Rising pay TV bills are one of the most common reasons UK households look at IPTV. Switching can save money, but doing it in the wrong order can mean paying early termination charges, losing your broadband, or paying for two TV services at once.

This guide sets out a sensible order for leaving Sky or Virgin Media TV and moving to an IPTV subscription. Providers' policies change, so always check your own contract and your provider's current terms. Where we mention a notice period, it is the one each provider publishes, and yours may differ.

Step 1: Find out where you are in your contract

Everything depends on whether you are still in a minimum term.

How to check

  • Sky: sign in to your account on Sky's website or app and look at your packages. Each product shows when its minimum term ends.
  • Virgin Media: sign in to My Virgin Media and check your contract details, or look at your most recent bill.

If you are still in a minimum term

Leaving early usually means paying an early termination charge, which is often close to the remaining monthly payments for the rest of the term. Ask your provider for the exact figure before you decide. Sometimes waiting a few months is cheaper.

If your minimum term has ended

You are usually free to leave with the standard notice period, without early termination charges.

Your right to leave after certain changes

Under Ofcom's rules, if a provider makes a change to your contract that is not to your benefit, it must tell you, and you may be able to leave without paying early termination charges. Since January 2025, any price rises during a contract must be set out in pounds and pence when you sign up, and those agreed rises do not give you that right. Ofcom's website explains the current rules.

Step 2: Separate your TV from your broadband

This step catches many people out. Sky and Virgin Media often sell TV and broadband together, and an IPTV subscription needs a working broadband connection.

Keeping your broadband

You can often cancel the TV part and keep the broadband, although the price of your broadband alone may change once it is no longer part of a bundle. Ask your provider what you would pay for broadband on its own.

Switching broadband too

If you want to change broadband provider as well, Ofcom's One Touch Switch (opens in a new tab) process, introduced in September 2024, lets you switch most home broadband and landline services by contacting only the new provider. It covers broadband and landline, not pay TV, so you still need to cancel the TV part directly.

Keep enough speed

Check your broadband will be fast and stable enough for the number of screens you want. As a rough guide, allow around 5 Mbps per HD stream and 15 to 25 Mbps per 4K stream. Our guide to broadband speed for IPTV explains how to work it out.

Step 3: Test IPTV before you give notice

Do not cancel your current TV until you know the replacement works in your home.

Start with a short plan

Buy a short IPTV plan, such as one month, and use it alongside your current service for a week or two. King of Stream plans also have a 7-day money-back guarantee, so you can stop early if it does not suit you.

What to test

  • Your devices. Try it on the TVs and devices you actually use. Our device comparison can help if you need to add a streaming stick.
  • Busy evenings. Watch at the times your broadband is busiest, such as Saturday evening, to check the picture stays smooth.
  • The channels you care about. Make sure the channels and programmes your household watches most are available.
  • Several screens at once. If two people watch at the same time, test that too.

Step 4: List what you will lose

Pay TV packages include things that are easy to forget until they have gone.

  • Recordings. Programmes recorded on a Sky or Virgin Media box are stored on that box. Watch anything important before you return it.
  • On-demand libraries and apps. Access to your provider's own on-demand content and apps ends with the TV contract.
  • Bundled extras. Some packages include subscriptions to other streaming services. Check whether these end with your TV contract or can be kept separately.
  • Email addresses. Some broadband providers have closed or charged for legacy email accounts. If you rely on a provider email address and are changing broadband too, move your accounts to a new address first.

Step 5: Give notice at the right time

Notice periods

Sky asks for 31 days' notice to cancel, and Virgin Media asks for 30 days' notice. These are the periods each provider publishes. Check yours, because the exact terms are in your contract.

Timing it well

Give notice so that your old TV service ends shortly after your IPTV trial confirms everything works, not before. If your notice period runs past your next bill date, you will usually pay for the days up to the end of the notice period.

How to cancel

Sky and Virgin Media both let you start a cancellation by phone, and their websites explain current options. Expect to be offered a discount to stay. If a retention offer genuinely suits you better, there is nothing wrong with taking it, but compare the full cost after any discount ends.

Make a note of the date, the name of the person you spoke to and any reference number.

Step 6: Return any equipment

Some set-top boxes, routers and accessories belong to the provider and must be returned when you leave. The provider normally sends a returns pack or label. Return equipment by the deadline given, because providers can charge if it is not returned. Keep the proof of postage.

Check which items need returning. Some older equipment does not, and some broadband equipment stays with you if you keep the broadband.

Step 7: Check your final bill

Your final bill should cover your service up to the end of the notice period, minus any credit owed. Check for:

  • charges for days after your service ended
  • early termination charges you did not expect
  • charges for equipment you have already returned

If something looks wrong, contact the provider. If you cannot resolve it, both Sky and Virgin Media belong to an Ofcom-approved alternative dispute resolution scheme, which you can use after eight weeks or once the provider gives you a deadlock letter.

A realistic look at costs

When you compare, include everything:

  • What you pay now for TV, including add-on packs, and what that will rise to after any discount ends.
  • What your broadband will cost on its own if you keep it.
  • The IPTV subscription, ideally worked out per month on the plan length you will use.
  • Any devices you need to buy, such as a streaming stick for a second TV.
  • The TV Licence, which you need for live TV whichever service you use. See do you need a TV Licence for IPTV?

Our comparison of the ways to watch TV in the UK sets out the main providers' starting prices side by side.

A switching checklist

  • Check whether I am in a minimum term and ask for any early termination charge
  • Decide whether to keep my current broadband and ask what it will cost alone
  • Buy a short IPTV plan and test it for at least a week
  • Watch or save anything important from my recordings
  • Move any accounts that use a provider email address, if changing broadband
  • Give notice, noting the date and reference
  • Return equipment before the deadline and keep proof of postage
  • Check the final bill

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep Sky or Virgin Media broadband and use IPTV?

Yes. IPTV works over any UK broadband connection. Many people cancel only the TV part and keep their existing broadband.

Will I lose my recordings?

Recordings stored on the provider's box are lost when you return it. Watch or note anything important before you cancel.

Is IPTV cheaper than Sky or Virgin Media?

It often is, but it depends on what you watch, how many screens you need and what your broadband will cost on its own. Add everything up before you decide.

Can I go back to Sky or Virgin Media later?

Yes. Both sell new TV packages, often with offers for returning customers. You would usually start a new minimum term.

What if IPTV does not work well in my home?

That is why testing first matters. Start with a short plan, use your money-back guarantee if needed, and only give notice to your current provider once you are happy.

When you are ready to test, see our plans and prices, or contact us with your devices and broadband provider and we will tell you what to expect.