How to watch sports on TV

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Where can I watch live sports on TV?

Sky Sports

Sky Sports is one of the biggest names in sports broadcasting, with an expansive range of channels and sports on offer. It has recently changed its channels and pricing arrangements, meaning that users with a Sky TV box can choose between one and three of the following channels:

• Sky Sports Premier League: Includes all of Sky’s 126 live Premier League games this season, alongside highlights and general football shows.
• Sky Sports Football: Shows 900 non-Premier League games a season from the English Football League, the Scottish Premier League and the Spanish La Liga
• Sky Sports Cricket: Includes all England home test matches, T20 matches and one-day internationals. 
• Sky Sports Main Event: Features the biggest and most popular fixtures in sport
• Sky Sports Action: Focuses on rugby, darts and boxing. 

There are also a number of free channels available. For example Sky Sports Mix, which features a number of feature matches and sports events from the other Sky Sports channels. You also get Sky Sports News which runs 24-hour sports news and coverage, including press conferences and interviews with top sports stars.

Other big fixtures such as headline boxing matches will usually command a pay per view fee of around £14.99 no matter what deal you have. 

BT Sport 

Only recently emerging as a rival to Sky, BT Sport now offers widespread sports coverage and is an increasingly popular choice among consumers due to its monopoly on major sports competitions such as the UEFA Champion’s League. BT Sport offers its viewers four channels - BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2, BT Sport 3 and BT Sport ESPN. 

These channels each offer a range of sports including football from the Premier League, the FA Cup, the SPL, the German Bundesliga and the Italian Serie A, among others. BT Sport also show boxing from both British and international fights. Rugby matches from the Aviva Premiership, cricket including England test matches and one-day internationals, and a range of motorsports can also be found on BT Sport channels.

Now TV

Another option for television viewers to get their sports fix is Now TV. Now offers a ‘Sky Sports Pass’ providing customers with access to 10 Sky Sports channels. 

Those choosing this service have a choice between a day pass, a weekly pass or a monthly pass. Prices start at £9.99 for the day pass, whilst the weekly pass costs £14.99 and the monthly £33.99 per month. Now also offers an option for on the go viewers in the form of the Mobile Month Pass which provides 5 Sky Sports channels straight to your phone for £5.99 per month. 

As NOW is a streaming-only service, you don't necessarily need a TV to take advantage of its offerings. You can stream live sports with NOW via its app, either on your computer, tablet, or even your mobile phone. All you'll need, apart from the subscription of course, is a stable broadband or internet connection. 

Free Channels

For those on a tight budget, there is lots of sports coverage available on free-to-air terrestrial channels such as the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. Licencing laws means that ‘listed events’ such as the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, UEFA European Championships, the Grand National, Wimbledon, and the Rugby World Cup, amongst others, have to be offered to terrestrial broadcasters. 

To find the perfect TV package for your sporting needs, compare broadband and TV deals with usave today. You should also take a look at our list of the best TV packages to watch sport. 

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