EE TV Launch: New Brand, Same BT TV Pricing

Goodbye, BT TV: Today marks the launch of EE TV, heralding a shift in branding more than a revolution in British TV and broadband services.

At first glance, EE TV seems to be treading familiar waters with similar bundles and pricing structures, maintaining the status quo in terms of cost, ranging from the £18/month TNT Sports Package and £20/month Entertainment package, to the comprehensive £76/month Full Works bundle.

However, the introduction of an exclusive Apple TV 4K box for EE TV customers adds a modern touch to the service, which will also include live Freeview-over-broadband – but in a limited fashion.

Starting today, existing BT TV customers will be seamlessly migrated to the new EE TV platforms, while new users are now welcome to join via the EE TV website (or via the old BT TV website).

Here’s everything you need to know about EE TV’s new offers – From the varied pricing plans to the unique Apple TV integration, and some of the annoying limitations and caveats.

BT TV Out, EE TV In

In 2022, BT announced that EE (which it owns) would become its new consumer-facing brand for broadband and TV, in addition to mobile services.

Today, EE TV is finally launching – bringing a fresh player into the UK’s TV and broadband scene.

The switch from BT to EE is not just about TV, as we previously reported – EE is also stepping into new areas like gaming, home security, and even insurance, aiming to be a one-stop shop for various digital needs.

At its heart, EE TV is offering a revamped TV service that works over broadband. It’s introducing an exclusive EE version of the Apple TV 4K box, where you can access EE TV’s services, including live Freeview channels.

The special EE version of the Apple TV box is essential for the complete EE TV experience. While the EE TV app is set to be available on standard Apple TV boxes you can buy in stores, it won’t offer the full package.

Specifically, the live TV and Freeview-over-broadband features will remain exclusive to the custom Apple TV boxes provided to EE TV’s customers.

This distinction means that to access all of EE TV’s features, you’ll need their specific version of the Apple TV box (which also comes with a custom remote).

EE TV has another catch: it’s only available to EE’s broadband customers, meaning you can’t get EE TV if you’re using a different internet provider.

This is a bit of a downer compared to Sky Stream, which you can get with any internet connection (but is similar to Virgin Media’s Stream box, which also only works with Virgin Media’s broadband).

As for what’s on offer, EE TV is quite similar to BT TV, which it’s replacing. It has various bundles combining TV channels and streaming services, but with the added option of the new Apple TV box.

However, not all Freeview channels available on BT TV can be streamed on EE TV, and there might be some variations in channel availability between the different boxes (and BT TV’s selection of Freeview channels was limited to begin with).

EE TV: New Name, Old Prices

Despite the new name and branding, the bundles and prices for EE TV’s new services will look quite familiar – as they’re almost identical to BT TV’s prices.

As before, EE TV’s bundles are “flexible” – which means you can switch between them during your contract (and move to the appropriate price point). So you can stay with ‘Entertainment’ for one month, then switch to ‘Sport’ for a couple of months (or add it on top), etc.

However, you also need to sign a 24-month contract for the Broadband, so you can’t cancel EE TV altogether as long as you’re under contract.

The new EE TV platform will offer subscribers a choice between three devices – the EE TV Pro Box (and its ‘Mini’ version)  – which is identical to the current BT TV 4K Pro Box, and the new Apple TV 4K EE Box.

The newly named EE TV Box is a 4K/HDR YouView-based device with streaming apps and plenty of storage for Freeview recordings.

It supports Dolby Atmos audio, has 4 tuners (so you can record up to three shows on separate channels and watch a fourth), 1TB of storage, a Bluetooth remote, and both WiFi and Ethernet connectivity.

The EE TV Box Pro also supports quite a few streaming apps – Netflix, Amazon’s Prime Video, NOW, Milkshake and more, as well as all the standard catch-up streaming apps – BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, My5, UKTV Play, S4C, STV Player and BBC Sounds.

While not as comprehensive as standalone streaming devices like the Amazon Fire TV sticks or Roku (there are a few major apps still missing – such as Disney+) – EE’s box does include most of the important ones.

Unlike with BT TV, the new EE TV bundles now come with free Multi-Home – so you can get up to two additional EE TV Mini boxes.

These are the bundles that are currently available on EE TV, and their pricing (on top of what you’ll be paying for EE’s broadband):

The EE TV Entertainment Bundle: £20/month

• Sky’s streaming service – NOW – with its Entertainment Membership, which includes Sky’s TV channels such as Sky Atlantic and Sky Max. 
• Netflix’s Basic Plan – This plan lets you watch on one device at a time, with 720p picture quality. Note that this isn’t Netflix’s Standard with Ads tier – so you won’t see adverts (at least for now – but that may change in the future).
• Discovery+ (The ‘Basic’ tier only, which includes lifestyle, factual, and reality shows – without sports)
• The BT TV 4K Pro Box or the new EE-branded Apple TV box (both let you watch Freeview over broadband)

The plan also comes with a one-time activation fee of £30.

The EE TV Big Entertainment Bundle – £30/month

• Sky’s streaming service – NOW – with its Entertainment Membership, which includes Sky’s TV channels such as Sky Atlantic and Sky Max,
• Sky’s NOW Cinema Memebership – which includes all of Sky’s movie channels (and live and on-demand).
• Netflix’s Basic Plan – This plan lets you watch on one device at a time, with 720p picture quality. Note that this isn’t Netflix’s Standard with Ads tier – so you won’t see adverts (at least for now – but that may change in the future).
• Discovery+ (The ‘Basic’ tier only, which includes lifestyle, factual, and reality shows – without sports)
• The BT TV 4K Pro Box or the new EE-branded Apple TV box (both let you watch Freeview over broadband)

The plan also comes with a one-time activation fee of £30.

The EE TV Sport Bundle – £18/month

• All 4 TNT Sports channels
• Eurosport 1 and 2
• Discovery+ (Premium – which also includes the streaming versions of Eurosport and TNT Sports)
• The BT TV 4K Pro Box or the new EE-branded Apple TV box

The plan also comes with a one-time activation fee of £30.

The EE TV Big Sport Bundle – £43/month

• All 4 TNT Sports channels
• Eurosport 1 and 2
• NOW Sky Sports (with all 11 Sky Sports channels)
• Discovery+ (Premium – which also includes the streaming versions of Eurosport and TNT Sports)
• The BT TV 4K Pro Box or the new EE-branded Apple TV box

The plan also comes with a one-time activation fee of £30.

The EE TV Full Works Bundle – £76/month

This bundle used to be called “VIP” on BT TV. But other than the new name, the bundles are identical:

• NOW Entertainment Membership, which includes Sky’s TV channels such as Sky Atlantic and Sky Max. 
• NOW Cinema Membership which includes Sky’s live and on-demand movie channels
• NOW Boost which adds Full HD (1080p) and removes the adverts from on-demand content.
• Netflix’s Standard Plan (Not the Basic one! This is the one with Full HD and no adverts)
• All 4 TNT Sports channels
• Eurosport 1 and 2
• NOW Sky Sports (with all 11 Sky Sports channels)
• Discovery+ (Premium – which also includes the streaming versions of Eurosport and TNT Sports)
• The BT TV 4K Pro Box or the new EE-branded Apple TV box

The plan also comes with a one-time activation fee of £30.

For some reason, the ‘Full Works’ bundle isn’t currently offered on EE TV’s new website – but it IS available on BT TV’s renewed website, which presents EE TV’s new bundles – so that may just be an early days oversight.

One other thing to note is that new EE TV customers will be getting six free months of Apple’s streaming service – Apple TV+, while BT TV customers who are migrating over to EE TV will only get 3 free months.

Price Stability? Not So Much

While these prices offer a straightforward choice for subscribers, there’s an important aspect to consider: they’re going to go up – and soon.

EE has stated that in March each year, the prices for these plans will increase. This increase will be based on the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation published in January of that year, plus an additional 3.9%.

This policy, which we unfortunately know from the other broadband and pay-TV platforms, means that subscribers could see their plan costs rise within just a few months of joining, a factor that should be weighed when considering a long-term commitment to the service.

The Bottom Line: Is Anything New Other Than The Name?

The core offering of EE TV, apart from the intriguing addition of the Apple TV box, seems largely similar to what BT TV provided.

The service still revolves around familiar bundles and the same pricing strategy, albeit with the added twist of an exclusive EE TV app on a custom Apple TV box, which lets you stream Freeview over broadband.

The Apple TV integration is indeed a fresh feature, offering a modern twist to the EE TV experience. However, its impact is somewhat dampened by the fact that the full range of EE TV services, particularly the live TV and Freeview-over-broadband, are exclusive to EE’s custom version of the Apple TV box.

And, the fact that EE TV is tied to EE’s broadband, is another disappointment – as otherwise this could have been a real competitor to Sky Stream, providing streaming TV and Freeview to everyone.

These limitations might not sit well with customers looking for more flexibility and broader access.

In conclusion, while EE TV brings the brand recognition and infrastructure of EE into the TV and broadband space, the essence of the service remains largely unchanged from BT TV.

But these are early days – and we’re still hoping to see more innovation in the future.

• Check EE TV Deals