BT and EE TV customers using older set-top boxes are about to lose access to Discovery+ and TNT Sports’ on-demand content next month.
From September 22, several older EE TV boxes will no longer support the Discovery+ app – and while you’ll still get TNT Sports’ linear channels, all the on-demand streaming content will disappear from your set-top box.
That’s everything from sports highlights and catch-up matches to the entire Discovery+ entertainment library.
If you’re affected, you’ll need to either upgrade your hardware or find alternative ways to watch – and you have several options (see below).
EE TV: A Quick Refresher
EE TV is what we now call the service that used to be known as BT TV. Both brands are owned by the same parent company, and the rebrand happened back in 2023 as part of a broader push to unify services under the EE banner.
The TV platform operates on what they call a “flexible” bundle model – you sign up for a 24-month contract, but you can switch between different TV packages every 30 days.
So you might start with basic Entertainment, upgrade to include Sport when football season kicks in, then scale back down during the summer months.
There’s one catch though: you can only get EE TV if you’re also a BT or EE broadband customer. Unlike Sky Stream, which works as a standalone service, EE TV is firmly tied to their broadband offerings.
Currently, EE TV offers packages ranging from Entertainment (£20/month) through to the Full Works plan (£80/month), with various combinations of NOW Entertainment, NOW Cinema, Netflix, TNT Sports, and Discovery+ thrown into the mix depending on which tier you choose.
The service supports two main types of hardware: the newer EE TV Box Pro (a 4K YouView-based device with 1TB storage) and a specially configured Apple TV 4K EE Box.
Both come with apps for Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube, and the major UK catch-up services, plus access to Freeview channels.
The Discovery+ Situation
Here’s where things get a bit complicated, and it’s worth understanding exactly what Discovery+ means in the context of EE TV bundles.
Discovery+ isn’t just an entertainment streaming service anymore – it’s become the streaming home for TNT Sports content.
When TNT Sports launched in July 2023 (taking over from BT Sport), Warner Bros. Discovery made their streaming platform the go-to destination for on-demand sports content.
This means Discovery+ now houses two distinct types of content:
Entertainment content: Lifestyle, reality TV, and documentaries from channels like Discovery Channel, TLC, and Animal Planet.
TNT Sports live and on-demand: All the streaming versions of TNT Sports content, including Premier League highlights, Champions League matches, UFC events, boxing, MotoGP, tennis Grand Slams, cycling coverage, and much more.
Just last month, Discovery+ restructured its pricing into three tiers: Entertainment-only (£3.99/month), TNT Sports-only (£30.99/month), and a combined package (£33.99/month).
But for EE TV customers, Discovery+ access comes bundled into their TV packages at different levels depending on which tier they’ve chosen.
What’s Actually Changing on September 22
From September 22, 2025, three older BT TV / EE TV YouView devices will lose support for the Discovery+ app entirely:
- 4K Recordable TV Box
- TV Box
- Recordable TV Box
The newer devices – TV Box Pro, TV Box Mini, and the custom Apple TV 4K EE Box – will continue working as normal.
Your Discovery+ or TNT Sports subscription won’t be cancelled or changed – if you’ve got the right EE TV package, you’ll still be paying for the same content and can still watch it on other devices. But you’ll lose the ability to access it through the older boxes.
Now, don’t forget that losing Discovery+ app support doesn’t just mean you can’t watch entertainment documentaries anymore. It means you’ll lose access to all TNT Sports on-demand content too, on the affected devices.
You’ll still be able to watch TNT Sports’ linear channels through your EE TV guide if you’ve got Sport, Big Sport, or Full Works packages.
But all the on-demand stuff – the catch-up content, highlights packages, extended coverage, and streaming-exclusive events – will become inaccessible through your set-top box (along with Discovery+’s entertainment content).
Your Options If You’re Affected
If you’re using one of the affected boxes and want to keep accessing Discovery+ and TNT Sports on-demand content, you’ve got several routes forward.
Option 1: Upgrade Your EE TV Box
The most straightforward solution is to call EE and arrange an upgrade to one of the newer boxes.
BT and EE customers are typically entitled to a free hardware upgrade – but here’s the catch – you’ll usually need to start a new 24-month contract to get that free upgrade.
One important warning: any recordings stored on your current box won’t transfer to the new device. If you’ve got a collection of saved programmes, you’ll want to watch them before making the switch.
Option 2: Use Other Devices
Discovery+ works on a wide range of devices beyond your EE TV box. Smart TVs, tablets, laptops, smartphones, streaming sticks, and games consoles all support the app.
If you’ve already got a smart TV or a device like a Fire TV Stick, you can simply use that for Discovery+ content while keeping your older EE TV box for everything else.
This might actually be the most practical solution for many users, especially if your current EE TV contract still has months to run and you don’t fancy committing to another two-year deal just yet.
Option 3: Switch Away from EE TV
Of course, this might be the nudge some customers need to reconsider their TV setup entirely. If you’re not deeply embedded in the EE ecosystem and your contract is coming up for renewal anyway, it could be worth exploring alternatives.
The Broader Context
This change comes at an interesting time for Warner Bros. Discovery’s UK strategy. The company is preparing to launch HBO Max in the UK in early 2026, which will be available both as a standalone service and through a partnership with Sky.
TNT Sports will also be available through HBO Max when it launches, though we don’t yet know how this will affect Discovery+ or what bundle options might emerge.
These app support changes suggest Warner Bros. Discovery is tidying up its technical requirements ahead of that larger strategic shift.
For EE TV, this represents another small step in the ongoing evolution from the old BT TV service.
The platform has been gradually pushing customers towards newer hardware and more integrated streaming experiences, and dropping support for older devices fits that pattern.
Of course, this isn’t unusual behaviour in the streaming world – apps regularly drop support for older hardware as they add new features and improve performance.
But if you’re affected by these changes, you’ll want to make your decision sooner rather than later.
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