Beyond 23 years I believe there is better elsewhere maybe?

PennyScrimperToPoundSaver

We are wanting to move away from Sky TV after 23 years of being loyal to them. The customer services are diabolical and the cost just keeps going up for those already subscribed, (despite attempting to haggle I get no good reduction deals), and hardly any useable offers available unless you're a new subscriber. So 23 years as a diamond customer means nothing anymore!

We have Sky Q box

Our current Sky TV subscription includes

Discovery+ (free),

Sky Signature £30.

Ultimate TV add on £7.

Sky Kids £6.

Multiscreen £15

Ultra HD (free).

Our TV is a Technika so nothing fancy and can only just manage HD. We don't really notice the difference with HD due to the quality of the TV screen anyway. We use 2 extra boxes on occasion. I do watch the kids TV more so in the winter (it helps with the depression and mental health as I am physically disabled and also have SAD). We hardly ever watch Netflix, I think the last thing we watched on it was Joe Exotic and Squid Games 1, although there looks like lots of great things on there we just never get around to viewing anything as there are so many choices can't decide. As it is we hardly watch many of the Sky channels. 

This past year we have watched more Discovery+, YouTube and Amazon Prime than Sky. Not including the terrestrial channels of course, we do also watch those. My husband signs up to the F1 channel during the racing season but then he cancels it until the following year. This adds a cost of £15 or £12 on offer a month to the TV bill.

Stupidly I have recently renewed our Sky Broadband and Landline contracts and they come to 

Superfast £30.50
Broadband Boost £4.

Talk Anytime Extra £13.50
Voicemail £2.
Shield £0.
Line Rental £0.

We don't actually use our landline that much to call out but I prefer the anytime as it gives me the option to do that rather than worry about a potential big bill for calling about something necessary. We had considered going to pay as you call but it's better as is for now.

We still don't have Virgin available in our area. 

So I guess my question is what are my alternative option for staying or ditching and switching? 

Thank you.

Cornucopia

It really depends on what your "must haves" are.  

The absolute cheapest option is to watch only on-demand content from free commercial providers, as that will enable you to ditch your TV Licence, whilst paying nothing for TV services.

If you want to retain access to a selection of Sky services, then Now TV is usually cheaper than Sky, and there are often easy to get offers available.   It carries live channels and on-demand content.

If you work out what channels you want, you can easily cost that up from different providers.

pallyman

How can you ditch sky when you said ,I have recently renewed our Sky Broadband and Landline contracts ,?

Neil_Jones

pallyman said:

How can you ditch sky when you said ,I have recently renewed our Sky Broadband and Landline contracts ,?

Sky TV is separate contract.  Price wise it usually gets bundled in with internet, but its usually a separate option.

PennyScrimperToPoundSaver

pallyman said:

How can you ditch sky when you said ,I have recently renewed our Sky Broadband and Landline contracts ,?

I would be ok going elsewhere should a cheaper bundle option be found, however I am equally ok with splitting and separating the Landline and Broadband contract and going elsewhere for the TV service part after 23 years if necessary. 

PennyScrimperToPoundSaver

Cornucopia said:

It really depends on what your "must haves" are.  

The absolute cheapest option is to watch only on-demand content from free commercial providers, as that will enable you to ditch your TV Licence, whilst paying nothing for TV services.

If you want to retain access to a selection of Sky services, then Now TV is usually cheaper than Sky, and there are often easy to get offers available.   It carries live channels and on-demand content.

If you work out what channels you want, you can easily cost that up from different providers.

Discovery+ app and Freeview \ Terrestrial channels, You Tube is what we're currently 'into'. Plus the ability to add F1 Sports annually during the racing season and. We already have Amazon Prime and Fire TV, hardly ever watch Netflix which came as part of the renewal last time which I was told would keep the cost down as create a discount as an add on or something suspiciously similar, (there's things I do want to watch on Netflix but never get around to it), Also History Channel (or whatever channel shows Skinwalker Ranch and similar paranormal shows, shopping channels and Cooking ones too. However as long as I can get the latest of Skinwalker Ranch i'll be happy!

We also require a box similar to the Sky Q box which allows us to pause, rewind, go back to start of a programme and record TV to view later. I think that is the major 'must have', I doubt the necessity of 'multiscreen' would be needed under these choices.

Thanks.

Cornucopia

Okay.  

F1 is available on Sky and Now TV only.   You need one of those services in order to opt-in.   

There's info on Discovery+ here:  https://support.discoveryplus.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360018960398-discovery-plans-and-prices

If you want to retain TV recording, there are options based on both Satellite and Freeview.

History is available as a separate pay option on various platforms including Now TV, Amazon Prime and Youtube.

mjm3346

With so much available now and more being added on streaming services which allow pause, restart etc the need to have a box to do that sort of thing seems very dated, bit like still "needing" a VHS machine years after the recording boxes came out - as you already have fire TV and prime you can add NOW to that and at the moment NOW on a 6 month contract have sport (sky sports channels and sports box sets) for £17.49 a month and Entertainment £2.99 a month (12 or so live channels and tv box sets)- you can download the Discovery app on prime and subscribe direct or have it as an additional channel on fire tv (there are offers you can get going direct instead of having it as an added channel)- If you don't want the bit of sport Discovery have then "Basic Stream our on-demand catalogue, plus the following live channels: Animal Planet, Discovery, Discovery History, Discovery Science, DMAX, Food Network, HGTV, ID, Quest, Quest Red, TLC, and Turbo.

(This plan was previously called Entertainment)" and that's £3.99 a month or £39.99 a year using the app