For those looking to save money on subscriptions to Sky Sports and ESPN, we’ve provided a handy table comparing the costs of going with Sky, BT Vision or Top Up TV.
For many sports fans, Sky is the place to get your sport. They offer 4 sports channels, all in HD, as well as the ESPN and British Eurosport channels. Going with Sky does come at a price though, and many are considering switching to services that don’t require a dish, or such a large monthly outlay.
Two services worth a look for live Barclays Premier League football, are:
- BT Vision – The offer live TV from Freeview, hundreds of hours of on-demand content, plus Premier League coverage
- Top Up TV – This also uses Freeview for live TV, and allows you to use a subscription card to add Sky Sports and ESPN.
The Costs
| Sky Sports 1 only | Sky Sports 1 & 2 | ESPN | Package | Broadband | Total for all 3 | |
 |
£20 for Sky Sports 1 to 4 | £9 | £20 for Entertainment Pack | Free | £49 plus line rental. With Broadband & free weekend calls | |
 |
£12.30 | £17.40 | Free (on Vision Unlimited) | £12.50 for Vision Unlimited Pack | From £14 plus line rental | £43.90 plus line rental. With Broadband and free weekend calls |
 |
£24.99 | £33.99 | £10.99 | N/A | N/A | £40.99. No broadband |
Prices correct as of Sept 2011.
Check supplier’s website for latest pricing
How to choose:
Want the best choice?
It has to be Sky. All four Sky Sports channels, plus many other sports channels. Plus the best choice for HD, and sport on the move using the Sky Go service.
More details: sky.com/shop/tv/sports
Got BT Broadband?
You should strongly consider getting BT Vision. It offers Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports 2 and ESPN, as well as loads of movies and TV shows that you can view on demand. The service comes with a hard-dish recorder called a Vision+ box, and accessing the Premier League footy will be cheaper than going with Sky. The downside? No HD.
More details: sky.com/shop/tv/sports
Want Broadband too?
If you’re looking to get Broadband or switch providers, BT could have the answer. Although Sky offers free broadband and BT doesn’t the lower-priced TV packages bring BT below the price for Sky.
That having been said, if you want HD, Multiroom or Sport on the move, then pay the extra for Sky.
Don’t care about broadband?
Cheapest option is Top Up TV. Their prices look higher at first glance, but bear in mind there’s no broadband costs, TV packages or line rental to pay. If you want a deal without Broadband, it’s Top Up TV
More details: topuptv.com/skysports
No contract?
Again, that’ll be Top Up TV. There’s an option to cancel with 30 days notice. Handy for when the football finishes. Details at topuptv.com/skysports
Other pages:
While you’re here, these pages might be of interest:
- BT Vision Review
- Top Up TV Review
- Sports Channels in the UK – Our list of the main sports channels
- Sky Sports – How to get Sky Sports in the UK
