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Helping you make the most out of your money
Helping you make the most out of your money
Updated
Football is the nation’s favourite sport, but it’s getting increasingly expensive to watch on television. We outline the cheapest ways to watch Premier League and Champions League matches you want to see.
Whether you’re an avid Arsenal fan or a suffering Spurs supporter, tuning in to watch your side push for three points every weekend has become an expensive hobby.
If you refuse to stump up for monthly subscriptions to various sports entertainment providers, your best bet is either to trek to the pub – where you’ll probably shell out for pricey pints – or settle in at a friend’s house.
We’ve got some tips to help you cut the cost of watching the beautiful game, whether it’s the Premier League or the Champions League.
In this article:
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This season, 200 games will be broadcast on television. However, note that matches taking place at 3pm on Saturdays are not shown in the UK.
The matches will be split between the following providers:
This means if your priority is watching as many Premier League games as possible, a Sky Sports subscription is the way to go. If you also want Champions League matches along with 52 more Premier League fixtures, you’ll need to subscribe to TNT Sports.
If you’re not an existing Sky customer and you just want Sky Sports, a Now TV Sports membership costs £34.99 a month. It gives you access to all of Sky’s games. If you won’t be watching that regularly, you can buy a Now TV day pass for just £11.99. This gives you access to 24 hours of Sky Sports.
If you only want access to TNT Sports, you can get it via a Discovery+ membership, which costs £29.99 a month.
We explain how you can pay just £17.75 per month for access to all of Sky Sports’ and TNT Sports’ games.
If you’re paying outright for all of the Sky Sports and TNT Sports matches on their own, you’re looking at a whopping total of £64.98 each month.
However, if you’re an existing broadband or TV customer, you may be able to cut costs depending on your provider.
New and existing Virgin Media TV or broadband customers can add Virgin Media Stream Premium’s Sky Sports HD service* for just £18.75 a month. This will give you access to all of Sky’s Premier League games. You can cancel this additional subscription at any time. It’s worth noting that the monthly price of £18.75 is only valid for eighteen months. After this, it will increase to £38.75.
If you’re an existing Sky TV or Sky Q customer, you can get access to Sky Sports for just £18 extra a month*. However, this will be part of an 18-month contract you’ll need to commit to.
If you’re a longstanding BT Broadband customer, and you used to have BT Sport, you may be able to get access to Discovery+ and all the football matches that come with it for free. Check your eligibility at the BT website*.
All BT TV customers are eligible for a free Discovery+ membership at no extra cost.
If you’re not eligible for this, you can add a Discovery+ membership to your BT broadband subscription* for just £18 per month, down from the standard £29.99. And currently, you can get three months for just £1 per month. However, if you do this, you may need to commit to a contract that could last up to two years.
Contact BT to find out what offers are available to you.
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Some TV subscription plans let you watch matches simultaneously on multiple devices:
Subscription plan terms and conditions tend to specify that you can only share a subscription plan with others living under the same roof.
If you can find three flatmates or family members to share subscription plans with, this means you can each pay just £17.75 per month and get access to the vast majority of Premier League games, as well as all Champions League matches.
If you’re unsure whether your TV package provider allows multiple logins, contact them or check the terms of your plan.
Now TV sometimes offers cheaper “mobile passes” that grant you access to Sky Sports matches, but only on your phone. They normally cost £5.99 per month.
If being limited to a smaller screen isn’t an issue for you, keep an eye on the Now TV passes page. While mobile passes aren’t always offered, Now TV tends to sell them during promotional periods.
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