It's easy changing your broadband provider between Virgin Media and Sky. Find out how in our step-by-step guide.

Whether you're changing your broadband provider from Virgin Media to Sky, or from Sky to Virgin Media, it's a straightforward process. Start by letting us know in which direction you'd like to change your provider:

Are you switching from Virgin Media to Sky, or from Sky to Virgin Media?

You can follow the instructions below if you're switching from Virgin Media to Sky Broadband.

Are you switching from Sky to Virgin Media instead? Tap for instructions.

Step 1: Check your Virgin Media cancellation fee

To start with, check whether a cancellation fee will apply for ending your Virgin Media broadband service.

If you’re already outside the minimum term of your contract with Virgin Media, there will be no cancellation fees for ending your Virgin Media broadband service. You’ll simply pay for your usage of the Virgin Media broadband service up until the date that the service is cancelled.

If you’re still within the minimum term of your contract with Virgin Media (i.e. the initial 12 months, 18 months or 24 months you signed up for), an early exit fee will apply for ending your Virgin Media broadband service. This early cancellation fee will depend on your Virgin Media plan and what products you have. However, you can expect it to be in the region of £30.54 to £50.46 per remaining month on your contract (capped at a maximum of £240 across all of your Virgin Media products). You can get a quote for what this exit fee will be by calling Virgin Media customer services on 0345 454 1111. Alternatively, there’s more information on how to calculate it within our guide to cancelling Virgin Media.

If you’re unsure when your Virgin Media service comes to an end, log in to your Virgin Media online account and go to My Bills followed by View Contract. Alternatively, this information should also be listed on your bills from Virgin Media.

If you also want to cancel other Virgin Media services like TV and mobile, you should tell them you’d like to do this when talking to them on the phone.

Step 2: Order your Sky Broadband service

To progress with your broadband switch from Virgin Media to Sky, go to Sky’s website to order your new Sky broadband service.

For more information, select the type of broadband service you're planning to switch to on Sky:

At present, Sky offers a range of home broadband plans including the following:

ServiceBroadbandTelevisionMonthly Price
(may rise during contract)
Sky
Sky Superfast

61Mbps
average download

No TV
£27/month
plus £5 upfront
18 month contract
Sky
Sky Full Fibre 100

100Mbps
average download

No TV
£28/month
plus £5 upfront
18 month contract
Sky
Sky Ultrafast

145Mbps
average download

No TV
£30/month
plus £5 upfront
18 month contract
Sky
Sky TV Essentials with Superfast 35 Broadband

36Mbps
average download
Sky TV Essentials

200+ channels included
£33/month
18 month contract
Sky
Sky Ultrafast Plus

500Mbps
average download

No TV
£34/month
plus £5 upfront
18 month contract
Sky
Sky Superfast 35

36Mbps
average download

No TV
£34/month
plus £5 upfront
18 month contract
Sky
Sky TV Essentials with Superfast Broadband

61Mbps
average download
Sky TV Essentials

200+ channels included
£36/month
plus £29.95 upfront
18 month contract
Sky
Sky Stream, Sky Entertainment & Netflix with Superfast Broadband

61Mbps
average download
Sky ShowcaseSky AtlanticNetflixDiscovery+
Sky Entertainment & Netflix

150+ channels included
£37/month
18 month contract
Sky
Sky Stream, Sky Entertainment & Netflix with Ultrafast Broadband

145Mbps
average download
Sky ShowcaseSky AtlanticNetflixDiscovery+
Sky Entertainment & Netflix

150+ channels included
£41/month
18 month contract
Sky
Sky Gigafast

900Mbps
average download

No TV
£42/month
plus £5 upfront
18 month contract
Sky
Sky Stream, Sky Entertainment & Netflix with Superfast Broadband + Sky Sports

61Mbps
average download
Sky ShowcaseSky AtlanticSky SportsNetflixDiscovery+
Sky Entertainment & Netflix + Sky Sports Pack

150+ channels included
£55/month
18 month contract
Sky
Sky Stream, Sky Entertainment & Netflix with Full Fibre 100 Broadband

100Mbps
average download
Sky ShowcaseSky AtlanticNetflixDiscovery+
Sky Entertainment & Netflix

150+ channels included
£56/month
18 month contract
Sky
Sky Stream, Sky Entertainment & Netflix with Ultrafast Broadband + Sky Sports

145Mbps
average download
Sky ShowcaseSky AtlanticSky SportsNetflixDiscovery+
Sky Entertainment & Netflix + Sky Sports Pack

150+ channels included
£59/month
18 month contract
Sky
Sky Stream, Sky Entertainment & Netflix with Ultrafast Plus Broadband

500Mbps
average download
Sky ShowcaseSky AtlanticNetflixDiscovery+
Sky Entertainment & Netflix

150+ channels included
£67/month
18 month contract
Sky
Sky Stream, Sky Entertainment & Netflix with Full Fibre 100 Broadband + Sky Sports

100Mbps
average download
Sky ShowcaseSky AtlanticSky SportsNetflixDiscovery+
Sky Entertainment & Netflix + Sky Sports Pack

150+ channels included
£74/month
18 month contract
Sky
Sky Stream, Sky Entertainment & Netflix with Ultrafast Plus Broadband + Sky Sports

500Mbps
average download
Sky ShowcaseSky AtlanticSky SportsNetflixDiscovery+
Sky Entertainment & Netflix + Sky Sports Pack

150+ channels included
£85/month
18 month contract

See all Sky Broadband Deals →

During the online order process, Sky will give you an expected download speed as well as a minimum guaranteed speed for your service. Both of these will be specific to your address. Sky will also give you a go-live date for your new broadband service. To minimise any overlap in service, you should time the cancellation of your old Virgin Media broadband service so it ends on the date your new Sky service starts.

If you'd like to keep your current home phone or landline number, remember to provide this phone number when ordering your broadband package from Sky. As long as you do this, Sky will arrange for your phone number to be moved over to their service.

Once you've ordered your service from Sky, remember to contact Virgin Media to cancel your old home broadband service. If you forget to contact Virgin Media, your old Virgin Media broadband service will continue to run and you'll continue paying the bill for both services at the same time.

Step 3: Plug in your Sky Broadband Hub on the go-live date

In advance of your broadband service switching over, Sky will send you a new Sky Broadband Hub through the post.

On the go-live date for your Sky broadband service, you can expect your broadband service to stop working for a couple of minutes. When this happens, it'll be time to plug in your new Sky Broadband Hub. There'll be instructions inside the package on how you can set up the new Sky Broadband Hub.

Your new Sky Broadband Hub will initially be configured with a different Wi-Fi network name (SSID) and password. On all of the devices that were previously connected to your Virgin Media router, you'll therefore need to sign in again to the Wi-Fi network using the new details provided by Sky. For instance, you may need to log in again on your laptop, tablet, smartphone, smart TV and other smart home devices.

Alternatively, if it's too much hassle setting up Wi-Fi again on all of your devices, you can log in to Sky Broadband Hub administration screen to change the Wi-Fi network details back to what you had before on Virgin Media.

If you’re using a Wi-Fi repeater or a mesh networking solution such as BT Whole Home Wi-Fi or Google Nest Wi-Fi, you’ll need to set it up again at this point to work with your new Sky Broadband Hub.

Step 4: Return or recycle your old Virgin Media router

Once your Sky broadband service goes live, you should ensure your old Virgin Media broadband service has been cancelled. You’ll receive a final bill from Virgin Media following the cancellation, which will reflect your usage of their service up until cancellation.

Once you’ve changed your broadband service to Sky, you’ll need to return your old Virgin Media equipment. This inclues your Virgin Media Hub, along with your Virgin TV set-top box if you have one.

If you’re using a Virgin Media email address, this will be closed 90 days after you cancel your Virgin Media broadband service. It isn’t possible to keep your email address after cancelling your service. Email addresses provided by Virgin Media may end in @virginmedia.com, @blueyonder.co.uk, @ntlworld.com or @virgin.net.

Sky also offers an e-mail service for their broadband customers. However, we'd typically recommend signing up for a free email provider instead (such as Gmail or Outlook.com). These free email services aren’t linked to your broadband provider so you can easily change your broadband service again in the future with a lot less hassle.

Start your switch from Virgin Media to Sky →

More Information

Please see the Sky website for more information about switching to their broadband service.

You can follow the instructions below if you're switching from Sky to Virgin Media Broadband.

Are you switching from Virgin Media to Sky instead? Tap for instructions.

Step 1: Check your Sky cancellation fee

To start with, check whether a cancellation fee will apply for ending your Sky broadband service.

If you’re already outside the minimum term of your contract with Sky, there will be no cancellation fees for ending your Sky broadband service. You’ll simply pay for your usage of the Sky broadband service up until the date that the service is cancelled.

If you’re still within the minimum term of your contract with Sky (i.e. the initial 12 months, 18 months or 24 months you signed up for), an early exit fee will apply for ending your Sky broadband service. This cancellation fee is plan-dependent but is typically £12.41 to £24.23 for each remaining month on your plan. You can get a quote for what this exit fee will be by calling Sky customer services on 0333 7591 018. Alternatively, there’s more information on how to calculate it within our guide to cancelling Sky.

You can find the contract end date for your Sky Broadband service by logging in to your My Sky account. Once you’ve logged in, go to your Message Centre followed by Your Contracts. Choose your broadband plan to see details of the end date.

If you have other services such as Sky TV or Sky Mobile, these are separate from your Sky broadband service. You’ll need to contact Sky separately if you’d like to cancel these services at the same time.

Step 2: Order your Virgin Media Broadband service

To progress with your broadband switch from Sky to Virgin Media, go to Virgin Media’s website to order your new Virgin Media broadband service.

For more information, select the type of broadband service you're planning to switch to on Virgin Media:

At present, Virgin Media offers a range of home broadband plans including the following:

ServiceBroadbandTelevisionMonthly Price
(may rise during contract)
Virgin Media
M125 fibre broadband only

132Mbps
average download

No TV
£24/month
24 month contract
Virgin Media
M50 fibre broadband + phone

54Mbps
average download

No TV
£28/month
18 month contract
Virgin Media
Big bundle

132Mbps
average download
100+ channels

Mixit TV
£31/month
18 month contract
Virgin Media
M250 fibre broadband only

264Mbps
average download

No TV
£36/month
24 month contract
Virgin Media
M500 fibre broadband only

516Mbps
average download

No TV
£42/month
24 month contract
Virgin Media
M350 fibre broadband only

362Mbps
average download

No TV
£42/month
24 month contract
Virgin Media
Gig1 fibre broadband only

1130Mbps
average download

No TV
£48/month
24 month contract
Virgin Media
Bigger Combo Bundle

264Mbps
average download
Sky Showcase
190+ channels

Mega TV
£49/month
18 month contract
Virgin Media
Bigger Sports Combo Bundle

264Mbps
average download
Sky ShowcaseSky Sports
195+ channels

Mega TV + Sky Sports
£65/month
18 month contract
Virgin Media
Biggest Combo Bundle

132Mbps
average download
Sky ShowcaseSky SportsSky Cinema
210+ channels

Mega TV + Sky Sports + Sky Cinema
£79/month
18 month contract

See all Virgin Media Broadband Deals →

During the online order process, Virgin Media will give you an expected download speed as well as a minimum guaranteed speed for your service. Both of these will be specific to your address. Virgin Media will also give you a go-live date for your new broadband service. To minimise any overlap in service, you should time the cancellation of your old Sky broadband service so it ends on the date your new Virgin Media service starts.

If you'd like to keep your current home phone or landline number, remember to provide this phone number when ordering your broadband package from Virgin Media. As long as you do this, Virgin Media will arrange for your phone number to be moved over to their service. Note that Virgin Media doesn’t always provide a landline with their service so this will only be possible if your package includes a home phone service.

Once you've ordered your service from Virgin Media, remember to contact Sky to cancel your old home broadband service. If you forget to contact Sky, your old Sky broadband service will continue to run and you'll continue paying the bill for both services at the same time.

Step 3: Plug in your Virgin Media Hub on the go-live date

In advance of your broadband service switching over, Virgin Media will send you a new Virgin Media Hub through the post. Most Virgin Media customers will receive a Hub 3 router. Alternatively, you’ll get a Hub 4 if you sign up to Gig1 fibre broadband.

On the go-live date for your Virgin Media broadband service, you can expect your broadband service to stop working for a couple of minutes. When this happens, it'll be time to plug in your new Virgin Media Hub. There'll be instructions inside the package on how you can set up the new Virgin Media Hub.

Your new Virgin Media Hub will initially be configured with a different Wi-Fi network name (SSID) and password. On all of the devices that were previously connected to your Sky router, you'll therefore need to sign in again to the Wi-Fi network using the new details provided by Virgin Media. For instance, you may need to log in again on your laptop, tablet, smartphone, smart TV and other smart home devices.

Alternatively, if it's too much hassle setting up Wi-Fi again on all of your devices, you can log in to Virgin Media Hub administration screen to change the Wi-Fi network details back to what you had before on Sky.

If you’re using a Wi-Fi repeater or a mesh networking solution such as BT Whole Home Wi-Fi or Google Nest Wi-Fi, you’ll need to set it up again at this point to work with your new Virgin Media Hub.

Step 4: Return or recycle your old Sky router

Once your Virgin Media broadband service goes live, you should ensure your old Sky broadband service has been cancelled. You’ll receive a final bill from Sky following the cancellation, which will reflect your usage of their service up until cancellation.

If you have an old Sky Broadband router, you’ll need to return it if you have Sky Q or if you joined Sky Broadband after the 4th March 2020. If you don’t, a non-return fee will be charged on your final bill. For everyone else, it’s optional to return your old Sky broadband router but we’d recommend it to reduce the amount of electrical waste.

If you’re using a Sky email address, you can keep it at no additional cost when you cancel your home broadband service. However, you’ll need to make sure you sign in to your account at least once every six months to stop it from being deleted. Email addresses provided by Sky end in @sky.com.

Virgin Media also offers an e-mail service for their broadband customers. However, we'd typically recommend signing up for a free email provider instead (such as Gmail or Outlook.com). These free email services aren’t linked to your broadband provider so you can easily change your broadband service again in the future with a lot less hassle.

Start your switch from Sky to Virgin Media →

More Information

Please see the Virgin Media website for more information about switching to their broadband service.

Alternatively, for further information, read our in-depth guides to switching broadband provider or cancelling your home broadband service in the UK.

Your Comments 39 so far

We'd love to hear your thoughts and any questions you may have. So far, we've received 39 comments from readers. You can add your own comment here.

  • VM to Plusnet: “Step 3: Plug in your Plusnet router on the go-live date”

    Plug the Plusnet router into what? Don’t they need to install the thing it gets plugged into, first?

    • Hi Andy,
      Thanks for your comment. Do you have an Openreach master socket (for fibre), or an Openreach modem/ONT (for full fibre)? If not, this will be installed by an engineer during their visit to your home. You’ll then be able to plug in your Plusnet Hub router into that.
      Ken

  • Peter Stanley said:

    Does Sky use underground fibre cable or fibre via the Openreach poles? I am currently with Virgin Media.

    • Hi Peter,
      Thanks for your comment. Sky uses the Openreach network. This can be delivered either via an underground duct or an overhead pole, depending on what is normally used in your area (e.g. if your neighbours have their telephone line delivered on a pole, the fibre optic cable will also come from that pole).
      Hope this helps,
      Ken

  • The easy switching wasn’t so easy for me. I was out of contract and switched from TalkTalk to Vodafone, I selected keep my old number and it said they would contact TalkTalk so I didn’t have to do anything. It to the date when Vodafone installed, that went fine. I hadn’t heard anything from TalkTalk about leaving so I rang them, Vodafone hadn’t informed them but oddly now my landline number is same for Vodafone as it is for TalkTalk so how that happens who knows. Anyway, now I have to pay an extra month to TalkTalk for a notice period. So if doing a switch I would always ring your current providor and tell them you are leaving.

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