IPTV vs NOW TV — Which Gives You More for Less?
NOW TV is Sky's contract-free streaming service — the go-to for people who want Sky Sports without a dish or an 18-month commitment. But at £34.99 per month for sports alone, and no 4K on any pass, is it really the best way to watch?
This is an honest, side-by-side comparison. We will show you where NOW TV genuinely makes sense, where IPTV offers dramatically better value, and help you decide which is right for how you watch.
What Is NOW TV?
NOW TV (recently rebranded to simply “NOW”) is Sky's contract-free streaming service. It gives you access to Sky content without needing a satellite dish, a Sky Q box, or an 18-month contract. You buy passes by category and pay monthly, weekly, or daily.
The passes break down like this:
The appeal is flexibility — no contracts, cancel anytime, pick only the passes you want. The downside is cost. If you want the full Sky experience through NOW TV, you are paying more than £60 per month and still not getting 4K.
What NOW TV Does Well
NOW TV is not a bad service. It solves a real problem — giving people access to Sky content without a dish or a contract. Here is where it genuinely delivers.
Official and Fully Licensed
NOW TV is a legitimate, Ofcom-regulated streaming service operated by Sky. Every channel and piece of content is fully licensed. You get consumer protections, published terms, and the backing of one of the UK’s largest media companies.
No Dish or Installation Required
Unlike traditional Sky, NOW TV works entirely over your broadband connection. No satellite dish, no engineer visit, no cables. Download the app on your Smart TV, Firestick, console, or phone and you are watching within minutes.
Flexible Pass System
NOW TV sells passes by category — Entertainment, Cinema, Sports, and Hayu. You only pay for the types of content you actually want, and you can add or remove passes month to month. There are also day and week passes for sports, which is useful for one-off events.
Available on Most Devices
The NOW TV app works on Smart TVs, Amazon Firestick, Roku, PlayStation, Xbox, phones, tablets, and laptops. Device support is broad, and the app itself is well-maintained with regular updates.
Where NOW TV Falls Short
For all its convenience, NOW TV has real limitations that become frustrating — especially when you look at what the same money could get you elsewhere.
Sports Pass Is Expensive
The Sports pass costs £34.99 per month — just for Sky Sports channels. That is more than five times the cost of a full IPTV subscription that includes every sport from every provider, plus PPV events, plus 45,000 other channels.
No 4K at All
NOW TV does not offer 4K content on any pass. The maximum resolution is 1080p, and even that requires the £6 per month Boost add-on. Without Boost, you are watching in 720p — noticeably worse than what most modern TVs are designed to display.
HD Costs Extra
Standard NOW TV streams in 720p. To get 1080p Full HD, you need to add the Boost pass for £6 per month on top of whatever passes you are already paying for. This is content that every other streaming service includes in HD by default.
Limited to Sky Content
NOW TV only carries Sky’s own channels and the content Sky has licensed. You do not get BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, Channel 4, or any international channels. For anything outside Sky’s catalogue, you need additional subscriptions.
No International Channels
If you watch content from outside the UK — European football leagues, Asian drama, Middle Eastern news, African entertainment — NOW TV has nothing for you. It is a UK-only service with UK-only content.
IPTV vs NOW TV — Side-by-Side Comparison
Twelve factors that matter most when choosing between IPTV and NOW TV. We have compared IPTVJoy against NOW TV's current UK pricing and feature set.
NOW TV pricing based on UK passes as of early 2026. IPTV pricing reflects IPTVJoy plans starting from £6.67/month. See full pricing breakdown.
When NOW TV Makes Sense
- You only watch one-off sports events. NOW TV's day pass for sports is genuinely useful if you only want to watch a single Premier League match or a specific boxing fight. Paying £14.99 for one day is cheaper than a month of anything if you truly only watch once or twice a year.
- You only want Sky-exclusive content. If you specifically watch Sky Atlantic dramas, Sky originals, or Sky Cinema premieres and nothing else, NOW TV gives you exactly that content and nothing you do not want.
- You value a fully licensed, regulated service above all else. NOW TV is backed by Sky and regulated by Ofcom. If that peace of mind is your top priority, NOW TV delivers it.
When IPTV Makes Sense
- You watch sport regularly. If you watch Premier League, Champions League, F1, UFC, boxing, or cricket more than once or twice a year, IPTV at £6.67 per month beats NOW TV's £34.99 Sports pass every single month. The maths is not even close.
- You want everything in one subscription. Sports, entertainment, cinema, international channels, PPV events, and 80,000+ on-demand titles — all included. No stacking passes, no add-ons, no surprises on your bill.
- You care about picture quality. IPTV includes 4K on every plan. NOW TV maxes out at 1080p and charges extra for it. If you have a 4K television, you are not seeing what it can do on NOW TV.
- You watch international content. NOW TV has zero international channels. IPTV includes channels from 200+ countries as standard — European football, Asian drama, Middle Eastern news, and more.
- You are price-conscious. £6.67 per month for everything versus £63+ for all NOW TV passes with Boost. Over a year, that is a saving of over £675. Even against just the Sports pass alone, IPTV saves you £340 annually.
Want to see how IPTV compares to other services? Read our IPTV vs Cable comparison or learn how to watch Sky Sports without paying full price.
IPTV vs NOW TV — Frequently Asked Questions
The most common questions people ask when comparing IPTV to NOW TV for sports, entertainment, and value for money.
Is IPTV better than NOW TV?
For most viewers, yes. IPTV offers vastly more content — 45,000+ live channels and 80,000+ on-demand titles versus NOW TV’s ~40 channels and ~1,500 titles per pass. IPTV also includes 4K, all sports, PPV events, and international channels, all for a fraction of the price. NOW TV wins on being a fully licensed, regulated service with the backing of Sky.
Is IPTV cheaper than NOW TV?
Significantly. IPTVJoy plans start from £6.67 per month with everything included. A NOW TV Sports pass alone costs £34.99, and adding Entertainment, Cinema, and the Boost add-on pushes the total past £60 per month. Over a year, IPTV saves you anywhere from £40 to over £700 depending on which NOW TV passes you would otherwise buy.
Can IPTV replace NOW TV?
Yes. IPTV covers everything NOW TV offers and far more. Every Sky Sports channel, every Sky entertainment and cinema channel, plus tens of thousands of additional channels from other providers and countries. The only thing you lose is the Ofcom-regulated consumer protections and the official Sky app experience.
Does IPTV have Sky Sports like NOW TV?
Yes. IPTV includes all Sky Sports channels — Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports F1, Sky Sports Main Event, and every other Sky Sports channel — plus BT Sport, TNT Sports, and sports channels from around the world. NOW TV only gives you Sky Sports channels for £34.99 per month.
Does NOW TV have 4K? How does IPTV compare?
NOW TV does not offer 4K content at all. Its maximum resolution is 1080p, and that requires the Boost add-on (£6/month extra). Without Boost, you watch in 720p. IPTVJoy includes full 4K resolution on every plan at no extra cost — a significant quality difference on modern televisions.
Can I get a NOW TV day pass for just one match?
Yes — NOW TV offers day and week passes for sports, which is useful if you only want to watch a single match or event. This is one area where NOW TV’s flexibility genuinely shines. However, if you watch sport regularly, even two or three day passes per month quickly exceeds the cost of a full IPTV subscription that includes every sport all month long.
Have more questions? Check our full FAQ or get in touch.
See also: IPTV vs Cable TV and IPTV vs Netflix.
Try IPTV Free — See the Difference Yourself
Still weighing up IPTV versus NOW TV? Try IPTV completely free for 24 hours — full access to all 45,000+ live channels, 80,000+ on-demand titles, every sport, and 4K quality. No card details, no commitment. Compare it to your NOW TV subscription and decide for yourself.
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