How to cancel Sky: TV, broadband and phone

Dan Howdle | October 24th, 2023

Ever tried cancelling Sky? Found it too much hassle? Too many barriers put in your way? If you feel it’s time to make a switch, we’ve done all the research on exactly how you go about it with the least amount of fuss.

Check you're out of contract

Whatever the product – phone, broadband, utilities – most people start to think about making a change when the original contract comes to an end and the monthly bill moves on to a rolling contract (usually with a price increase). All broadband and TV providers are now legally required to inform customers when their contract is about to expire, so you have the option to stay or leave.

Most Sky TV and broadband packages typically come with an initial 18-month contract commitment (only Sky Glass bundles break this trend with their *ahem* 'novel' 48-month contracts). Once this term is complete you can cancel your contract with 31 days' notice. If you’re still within your contract term, but are determined to leave Sky, you can – but it will cost you. Sky will charge you early cancellation fees. How much you'll pay depends on what services you have with Sky, when you first took them out, and how long you have left on your contract.

Beware early termination charges

It's worth knowing that you cannot terminate any Sky TV (Sky Stream, Sky Glass, Sky Q or Multiscreen) contracts early. Only Sky can do this if you fail to keep up with your payments. If this happens, Sky will apply early repayment fees. If you’re not sure whether your original contract term has ended, you can simply log in to your Sky Account or make a quick call to find out.

The total charges are determined by the following factors:

• The remaining duration of your minimum term, measured in days from the expiration of your subscriptions
• The days for which you've already been billed in advance
• The specific products you are subscribed to, the associated pricing, and the subscription end dates.

The amount you are billed may not align precisely with your monthly fees, however. There is some nuance. If you are currently benefiting from promotional subscription rates, your early termination fee will be computed based on these discounted prices, for example.

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Choose a new provider

To see the latest broadband and TV deals available to you at your address you need look no further than our own broadband and TV package comparison tools, which will show you exactly what's available right now, including special offers such as cashback and free gifts.

If you’re only planning on switching broadband and keeping your Sky TV package, the range of options open to you is pretty vast. BT, Plusnet, Virgin Media and TalkTalk all offer attractive packages, among many other smaller providers.

If it’s Sky TV services you’re looking to replace, this is where your options narrow. Virgin Media TV and BT TV are the obvious choices and most comparable in terms of available channels, however both have notable exceptions – Sky won't let any other provider show Sky Atlantic, nor its shows and other content for example. Beyond these, NOW TV offers the best viable alternative, with its one-month rolling contracts. Alternatively, streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime TV have so much on offer you may choose to go without a TV package at all, provided you can live without what Sky TV uniquely offers.

Contact Sky

If you are just intent on switching broadband, the good news is you’ve no need to contact Sky at all. Your new provider will do this work for you and make all the arrangements with Sky. Once completed, you’ll receive a notification from Sky confirming the switch and any outstanding payments will be due at this point. So, once you’ve chosen your new broadband provider, the hard work for you is done.

Unless you're moving to Virgin Media

The only exception to this is if you opt for either Virgin Media, or a fibre-to-the-premises service, such as Ultrafast or Gigafast from BT, TalkTalk or Vodafone, which do not operate over the widely used Openreach fibre network common to all other providers. Virgin Media operates on its own broadband network rather than Openreach and so you will need to contact Sky directly to cancel your existing package. If you’re just looking to cancel rather than switch, and are on a rolling monthly contract, you need to give Sky 14 days' notice.

To cancel your Sky TV subscription you will need to make direct contact. There are five different ways you can do this –

• Send Sky a message via Facebook Messenger
• Send an email to: mysky@sky.uk stating clearly your intention to cancel.
• Call Sky on: 0333 759 0762. Be aware calls to this number may incur a charge and it’s likely to be a fairly lengthy discussion. However, if you’re someone who prefers dealing with a human voice for such matters, this is the option for you.
• Send a letter to: Sky Subscribers Services Ltd, PO Box 43, Livingston, West Lothian, EH54 7DD

If you decide to cancel in writing or by email, be aware that Sky will still need to contact you directly via phone in order to verify your account information and your intention to cancel. Remember, once you’re on a rolling monthly contract you are obliged to give 31 days' notice of your intention to cancel.

Retention

Sky will never want you to leave. It does not want you to go to another provider. However, as a business it is also going to keep its best treats hidden away until they’re absolutely necessary. Before engaging in any communication with Sky about cancelling your subscription, you need to be clear in your mind about why you’re doing this. Be honest with yourself – is it the price? If it is, do you really want to cancel or are you simply angling for a better deal? If it’s the latter, you’re not alone – we’ve all thought the same at some point.

If you’re open to doing a deal with Sky, you must do your homework on what its competitors are currently offering. The more information you have, the better. Our broadband and TV package comparison tool can help you to do this easily. You also need to decide whether you’re prepared to still walk away if you don’t get offered a better deal.

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