward card |
Fibre 2 + Sport | 67Mbps average download | 95+ channels included | £49.99/month for 24 months plus £59.99 upfront with £100 reward card |
Big Sport
If you want access to all of the sporting action across both Sky Sports and BT Sport, you can choose the Big Sport package for £41/month on BT TV.
Big Sport gives you access to all 11 Sky Sports channels including Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports F1 and more. You’ll also get all of the BT Sport channels included, along with BoxNation and AMC.
The Big Sport package includes all of the following channels:
NOW TV Sky Sports Pass:
- 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 Channels:
- BT Sport 1
- BT Sport 2
- BT Sport 3
- BT Sport ESPN
- BoxNation
Other Channels:
With Big Sport, you’ll get access to both the BT Sport and Now TV apps on your phone, allowing you to watch live and on-demand sporting content wherever you are.
You can get a BT fibre broadband plan with the BT TV Big Sports package from £73.99 per month:
| Service | Broadband | Television | Monthly Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Fibre Essential + Big Sport | 36Mbps average download |  108+ channels included | £73.99/month for 24 months plus £59.99 upfront |
Fibre 1 + Big Sport | 50Mbps average download | 108+ channels included | £74.99/month for 24 months plus £59.99 upfront with £70 reward card |
Fibre 2 + Big Sport | 67Mbps average download | 108+ channels included | £74.99/month for 24 months plus £59.99 upfront with £100 reward card |
VIP
For the ultimate TV experience, you can choose BT’s flagship VIP TV package. This gives you everything that’s on the Big Sport and Big Entertainment packages, plus full HD channels from BT and NOW TV. You’ll also get a Netflix Standard subscription included along with BT Sport Ultimate, the dedicated 4K ultra-HD channel from BT.
The following channels are included within the VIP package:
NOW Entertainment Membership Channels with HD:
- Sky Atlantic HD
- Sky Showcase HD
- Sky Max HD
- Sky Witness HD
- Sky Crime HD
- Sky Comedy HD
- Sky Arts HD
- Gold HD
- Comedy Central
- Syfy HD
- MTV
- National Geographic HD
- Cartoon Network HD
- Boomerang HD
- Nickelodeon HD
- NickToons HD
- Nick Jr HD
- Cartoonito
NOW Cinema Membership Channels with HD:
- Sky Cinema Greats HD
- Sky Cinema Disney HD
- Sky Cinema Family HD
- Sky Cinema Action HD
- Sky Cinema Comedy HD
- Sky Cinema Thriller HD
- Sky Cinema Drama HD
- Sky Cinema Premiere HD
- Sky Cinema Select HD
- Sky Cinema Hits HD
- Sky Cinema Sci-fi & Horror HD
NOW Sports Membership Channels with HD:
- Sky Sports Main Event HD
- Sky Sports Premier League HD
- Sky Sports Football HD
- Sky Sports Cricket HD
- Sky Sports Golf HD
- Sky Sports Racing HD
- Sky Sports F1 HD
- Sky Sports Action HD
- Sky Sports Arena HD
- Sky Sports Mix HD
- Sky Sports News HD
BT Sport Channels with HD:
- BT Sport 1 HD
- BT Sport 2 HD
- BT Sport 3 HD
- BT Sport ESPN HD
- BT Sport Ultimate (4K HDR)
- BoxNation
Other Channels:
- AMC HD
- 300+ on-demand box sets
- 1,000+ on-demand movies
- Netflix Standard
- 70+ Freeview channels
You’ll get access to the BT TV, NOW TV and BT Sport apps included in your subscription, allowing you to watch live and on-demand content from a smartphone or tablet.
BT TV Bolt-Ons
To further customise your BT TV package, you can add a range of bolt-ons to your BT TV plan. All of these bolt-ons come on a one-month rolling contract, so you can add them or remove them from your plan at any time.
- BT Kids (£5/month): If you have children in your family, you can get the BT TV Kids bolt-on. This gives you access to a range of channels such as Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, Boomerang, Cartoon Network and more.
- Netflix & Amazon Prime Video (£5.99/month): You can add either Netflix or Amazon Prime Video to your BT TV service from £5.99/month. This will be billed as part of your BT TV plan and you’ll be able to access all of the content through your BT TV set-top box.
- NOW TV Passes (from £3.99/month): You can add the full range of NOW TV passes to your BT TV package.
BT Sport & BoxNation (£15/month): If your BT TV package doesn’t include the BT Sport channels, you can add it through the £15/month BT Sport & BoxNation bolt-on. For instance, the BT Sport bolt-on can be combined with the BT TV Entertainment or Big Entertainment package.- HD & 4K (£5/month): For £5/month, you can watch all of your NOW TV channels, AMC and BT Sport channels in full HD. 4K ultra-HD streaming is also included, providing your connection is able to support it.
- Extra Box (£5/month): For an extra £5/month, you’ll receive a second BT TV box. This will allow you to watch BT TV in another room.
BT TV Box
As part of your BT TV service, you’ll be given a BT TV Box which plugs in to the back of your television. The box uses technology from YouView which is a joint venture between some of the UK’s largest broadcasters and broadband internet providers.
One of the clever things about YouView technology is how it combines internet-based television with regular Freeview and DVR recording technology.
The BT TV box integrates with BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, All 4, NOW TV and many other online streaming services. Everything is combined into a single easy-to-use menu and electronic programme guide (EPG). For instance, you can simply go to channel 340 to watch Sky One on NOW TV or you can go to channel 333 to watch Netflix on-demand. There’s no need to load up different apps and interfaces for each channel you want to watch.
In addition to the integrated programme guide, there’s a search feature that works across all of the channels and services. A 14-day programme guide is also provided (going back 7 days and going 7 days into the future). For instance, you’ll be able to watch lots of programmes that have screened over the past week even if you haven’t recorded them. This is because the BT TV box can simply fetch it from the relevant on-demand service when required.
One thing to note about the BT TV box is that it doesn’t work on a wireless connection. You’ll need to use a wired Ethernet connection to your router. If your BT Smart Hub and BT TV box are located in the same room, you can use the 10-metre Ethernet cable provided by BT. Alternatively, if the BT TV box is a long way from your BT Broadband Smart Hub, you can use one of their BT Mini Connectors which use powerline technology.
If you sign up for a BT fibre broadband plan with BT TV, you’ll now receive the BT TV Ultra HD box as standard (this is also known as the BT TV YouView+ G5 box).
Customers with a copper (ADSL) broadband connection will be provided with the BT TV YouView+ G4 box instead. This is similar to the newer G5 but doesn’t have support for 4K ultra-HD content.
Meanwhile, if you order an additional box for another room of your home, you’ll get the BT TV YouView Z4 box. This is a slightly smaller box that doesn’t have recording capabilities, but you’ll still be able to pause and rewind live television, as well as accessing catch-up TV.
The following table shows a side-by-side comparison of the three BT TV boxes:
| BT TV Ultra HD Box (BT TV YouView+ G5) |
BT TV Standard Box (BT TV YouView+ G4) |
BT TV Extra Box (BT TV YouView Z4) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
| Availability | |||
| BT TV Plan: | Fibre Broadband & BT TV | Copper Broadband & BT TV | BT TV Extra Box add-on |
| Features | |||
| Pause & Rewind Live TV: | Yes, up to 2 hours | Yes, up to 2 hours | Yes, up to 30 minutes (SD) or 14 minutes (HD) |
| Record Live TV: | Yes, up to 300 hours | Yes, up to 300 hours | No |
| Remote Record: | Yes, using BT TV app | Yes, using BT TV app | No |
| Catch-up TV: | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Search TV Shows: | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Technical Specifications | |||
| Storage: | 1TB hard drive | 500GB hard drive | – |
| Dimensions: | 23.4 x 14.9 x 4 cm | 23.7 x 15.2 x 4.3 cm | 13.0 x 13.0 x 3.5cm |
| Ports: | RF aerial loop through HDMI out SPDIF USB (for charging) Ethernet |
RF aerial loop through HDMI out Analogue video & audio output SPDIF Optical output SCART USB (for charging) Ethernet |
RF aerial in HDMI Ethernet USB (for charging) |
| Model Number: | BT TV YouView+ G5 (Humax DTR-T4000) |
BT TV YouView+ G4 (Humax DTR-T2100) |
BT TV YouView Z4 (Humax DB-T2200) |
| More Information: | BT Website | BT Website | BT Website |
For more information about the BT TV boxes, please see BT’s official website.
Switching to BT TV
If you’re currently using a different broadband or TV provider, it’s easy switching your services to BT.
Start by ordering your new broadband and TV service from the BT website. During the online order process, BT will give you a switchover date for your service. This will typically be in around two weeks time, unless you ask them for a later switchover date. You’ll then need to contact your old broadband and TV provider to cancel your old service (ideally for the same date that your BT service begins).
In advance of your new BT Broadband and BT TV service going live, you’ll be sent all of the necessary equipment through the post. This includes your new BT Broadband Smart Hub and your BT TV box. Normally, you can connect both of these devices yourself on the date that your new BT service begins.
For step-by-step instructions on how to switch to BT Broadband, please select your current broadband provider from the list below:
Switch to BT Broadband
Your step-by-step guide to switching
You can also read our in-depth guide to switching home broadband provider.
Frequently Asked Questions
| What packages and channels are available on BT TV? | There are currently five packages to choose from on BT TV:
A full list of channels in each package can be found here. |
|---|---|
| How does NOW TV work on BT’s flexible TV packages? | When you choose a BT TV package, you’ll get access to the relevant NOW memberships included with it (e.g. you’ll get the NOW Entertainment Membership included on BT’s Entertainment package). You’ll be able to watch the NOW TV channels through your BT TV box (e.g. channel 342 for Sky Atlantic) or through any other supported device. |
| What is the BT TV Box? | You’ll get a BT TV YouView+ box when you sign up for BT TV. This allows you to pause & rewind live television for up to 2 hours. You can also store up to 300 hours of recorded TV. It also integrates with Freeview and many on-demand services including BBC iPlayer. |
| What type of broadband connection will I need for BT TV? | You’ll need a BT Broadband connection to access BT TV (currently available from £29.99 per month). If you want to watch in 4K ultra-HD quality, we’d recommend choosing Fibre 2 or a BT full fibre plan. |
More Information
For more information about BT TV, please see the official BT website.
Ken massey said:
Sorry to say but BT is years behind virgin when it comes to TV technology they can’t get a box that records more than 2 channels. Come on BT come out of dark ages and come into the 21st century’.
Jean Hughes said:
What’s happened to Crime and Investigation Channels 328 380?
Ronald Deasley said:
Yesterday the 26th December sky sports put free to watch football on sky one when l went to channel 340 on my bt box no match was shown