How to watch Sky Sports online

Last updated: 5 October 2023   By Samantha Smith

Customers can watch Sky Sports online, just as long as they have the right subscriptions and apps.

It's possible to watch Sky Sports online whether a customer has a subscription with a pay TV provider, or they're looking for quick access for a particular live event.

Watching Sky Sports online can be done through the Sky Go app if a customer is with Sky, or through the Sky Sports app for Virgin Media users.

BT, TalkTalk and NOW customers can watch their NOW Sports memberships online across a range of smart devices, including tablets and consoles.

sky sports mobile app
© Sky

In this guide:


Watching Sky Sports online

Sky Sports can be viewed online when customers have a subscription with one of the following pay TV providers:

The main ways of watching Sky Sports online for each of these providers are:

Online platform
Sky Sky Go app
Virgin Media Sky Sports app
BT NOW TV app
TalkTalk NOW TV app
NOW NOW TV app

The Sky Go and Sky Sports apps from Sky and Virgin Media are accessible by smart devices like smartphones and tablets running iOS or Android, whereas the NOW TV app can also be viewed on larger screens through smart TVs and consoles.


New customer offers

People who aren't yet customers of the above providers, or who haven't taken a Sky Sports subscription out yet, may be able to save money by bundling the pack with TV and broadband deals.

Sky sports deals

Package Channels Monthly price Upfront price Contract term
Sports Membership 11 £26 Free 6 months
offer Offer: Save 25% and 1 month free trial of Boost
Sky Entertainment + Netflix + Sky Sports 159 £40 Free 24 months
offer Offer: Save £8/mth on Sky Sports + Save £8/mth on Sky Entertainment & Netflix + Free setup (worth £39.95) (Ends 06/11/2024)

New Sky TV customers can currently save £12 per month on a Sky TV and Sky Sports package. Setup is also free, with customers receiving the new Stream Puck box as well as getting the Sky Sports pack in full 1080p HD as standard.

While it's possible to watch Sky Sports online through NOW, discounted membership lasts for twice as long when customers bundle NOW Broadband, as we look at just below.

Sky Sports + broadband bundle deals

Package Channels Broadband Monthly price Upfront price Contract term
M125 Fibre Broadband + Flex + Sky Sports 159 132Mb average £64.99 £10 18 months
offer Offer: Get 10% credit back on every subscription you add to Flex
Super Fibre + Sports Membership 11 63Mb average £50.99 £10 12 months
offer Offer: Save £3/mth on NOW Broadband until 4 July 2024 then £24/mth + NOW Sports £29.99/mth for 12 months (Ends 04/07/2024)
Sky Entertainment + Netflix + Sky Sports + Full Fibre 75 159 75Mb average £57 Free 24 months
offer Offer: Save £8/mth on Sky Sports + Save £8/mth on Sky Entertainment & Netflix + Reduced price broadband + Free setup (Ends 06/11/2024)
Bigger bundle + Sports 199 516Mb average £69.99 Free 18 months
offer Offer: eufy Robovac L60 SES worth £349.99 or £200 bill credit + No setup fee (was £35) (Ends 30/10/2024)
Full Fibre 150 Sports 79 152Mb average £58 Free 18 months
offer Offer: Save £14.99 per month + NOW Boost at no extra cost + Free setup and P&P
Big Sport + Fibre 2 90 67Mb average £41.99
for 3 mths,
then £76.99
£31.99 24 months
offer Offer: £50 BT Reward Card + EE Big Sport TV just £10 for 3 months and free setup on EE TV (was £30) (Ends 14/11/2024)

NOW offer the cheapest way to watch Sky Sports online in a bundle, with the NOW Sports Membership on offer for £26 a month for 12 months when taken with NOW Broadband.

It's also currently possible to get Sky Sports for just £20 a month with Sky, and there are further savings available for those who bundle Sky broadband, with the Ultrafast Plus plan available free for the first nine months.

New Virgin Media customers can get a £50 to £65 bill credit with broadband, as well as a 10% bill credit every month on a Sky Sports subscription.

BT and TalkTalk also have offers for customers taking the Sky Sports pack in a bundle, including £50 to £75 reward cards. However, bear in mind, BT TV customers have to pay more for full HD, which comes as standard with Sky, Virgin Media, and TalkTalk TV.


Sky Sports online with NOW

NOW offer a low-cost flexible way to watch Sky Sports online with the NOW Sports Membership available on a rolling monthly contract.

While NOW is owned by Sky, they provide access to premium content including Sky Sports on a streaming-only basis, so it's not possible to pause and rewind live moments, or record TV.

Sports Memberships currently include:

Package Channels Monthly price Upfront price Contract term
Sports Day + Mobile Month Membership 11 £11.98 Free 1 day
Sports Membership 11 £26 Free 6 months
offer Offer: Save 25% and 1 month free trial of Boost

The full NOW Sports Membership includes access to all Sky Sports channels in 720p HD, and will automatically continue until a customer chooses to cancel, although this can be done on a monthly basis so the contract is flexible.

The day pass also includes nine months of smartphone viewing on five of the main Sky Sports channels (including Premier League, Action, NFL, Racing and News), which could be a really cheap way to watch Sky Sports online if customers don't mind a smaller screen.

For full 1080p HD customers will need to upgrade to NOW Boost, which costs £6 per month and includes:

  • All Sky Sports channels in 1080p HD
  • Dolby Digital 5.1 sound
  • Stream on up to three devices simultaneously

Boost is more for customers who want to watch Sky Sports on a larger screen like a TV set, and is unlikely to be necessary for those who only want to watch online.

Read more about NOW TV Memberships, and for further discounts for bundling NOW Broadband.


Sky Sports online with Sky

Sky is one of the cheapest places to watch Sky Sports in HD or in Ultra HD, and is one of the most popular ways to get the Sky Sports pack, with the Stream Puck box allowing customers the ability to pause and rewind critical moments in live matches.

Sky customers can watch Sky Sports online from anywhere through the Sky Go app, which is provided for free to all subscribers.

Sky Go allows customers to watch any of the channels in their subscription, including premium packs like Sky Sports, from a range of smart devices, including when they're away from home.

Sky Go supports:

  • Up to six compatible smart phones or tablets, including iOS, Android and Amazon Fire
  • It's also possible to register Windows and Mac computers and laptops
  • Adding more than six devices will result in the least used device being swapped out

Customers can stream content through Sky Go on up to two devices at a time, while those with Multiscreen will get the Sky Go Extra app which supports streaming on up to four devices at once.

While Sky includes the Sky Sports pack in 1080p HD as standard, the Sky Go app only supports streaming in up to 720p HD. The app doesn't support Ultra HD at all, and customers will also need a minimum download speed.

Sky say, for streaming in SD customers will need at least 1.5Mb per second, while HD requires a download speed of at least 5Mb per second.

That may seem low, but customers wanting to watch Sky Sports online through a mobile device will need to ensure they have good 4G signal or connect via WiFi for the best viewing quality.

It's also worth bearing in mind the Sky Go app doesn't allow content to be downloaded and watched later, so everything must be streamed live at the time it's shown.

Lastly, Sky customers who also have a Sky Mobile plan can get zero-rated data for the Sky Go app, so they won't use up any data allowance.

Sky Go Extra

For people who want to watch Sky Sports online, upgrading to Sky Go Extra may be worth considering.

It costs £5 per month on a monthly rolling contract on Sky+ or Sky Q, or is included for free with Multiscreen or Whole Home with Sky Stream and Sky Glass.

The benefits of Sky Go Extra include:

  • Watch on up to four devices at once
  • Download content to watch later, even without an Internet connection
  • Remotely record/download programmes to the Sky Q box
  • Support for Xbox and PlayStation consoles
  • Apple TV support for Sky Go requires a Multiscreen subscription

There a couple of caveats regarding watching live programmes and downloading them with Sky Go Extra:

  • Only two downloads per programme are allowed
  • Downloads are deleted 48 hours after viewing starts, or 30 days from download if not viewed
  • Sky Go and Sky Go Extra may have fewer licencing rights than a normal Sky TV subscription, so some content may not be available

Overall, these issues may not hinder sports fans as viewing is usually live, or as close to live as possible, but it could affect other content, for example for downloaded films or TV series.

Sky Sports plans

The cost of Sky Sports on Sky for new customers is currently:

Package Channels Monthly price Upfront price Contract term
Sky Entertainment + Netflix + Sky Sports 159 £40 Free 24 months
offer Offer: Save £8/mth on Sky Sports + Save £8/mth on Sky Entertainment & Netflix + Free setup (worth £39.95) (Ends 06/11/2024)
Sky Glass + Sky Sports 159 £34
for 3 mths,
then £70
£20 48 months
offer Offer: Sky Entertainment & Netflix free for 3 months + Save £8/mth on Sky Sports +

Read more about Sky Stream TV in our full review.


Sky Sports online with Virgin Media

Virgin Media customers who have the Sky Sports pack in their TV plan can use the dedicated Sky Sports app to watch events and matches online.

The Sky Sports app is essentially the Sky Sports website in mobile form, with the ability to personalise the content to show favourite teams and leagues.

It also offers extra features such as highlights, clips, live radio coverage, as well as full fixtures, results and league tables for a variety of sports.

While the Sky Sports app can be downloaded by anyone, only Virgin Media TV customers with a Sky Sports subscription will be able to access the live and on-demand content.

Sky Sports plans

To watch Sky Sports online via Virgin Media customers will need to take a Virgin Media broadband and TV bundle. New customers can get these offers:

Package Channels Broadband Monthly price Upfront price Contract term
M125 Fibre Broadband + Flex + Sky Sports 159 132Mb average £64.99 £10 18 months
offer Offer: Get 10% credit back on every subscription you add to Flex
Bigger bundle + Sports 199 516Mb average £69.99 Free 18 months
offer Offer: eufy Robovac L60 SES worth £349.99 or £200 bill credit + No setup fee (was £35) (Ends 30/10/2024)
Mega Volt bundle 230 1.13Gb average £84.99 Free 18 months
offer Offer: eufy Robovac L60 SES worth £349.99 or £200 bill credit + No setup fee (was £35) + O2 mobile SIM with Unlimited data, minutes and texts (Ends 30/10/2024)

Customers can choose between a full Virgin 360 subscription with a recordable box, or the newer Stream service which also offers the ability to add Sky Sports in HD and access the Sky Sports app.

Read more about Virgin Media TV 360 or Virgin Media Stream TV.


Sky Sports online with BT

BT TV customers can watch Sky Sports through the Big Sport or VIP bundles or by adding a NOW Sports Membership to their existing TV plan.

Customers can then watch Sky Sports through their BT TV Box Pro, or online through the NOW TV app, which is supported by devices including:

  • iOS smartphones and tablets
  • Android smartphones and tablets
  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Apple TV
  • Roku
  • Chromecast
  • Android TV
  • PlayStation
  • Xbox

There are plenty of options then for BT TV customers to watch their Sky Sports subscription online, either at home or away from home.

Sky Sports plans

BT TV packages with Sky Sports come with BT Sport included too, and customers will get the channels in SD unless they also add the HD pack.

Current new customer offers include:

Package Channels Broadband Monthly price Upfront price Contract term
Big Sport + Fibre 2 90 67Mb average £41.99
for 3 mths,
then £76.99
£31.99 24 months
offer Offer: £50 BT Reward Card + EE Big Sport TV just £10 for 3 months and free setup on EE TV (was £30) (Ends 14/11/2024)
Full Works + Fibre 2 125 67Mb average £56.99
for 3 mths,
then £109.99
£31.99 24 months
offer Offer: EE Full Works TV just £25 for 3 months + £50 BT Reward Card + Free setup on EE TV (was £30) (Ends 14/11/2024)

The VIP plan comes with Sky Sports and BT Sport in HD as standard, but Big Sport customers will need the HD pack for £6 per month.

Read more in our BT TV review.


Sky Sports online with TalkTalk

Like BT, TalkTalk TV uses NOW Memberships to offer customers a way to watch premium content such as Sky Sports.

Customers with either the Android TV box or Netgem 4K TV box can add a NOW Sports membership, and will have NOW Boost included for free, so they'll get the Sky Sports channels in 1080p HD as standard.

To watch Sky Sports online TalkTalk TV customers can access their membership plan through the NOW TV app.

Sky Sports plans

TalkTalk TV is available exclusively for TalkTalk broadband customers, and new customers can get discounted prices as well as reward card vouchers on full fibre packages.

Current new customer offers include:

Package Channels Broadband Monthly price Upfront price Contract term
Full Fibre 150 Sports 79 152Mb average £58 Free 18 months
offer Offer: Save £14.99 per month + NOW Boost at no extra cost + Free setup and P&P

Read more in our TalkTalk TV review.


Sky Sports Mobile TV

There used to be another option to watch Sky Sports on a no-contract basis called Sky Sports Mobile TV.

As the name suggests, it was a way of enabling customers to watch Sky Sports on a small screen for a comparatively low fee.

This service was withdrawn by Sky in February 2021 and customers are now advised to take the NOW Sports Membership if they want a contract-free way of viewing Sky Sports online.


Verdict: the best way to watch Sky Sports online

There are a number of ways for customers to watch Sky Sports online, whether that's through a NOW membership or a premium TV pack with Sky, Virgin Media, or BT.

NOW offers the cheapest and most flexible way, with the Sports Membership plan available on a monthly rolling contract, as well as on a day pass with nine months of smartphone viewing for just over a tenner.

However, for people who also want to watch other channels, a full Sky TV plan offers the Sky Sports pack for much less than NOW when looking just at the cost of the add-on itself. Sky also include the Sky Sports channels in 1080p HD as standard, while NOW customers have to pay more for full HD.

Sky Stream Puck and Virgin Media Stream also offer contract-free ways to watch Sky Sports, with both options providing a free app for watching live sports online both at home and on the move.

Overall, the best way to watch Sky Sports online is:

Read more about the differences between Sky and NOW TV.

Find out more about the cheapest ways to get Sky Sports, or compare Sky Sports bundles in your area.

Comments (2)

Anderson Prk
20 December 2020

You can watch Sky Sports channels on BCE Premium TV.

Sportsfan replying to Anderson Prk
23 February 2021

It's American tho..., the prices are all in dollars.

Which broadband & TV deals are available in your area?

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