What to check before your TV or satellite contract ends
Pay TV contracts usually roll on at a new price when the fixed term ends. Pay TV billing is a base subscription plus channel packs, sport, movies and equipment fees — the review is mostly about what the household still uses.
Guide · Household bills · Published 3 July 2026
Why this matters
Ofcom rules require pay TV providers to send an end-of-contract notification and an annual best-tariff notification stating the price after the term and any alternative tariffs available.
Channel packs added during a previous renewal often quietly stay on. Reading the line items, not just the headline price, is the practical step.
What to check before your TV or satellite contract ends
End date and rolling price
Confirm the contract end date and the rolling price after the term, which should be stated on the end-of-contract notification.
Channel packs in use
List the packs you are paying for and which the household has watched recently. Packs added during a previous offer often quietly stay on.
Sport and movies add-ons
These are typically the highest-cost optional packs and the easiest to step down between seasons.
Equipment hire
Set-top boxes, multi-room and Wi-Fi pods can each be separately billed. Check the line items.
Notice period and equipment return
Note the notice period if you plan to cancel and the rules for returning equipment.
Timing window
When to act
The end-of-contract notification window is the practical time to act. Decisions taken in the final two weeks of the fixed term keep the most flexibility on packs and price.
Sources
- Ofcom — End-of-contract notifications for pay TV services.
- Ofcom — Pricing Trends for Communications Services, annual.
- Citizens Advice — Pay TV and bundled services.