Plusnet to Shutter TV Service in November

Broadband provider Plusnet will fully close its YouView TV service in November as it “simplifies its product range.”

The budget ISP, part of the BT Group, offered YouView through a set-top box for an additional £5 per month on your broadband bill. It closed the Pay TV service to new orders in January and in February informed listing customers that they wouldn’t be able to renew the service.

Now Plusnet is writing to all TV subscribers to inform them that the service will shut entirely on 1 November 2021. Customers can keep their set-top box and can continue to use it to watch Freeview channels and access players and apps. Subscribers will also still be able to access content through the BT Sport app.

However, any recordings you have saved from your channel packs and paid-for channels won’t be stored after 1 November.

Customers’ monthly price will be automatically updated to remove the £5 monthly charge. You’ll see the changes on your next bill after 1 October.

If you’re upset by the changes and want to seek out a broadband and TV bundle from elsewhere, you’ll be able to do so without penalty if you do it within 30 days of receiving the notification from Plusnet.

A spokesperson for Plusnet told ISPreview: “As a value provider, we’re all about giving customers simple, reliable broadband with great customer service. We are simplifying our product range and from 1st November we will no longer provide YouView TV as part of our broadband service to existing customers. Customers will still to be able to enjoy great content as part of the BT Sport App.”

The market for on-demand TV is crowded, with traditional channels competing with online platforms. Plusnet’s TV offerings likely struggled to stand out, but that means few customers will be put out by its closure.

Lauren Smith

Lauren Smith has worked as a journalist and copywriter for most of the last decade, covering technology, energy, and consumer rights, in the US and UK.

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