The UK’s best & worst pay TV providers

TalkTalk and Sky customers happiest while Virgin subscribers once again have the most gripes, latest pay TV complaints data shows.

While many of us enjoy the extra channels we get with a Freeview TV, there are plenty of people willing to shell out for a pay TV service from the likes of Sky, BT or Virgin.

But just because we pay a monthly fee it doesn't mean we're always getting a premium service, as the latest subscription TV complaints data shows.

How complaints are calculated

Every three months Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, publishes info on the number of complaints it receives about the biggest pay TV providers.

The latest figures include companies with a market share of at least 1.5%, meaning the smaller providers are excluded.

Because it takes a while for Ofcom to publish its findings, this data only covers the three months between October and December 2023, so it won't reflect any of the most recent trends or changes.

The table below shows which providers have the happiest customers, and which have a lot of room for improvement.

Remember, these figures are only for complaints escalated to the regulator as the company has failed to resolve a customer's problem.  

So, while these may appear low, the actual number of complaints made to each firm will be far higher.

Pay TV complaints per 100,000 customers

Most complaints

Virgin Media's torrid run continued, having racked up the most official complaints for the third quarter in a row.

The company generated 13 complaints to Ofcom per 100,000 customers, which is almost double the amount of the next firm on the list BT (seven)

Virgin Media's main issues related to poor complaints handling (43%), billing problems issues (26%) and service issues (16%).

Opinion: leaving Virgin Media is far harder than it needs to be

Fewest complaints

There was a tie for top spot as both TalkTalk and Sky generated the fewest complaints per 100,000 customers.

Remarkably, it means Sky has now finished top or joint top in 13 of the last 14 quarters that Ofcom has been publishing complaints data.

Fancy joining Sky? Head this way to see its latest deals (this is an affiliate link, meaning we may be paid for any service you sign up for).

If you're thinking of switching providers and really value customer service, take a look at the table below.

It highlights the relevant performance of all the major providers over the last 18 months so you can get a rough idea of how happy customers are over the duration of a typical contract. 

Complaints to Ofcom per 100,000 customers over the most recent 18 months

Ditch and switch

If you suspect you’re paying too much or suffering from a rubbish service from your pay TV provider, don't just accept it – switch!

You can compare deals available in your area with Broadband Genie. If you haven't switched in a while, there's a good chance you could save a huge chunk.

*This article contains affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission on any sales of products or services we write about. This article was written completely independently.

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