Legacy Sky TV plans could be costing you more than you need to pay.
Earlier this year Sky TV shook up its channel list and plans, just two years after the last revamp. The changes, in theory, bring you greater flexibility and potentially save you money too.
Though new customers when signing up would get the new suite of channels, existing customers haven’t been automatically switched over – and will have faced price increases too.
Though the latest changes aren’t too different in price (if you’re paying full price), older packages were much more expensive. You could be paying at least £32 a month for the Variety package or £38 for Box Sets – and getting less channels.
So what can you do about it? Well first a little about the differences
How the new Sky TV packages compare
Sky Signature & Sky Ultimate (2020 onwards)
There are two new TV packages. The prices below are the out-of-contract ones, but it’s likely you’ll get a discount for switching over/signing up to a new 18-month contract.
Sky Signature
In 2020, Sky Signature replaced Sky Entertainment as the basic TV package.
This package costs £30 (though new customers or those who re-contract will currently be able to pay less £5 to start – if not more).
It includes the Box Sets package as standard which was previously £5 extra a month, though you could pick and choose which months you had this.
Sky Ultimate
There’s also a Sky Ultimate package which costs an extra £6 a month (again there are discounts for new customers). You might be getting this a flexible add-on, or you might be signing up to a new 18-month commitment.
Sky Ultimate includes the basic Netflix subscription (which normally costs £5.99 a month). You’ll need to be on Sky Q to get this.
Extras
You have to pay extra for additional top-ups though you can pick and choose these every 31 days.
- Sky HD (£6 a month)
- Sky Ultra HD & Netflix Premium (£10 a month)
- Kids (£5 a month)
You can also add on Sky Cinema channels and Disney +.
Sky Entertainment (2018-2020)
Sky Entertainment was introduced in 2018 and if you have this you’re set up as follows:
- Entertainment (£24 a month for most) – all the entertainment and music channels from the Original and Variety packages
Then there were extra top-ups you can add or remove month-by-month.
- Kids (£5 extra month)
- Box Sets (£5 extra month)
- HD Channels (£5 extra month)
Sky Original, Variety or Box Sets (pre 2018)
The previous changes saw the end of these old Sky TV plans:
- Original (£20 a month) – the standard Sky TV channels (eg Sky One, Sky Atlantic, Fox)
- Variety (£32 a month) – additional entertainment (eg Discovery), kids and music (eg MTV) channels
- Box Sets (£38 a month) – The Variety bundle plus box sets and HD channels
Andy’s Analysis
Will you be paying more or less?
If you only want the very basic Sky TV package, Signature will be more expensive than Entertainment.
However if you have any extras such as box sets then it’ll be a similar cost. If you’re on the older Variety pack then you will be saving money and getting more channels.
The change in price also depends on whether you’ve got a discount right now or not. Often if you’re out of contract it also means the price you pay is more than it was when you signed up.
Should you pay for Netflix via Sky?
It’ll be tempting for lots of people to get Netflix as part of their package and pay for your Netflix via your Sky bill. But should you?
Personally I think it’s better to keep it separate as it gives you more control. The Ultimate package locks you in for the first 18 months, meaning you will pay for your Netflix even if you don’t watch it.
The only exception is if you want to add HD channels to your Sky subscription and use the mid-level Netflix package.
Signing up for HD channels on Sky will cost you an extra £6 a month every month. This combined with the Ultimate add-on to get Netflix (another £6 a month) totals £12 a month.
However paying for HD and keeping your mid-range Netflix separate (an extra £8.99 a month) means you’d pay around £2.99 more a month.
You can link your existing Netflix account to your Sky account via the Sky Q box or your Sky account.
What to do if you’re on an old Sky TV package
First, work out what you’re paying for now and how much it costs. You need to get a copy of your bill. It should clearly say what package you are on. If it says anything other than Signature or Ultimate for your TV then you’re on an old bundle.
You then need to find out how much they’ll charge you for the new packages. It’s likely they’ll be offering a discount if you agree to a new 18-month contract.
It can be hard to get through via the phone right now, but you should also be able to see on your online account – or even via your Sky box – whether you’re being offered discounts to switch over to Sky Signature or Sky Ultimate.
Before you agree to a new deal, even if it is a lot cheaper, I think it’s also worth asking why you’ve been overpaying – particularly if you’ve been on an older Variety for the last few years.
You should ask for the money you’ve overpaid back. They might not do this, but you might be able to get a further discount instead or have one of the add-ons (eg HD) given to you for free for a year.
However, it’s better to consider whether it’s even worth staying with Sky at all.
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How to reduce your Sky TV bill
You’ve got two options. One if you want to stay with Sky, and one if you’d consider leaving. With both you still get the same channels and you should save some serious cash.
Leave Sky – Replace with NOW TV
Personally I think the best savings are through ditching Sky TV.
I’ve not paid for Sky TV (or Virgin, Talk Talk or BT TV) for six years now. That’s because Sky has another service called NOW TV which has the bulk of the channels, including Sky Atlantic and lots of box sets, and it’s far cheaper.
You pay £8.99 a month for the Entertainment pass. You can actually get it for less through special offers and I never pay more than £5 a month.
Even at full price it’s £21 less every month than the full price Signature pass – which adds up to £252 a year. Even if you manage to get Signature for less, say £25, that’s still £192 a year more than the same channels with NOW TV. You’re also not committed to a 12 or 18-month contract so you can cancel at any time.
You can also buy Kids, Sky Cinema and Sky Sports passes. Kids and Cinema once more work out the same or cheaper than going through Sky and you are also on a 30-day contract.
Sports though is a different case and costs more on NOW TV if you want to watch it at least a few times a week. However there are day and week passes which represent good value, and often discounts on month long passes too.
The big difference between Sky and NOW TV is this is a streaming service, like Netflix or iPlayer. So you can stream live or on-demand, but you can’t record. If you want to record Freeview channels (so BBC, C4, Five etc) then you can pick up a decent Freeview recording box for around £125. This should last you at least two years (ours is still going strong in its fifth year) – which means it’s the equivalent of £5.21 a month for 24 months – and then nothing after. Add that on to the NOW TV pass and you’re still saving decent cash.
Stay with Sky – Haggle for more savings
Ok, so if you want to stay with Sky, then don’t accept the first offer. Even if you are offered a discount to swap over, you might be able to negotiate further savings.
Try to get them on the phone or via live chat and politely tell them you think it’s too much money and ask them to see what they can do.
While you’re at it, if you also pay for movies or sports channels, or get internet too, see if Sky will also offer you a saving on these as well.
If you’re out of contract with Sky then you can help to push your case by saying you’re thinking of leaving. Ask to speak to the retentions department. It’s worth doing five minutes of research to see what other companies are charging.
You will probably have to agree to a new 18-month contract, so do check over the total prices before saying yes. There’s no point accepting free extras if you’re not going to watch those channels or use those services.
Hi Andy, I like other callers have been with Sky for 20+ years. We are avid sports watchers and get sky sports complete. This only gives us access to some sports. I.e. we can’t select say the tennis we wish to see; only what sky are showing on channels 401 and 407. Often they’re both showing for instance ladies tennis, whilst we would like to be able to choose men’s tennis. Can you advise how we best play this?
Jon
Hi !
We are currently on Sky Variety package – sky + HD box with multi room. We are paying £72 each month.
Would we be better off upgrading to Sky Q for value for money or not ?
We are platinum sky VIPs.
TIA
I have Sky and at the moment paying £98. I have BT broadband and sports channels and landlines and paying £76 per month. We have been Sky customers for many years and at 90 and 82 yrs of age are getting confused with this Sky Signature. We have Q boxes and enjoy sports channels. It seems that we are paying a lot of money for our only means of entertainment. Any advice you can give me.
I am currently with Sky and have a Sky+ Box with:
Legacy F1
Sky+ HD Pack
Sky Atlantic Variety
Sky Sports Complete Pack
LFC T.V.
This is costing me £103.00 per month.
I have broadband with Virgin Media which costs £55.00 per month.
In order to cut my bills I’m considering getting my broadband and T.V. from Virgin Media.
Which Virgin Media T.V. package would I need to get to get all the T.V. channels I now receive?
I hear once you’re with Virgin Media it is very hard to cancel the contract so be careful putting all eggs in one basket. Plus I hear satellite tv is more expensive with them than Sky.
Maybe see what channels you don’t use & go with a basic sky package like Signature and look at another broadband deal, like Plusnet or Talk Talk. I paid £28 for Plusnet unlimited fibre broadband. With optional unlimited landline & mobile calls for £11.76. 24 months contract but cancel anytime if they don’t fulfil 71mps download/17/18mps upload. No penalty fee.
As a new customer you may get a much cheaper deal.
Just to add the cost for free calls to landline & mobile make my monthly contract of £38.99 but each year they will add CPI 3.91% to bill. That’s the index price/base interest rate I think – unsure of technical terms.
I’m sure new customers could get cheaper deal.
Hi Andy
When we moved 7 years ago we didn’t inform sky of our new address. We have used the same direct debit with them for many years. Can I cancel the d/d as they have no address for me ??
I am with sky entertainment at present and my contract is up. I am going to Sky signature because they have offered me a good deal I think. I have been with them for over twenty years . I don’t understand all the conditions they write so do I have to have a Qbox because I don’t have one at present just three sky+ ones. Will they charge me more for these as well. I just jumped in an ordered the sky signature on line and now I don’t know what to do but my old deal was going up to over £70 and the only thing we have extra is the box sets.
Hi Andy
Good name by the way
My phone line and broad band is with BT
I have BT Sport on all my boxes 4 of them
I pay Sky £58.50 a month and get
Sky Sports and all the other stuff except the Disney and Netflix on all boxes
Here is the question
I am thinking of going Sky Glass with the 55 inch @ £17 a month plus the add on of £26 a month for Netflix and ultra
Don’t need Sky’s BT sports because it’s comes on all boxes via BT
So £43 plus the cost of the full sports package and cost for Ultra Hd
Been with Sky 20 years by the way
So is it another £6 + £21 for the sports package and the signature pack that I think I have
Sorry to be so long winded
Think I have covered everything
Oh sorry the pucks is it only one free and pay for all the others
Thanks for your help
Andy A
When you sign up to sky do you own the equipment eg tuner and HDD drive and recording box when your contract expires or must you return it?
The Sky Q box belongs to Sky so you’ll need to return it if they ask. And it seems the Sky Q boxes don’t work as Freesat boxes in the way older versions did
Checked my mums sky bill its for older sky hd box basic tv package 10mb broadband and phone calls included and she`s paying £92.50 a month this seems way to much ,as new sky q phone and 59mb internet can be had for £33.
Can i cancel her package and i sign up for new sky q offer as the same address ?
You’re probably best calling up Sky on your mum’s behalf and seeing what they can offer. Tell them you’re planning on leaving and see what they offer.
You could cancel the package (if you’re out of contract), but you might not be able to sign up in her name for a new contract.
If upgrade to the new deal of sky! Will I need a sky a box? I have the old box.
Hi Andy
Very interesting thanks. Can I ask can you get programmes in D aand Ultra HD on Now TV?
Regards
Kevin
Hi Kevin, you need to pay extra for something called Boost for the full HD. There’s no UHD right now.
i have been with sky for over 20 years and the price has go up and up which is a waste of money as a lot of the programmes are repeats.
I took on SKY after some years away (when they removed Discovery’ and still inmsisted on charging the same price – so I left with a £50 refund, but still no Discovery)
My replacement was Plusnet and YouTV – rubbish CS after 5 or 6years so left after acrimonious debate with the CEO’s office staff and rejoined SKY.
TOTALLY different CS – Excellent during the COVID (I was on Chemo and needed the landline, which turned out to be ‘VOIP’ and which they ensured was running 24/7 one way or the other).
In April I noticed my Bill would go up to £53 in June, then £86 in July (end of Contract) so told them that was far too much, cannot afford it so would move as could only manage £50>60 at most. I was informed that nearer the time I would be contacted with a deal. But a week or so later noticed that the Future costs would be £67pm. Still over my budget, but as it was early May, decided to leave it until I heard from them, Never heard anything so contacted them, today.
Told them Virgin now fitting FTTPremises on my estate and had compared their prices with BT’s and Sky’s for the same package(s).
Ended up on ‘Signature’ with Landline; Anytime Calls ‘Superfast BB (at a guaranteed (50Gbps/16Gbps) – as opposed to 45/12 now) and Boost All in at £56, i.e., just £10 more rather than their £67 offer against the £86 the full price.
So happy for now – just shows what asking the question can do!
(Of course, if Virgin (who worked out at £69 for same content – BT was £53) blow the fibres within the next 28days will cancel Sky with no penalty and have a Guarenteed 109Gbps/51Gbps for extra £2!! Jobs a good’un’)
Thanks for this Andy…
18/6/2021 today… just checking my Sky account… Never recall getting an invoice from them!!! so I do not know what we are getting from them… Do not know what box I have got… just says Sky on the top…
my account looks like this at present…
March 2021… £23.70
April 2021… £26.10… = 10.13%/mnth increase
May 2021… £30.10… = 15.33%/mnth increase…
i.e. 27% increase over two months…
I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!!
We have had the old sky variety for years we have the phone 24/7 and broadband we never really thought how much we were paying until my daughter checked it has now gone up to £91 which is a lot too much .we have been with sky a lot of years can we get a better deal
I have just found out that my parents (88yrs & 85yrs ) are paying £109 per month! This is made up of Variety, Sports, HD Mix, Movies & Multibox that they don’t use. They’re out of contract and in poor health. I’m trying to move them local to their children so was investigating how this can proceed without them losing their service and so the full horror story has been uncovered. My Dad told me he was paying £87pm so even he is not aware that he’s paying £109. Spoke to a lovely girl at Sky today. Going to be moving them to a £26 Signature package which is all that they need now. Wish I could put two fingers up to Sky but my Mum uses the planner a lot to record her programmes and save things. No wonder Sky is such a wealthy company.
I’m with sky on. An old plan with sky sports bt sports and sky cinema paying €72 per month I have now been informed I’m being changed to sky signature and another €6 per month. What will I be getting? Will I get HD and.Netflix. I’m 79 so changing is not an option. I’m highly amused to be told I’m a VIP with once in a lifetime experiences when all I want is the best service for the smallest cost
Hi Irene, I think it’s worth phoning them up and asking exactly what you’ll get for that money and see if they can cut the channels you don’t want to bring the price down. Even though you know you don’t want to leave – they don’t need to know that. It’s a little white lie that will hopefully get you better prices,
I am paying £84 for sky signiture landline broadband netflix
I am currently paying for Skysports F1 HD which gives us lots of channels plus obviously the F1 races etc but no other sports. This deal is not on their list now but I am on it unless I change. It has just been raised in price and I wonder what it would cost me to change to basic Sky with skysports, any help would be appreciated.
Hi,
Been on old Sky Variety for years. Sky Q box and multi screen. Dropped sports a long time ago, but kids getting older so would like to bite the bullet and get Sky sports, Bt and Premier sports (Ultimate Package?) . Any advice so I don’t get fleeced??
Have landline and broadband with Sky also. Based in Ireland
I am on the following at the moment
Variety
Sky sports complete pack
Sky cinema
Sky + HD pack
SkyQ multiscreen pack
I am just moving to gigaclear fibre broadband (300MB) and have been offered Sky Ultimate (+ signature?) as part of the package.
I cannot get anyone at Sky to tell me what I no longer need if I go to the ultimate package
Is sky cinema part of the ultimate package ?
Does ultimate and signature include HD?
What do I need to cancel and what do I need to keep?
Help!!!
Thanks for this article. I pay for my mum’s tv/phone/broadband through Sky – just the basics. She wants Sky Cinema added – what would be best way of doing this please? Sky Signature seems a bit of a rip-off..
Hi Abdul. You could phone them up and see what they’d do. If you are out of contract and say you’re thinking of leaving this can be a way to haggle a better deal.
Sky Cinema can be really expensive for what you get, so if she has a smart TV and is confident with using them it might be worth looking at NOW TV. You can get Sky Cinema for £11.99 a month – but you can cancel it month to month. So add it for Christmas and then cancel it until you want to try again.
Hi there Andy. Great advice – totally agree with NOW TV option – I’ll go with that.
Thanks loads
Very useful article thanks. Used it to contact Sky, negotiated a new package, got two Sky Q boxes and fitting, (new dish), for free, added in Sky Cinema and HD, and paying £10 a month less than on the old package.
That’s great!!