Sky TV plans & prices: Which package offers the most value?

TV packages have started to make a much more noticeable dent in our monthly bills, due to the cost of living hiking up everyday prices. I don’t think I’m wrong in saying that every household in the world has a TV and the majority of them will have a streaming subscription (or two or three…), so it’s highly unlikely that anyone will be willing to give up their TV, even as the prices start to make our eyes water.

In general, Sky is an extremely popular TV, mobile and broadband provider. Its big attraction has to be Sky TV with its range of channels, apps and packages available. If you’re considering signing up to Sky TV, it’s a good idea to properly look into what each package offers and how much it’ll be each month or throughout the duration of the contract length. That’s where this guide comes in.

As a Sky TV user, I really enjoy what it has to offer but I do think it’s still important to re-evaluate what I’m paying for so I don’t feel like I’m wasting my money. There are five Sky TV packages to choose from (all come with Netflix as standard) and there’s also a sixth option where you can make your own Sky TV package for a unique price. See the best Sky deals for more details.

To help you assess which Sky TV package has the most value, here’s what you get from each Sky TV package, how much it costs and if it's worth the investment. P.S. If you’re already a Sky TV user, keep the cost down with these five tips on how to save money on Sky TV.

Sky TV & Netflix

The first and most basic Sky TV package is Sky TV & Netflix. This package has access to all Sky TV channels, including Sky Atlantic, Sky Max, Sky Showcase, Sky Comedy, Sky Documentaries, Sky Arts, Sky Crime, Sky Witness and Sky Nature. You’ll notice that Sky Sports and Sky Cinema aren’t included, as they have their own specific package – more on this below.

Alongside these Sky channels, you can also find 600+ TV channels like BBC, ITV, Channel 4, E4, Channel 5, Comedy Central, alibi, Gold and many more. Peacock – an American streaming service – is also available for free for Sky customers and you can access other apps like YouTube and Netflix. Other platforms like Disney+, Apple TV+ and FIIT, you’ll either have to add-on to your package or pay for the subscription cost.

As Netflix is included as standard for all Sky TV packages, you get access to all Netflix films, TV series, documentaries and more. The price for the Sky TV & Netflix package is £26 a month for 18 months (£468 for the whole contract length) and you’ll have to pay a one-off set-up fee for £20.

This is the Sky TV package that I have and I honestly couldn’t ask for much more. I like the amount of channels that are on offer and I have tons of recordings saved that I can dive into when I can’t find the specific films or programmes on Netflix. For example, I’m currently bingeing The Real Housewives of New Jersey from the start which I downloaded with Peacock and I have every single episode of Sex and The City recorded from the Sky Comedy channel.

Sky TV, Netflix & Sky Sports

The Sky TV, Netflix & Sky Sports package gives customers access to a huge selection of sports channels. You can find Premier League, Formula One and main event channels, plus a mix of games and tournaments for football, rugby, golf, cricket and racing. All Sports channels are HD so you can experience every detail in high definition. The Sky Sports package is £46 a month for 18 months (£828 overall) with a one-off £20 setup fee when you sign up.

I don’t have access to Sky Sports with my Sky TV subscription but my parents used to have it so I have experienced what it has to offer. I’d definitely say that for £20 more a month, you only get access to 8 dedicated Sky Sports channels, which in my opinion, seems like a bit much (although it totals to £2.50 per sports channel). I don’t think I watch enough sports to appreciate the Sky Sports package, however, if you’re a big sports fan, this package does have all the sports channels you’d want and covers a wide range of sports.

Sky TV, Netflix & Sky Cinema

For the cinema lovers, you’ll definitely want to consider the Sky TV, Netflix & Sky Cinema package. With this package, you get access to 11 Sky Cinema channels, including Premiere, Hits, Greats, Family, Action, Comedy, Romance, Disney, Thriller, Sci-Fi and Horror and Select. Each channel shows new, old and popular movies all day every day, and you can record them if you’re going to be out when they’re showing or you can download them on-demand. Sky Cinema also adds temporary channels depending on the season, so you can find tons of Christmas movies with Sky Cinema Christmas during the festive period.

The Sky Cinema package is just £38 a month for 18 months (£684 in total) and has a one-off £20 setup fee. When you look at it, you’re paying £12 more a month than the standard plan, which means you’re paying just over £1 for each Sky Cinema channel which is pretty impressive.

As I have my fair share of streaming platforms, I don’t have Sky Cinema but again, I have tried it out when I used to live at home. When I did have it, I didn’t watch as many movies as I’d expected, although I really enjoyed the Sky Cinema Harry Potter channel. This channel shows every film from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series back to back every single day. You can’t find Harry Potter on any streaming service (other than NOW TV which is owned by Sky) so this is definitely something to consider if you’re a Potter fan.

Sky TV, Sky Sports & BT Sports

For more sports, I’d recommend the Sky TV, Sky Sports & BT Sports package. This bundle has all 8 Sky Sports channels and the BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2, BT Sport 3 and BT Sport ESPN channels, all in HD. BT Sports channels shows all Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and Premiership Rugby games, WWE, boxing and UFC matches and MotoGP races. It offers many more sporting events than just Sky Sports on its own, so it’s worth considering if you watch a lot of sports.

The Sky & BT Sports package is £67 a month for 18 months (£1,206 for the full contract length) and has a one-off £20 setup cost. This is the most expensive package from Sky TV. I should also mention that if you have Amazon Prime Video, you can find BT Sports channels and other live tournaments on there, so sticking to the standard Sky Sports package and spending £7.99 on a Prime subscription is much cheaper than this bundle.

Sky TV, Netflix & Kids

Finally, the Sky TV, Netflix & Kids package has a huge catalogue of channels, including dedicated kids channels. This package gives you access to 11 Sky Kids channels, including CBBC, CBeebies, Boomerang, CITV, Milkshake, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD. This package costs £32 a month for 18 months (£576) and has the standard £20 one-off setup fee like the rest.

When I was younger, I used to watch Sky Kids channels with my family’s Sky subscription so I can definitely vouch for the content on there. I loved Disney Channel and took full advantage of all the Disney channels available on Sky. However, you can find a lot of the old and new Disney Channel TV series and movies (like Camp Rock, Hannah Montana and High School Musical) on Disney+ if you already have a subscription. If you don’t have kids or don’t enjoy watching kids channels, you don’t really need this package but it does unlock a lot of kid-friendly content if that’s what you’re after.

Which Sky TV package offers the most value?

Like I say in all these guides, it really depends on what you want and how much you’re willing to pay that decides the value of each package. However, in my opinion, I think that the basic Sky TV & Netflix package does offer an amazing amount of value and gives you the best of Sky and the best of Netflix. Let me break this down a bit further.

With the Sky TV & Netflix package, you get all Sky channels and tons of movies and series through Netflix which eliminates the need for Sky Cinema. As Netflix has kids profiles, you also don’t need the Sky Kids package if you’re looking to keep the costs down. If you have a Disney+ subscription, you can add this on to your Sky TV package for just £7 a month which again, cancels out the need for Sky Cinema and Sky Kids.

As an aside, I do think if you’re a big sports fan and you don’t use Amazon Prime, you really should consider the Sky TV, Netflix & Sky Sports package. It’s not too much extra a month compared to the standard Sky TV plan and does deliver a good amount of games, tournaments, chat shows and more. Personally, I wouldn’t be willing to spend £67 a month on the Sky TV, Sky Sports & BT Sports package, especially as I have Amazon Prime Video and can get sports channels through there, so it doesn’t hold as much value for me.

If you’re unsure about Sky TV, I’d suggest taking a look at NOW TV. NOW TV users get access to all Sky channels, exclusives, network premieres and movie releases, including dedicated Entertainment, Cinema and Sports memberships which are cheaper than paying for a Sky TV package each month. If you’re a new or existing NOW TV user, check out these 5 ways to save money on NOW TV.

For more money-saving advice, take a look at Netflix, Amazon Prime & Disney+: Which streaming service offers the most value? to determine which streaming platform is for you.