7 best BT Sport alternatives and substitutes

bt sports

What is BT Sport?

BT Sport is a cable tv network connection where you can get to watch many sporting events that BT Sport has the rights to show. It is one of the most popular sporting network companies in the UK and Ireland.

BT Sport has been around for a while now, and it has a fifty per cent ownership with Warner Bros. Discovery as well. 

And even though they don’t have a streaming service of their own, this ownership could lead to one as well. And that leads to three reasons why you should consider looking for other sites like BT Sport.

Reason to look for sites like BT Sport

Reason 1 – Not Available Worldwide

BT Sport is not available worldwide, either on its website or on cable network channels as well, so people living outside the US have to use a different website or channel to watch their favourite sporting event.

If you do want to watch your favourite sports on BT Sport, you will have to get a VPN account to be able to do that, and a VPN account these days is not super cheap to come by as well.

And that is also adding to the already expensive BT Sport plan that they have.

Reason 2 – Expensive Plan

BT Sport requires you to have a subscription to watch their matches on your laptop, tv or mobile devices, and its subscription plans aren’t that cheap as well. 

They have two packs; one is called the ‘Big Sport’ Pack, which costs around $47.89/month to watch, and it is a 24-month contract as well, and they also have a ‘Sport Pack‘ that also costs around $18.69/month which is also a 24-month contract.

Those are really expensive plans you have to purchase to watch the sporting events that you like to watch, which leads me to the next point.

Reason 3 – Not great service

The service of BT Sport has been in question by many people because of their quality and want they provide for the hefty price tag that you have to pay for their service. 

Some of their channels also don’t provide HD resolution, which is also quite a bummer since most of our viewing devices have been upgraded to 4K panels, and more. 

Plus, the overall customer service of BT Sport has also left a lot of its users dissatisfied and has wanted its customers to leave the service as soon as the contract is up.

Best BT Sport Alternatives

CBS Sports

CBS Sports is a cable tv network that many might be aware of. Over at CBS Sports, you will get a bunch of major sporting events that are played internationally and in the United States as well. 

It is one of the premier sports networking sites that is currently available to avail on major cable tv connections. They also have a website where they allow the users to watch a few games live on it as well, for free.

There are many more great things to talk about CBS Sports, so let’s get into it!

What we liked about CBS Sports

CBS Sports isn’t just restricted to cable tv connections. 

You can access CBS Sports on some streaming services as well, such as YouTube TV and Hulu TV, for example. 

This is particularly great for those who are looking to cut their cable connection.

Along with this, CBS Sports does offer a varied amount of sports on its channels since it has rights to many different sports, so you will be able to watch numerous sporting events live on it as well!

And to top it all off, CBS Sports is also available in many different countries as well!

What we didn’t like about CBS Sports

CBS Sports does have a website where it showcases live matches along with some other detailed information that is happening in the world of sports, but you only get limited live sports on its website.

They don’t offer you its whole lineup of live matches on their website, especially the major sporting events that happen. And to access these major live matches, you have to be a subscriber of CBS Sports.

This could be a bummer for some people since it is a great initiative from them to have some live sporting events played out on their website for free, and they can overcome that money with the ads shown on the site.

Why did we choose CBS Sports as a BT Sports alternative?

CBS Sports is a great alternative to BT Sports as it offers a cable network that has almost all the major sporting events on its channels. Along with this, you are also able to have it on different streaming sites.

This makes it a lot more convenient for people who are looking to cut their cable subscription. The service provided by CBS Sports is also not bad and has been appreciated by many people.

And if you haven’t tried it out yet, you can contact your cable manager to add it to your package.

Review and rating of CBS Sports

CBS Sports isn’t usually talked about in the conversation, especially when you have giant sports networks like ESPN and Fox Sports competing with you, but CBS Sports does offer quite a package as well.

You have access to many popular sporting events that are played internationally and within the States; along with this, it is also available in many different services as well, and this makes it a compelling channel as well.

For those reasons and more, I would be rating CBS Sports 3.5/5 stars!

NBC Sports

NBC-sports

NBC Sports is also a very popular network that provides you with some of the best sporting programmes and events which are played across the world and in the United States as well.

It has a number of channels, all of them providing much different content relating to sports and live sports as well, so you can be rest assured that when you pick their service, you will able to enjoy your sporting events to their maximum level.

There are also a number of great things about NBC Sports to discuss, so let’s get to it! 

What we liked about NBC Sports

NBC Sports, since being part of NBC, is also available on Peacock TV, since that is also owned and operated by NBC Universal. This is a particularly great thing because it makes NBC Sports that affordable.

Because, as we know by BT Sport pricing, sporting events are really expensive, and their rights to stream are even more so; because of this, companies charge a lot more from their customers to view these matches.

So, when you are able to watch NBC Sports for an attractive plan of $5/month with ads, then that’s a great purchase.

What we didn’t like about NBC Sports

Since Peacock TV is currently only available in the United States and nowhere else, you can access their live streams except for their own app, NBC Sports.

Now, on paper, it sounds great to have an application just dedicated to sports, but in reality, the app has reported many issues regarding streaming games and the overall usage of the app.

Plus, it is not as cheap as Peacock TV on NBC Sports because you are asked to have a subscription separately for the app to be able to watch the games live on it,

Why did we choose NBC Sports as a BT Sport alternative?

NBC Sports is also a known sporting network since it has rights to the major sporting events that happen live, and many people use their service to watch different games as well.

Plus, their overall service and customer care are also very well rated as compared to BT Sport, which is always a good thing because that shows that a company values its customers and isn’t just a power-hungry corporate.

You also get NBC Sport for a cheap rate if you are a subscriber of the Peacock TV streaming service, and that is an added advantage that BT Sports doesn’t have.

Review and rating of NBC Sports

NBC Sports is a cable network that many people are aware of and use as well; they are known for its service and the content they have to offer to its audience. 

It also shares a good percentage in the sports networking market that is already crowded, and this is because of its overall performance and more.

You can expect quality streaming and watching experience when you choose NBC Sports, and for that reason, I would be rating NBC Sports 3.5/5 stars!

Fox Sports

FoxSportsGo

Fox Sports is one of the leading contenders when it comes to cable sports channels simply because it does have a lot to offer when it comes to sports and sports broadcasting.

Fox Sports also has a number of different channels, which you can get all if you subscribe to its package, and each one of them has its own programmes and live sports that it broadcasts.

There are also many things to discuss Fox Sport which can make people want to choose it, so let’s get to it!

What we liked about Fox Sports

Fox Sports has many different sporting events to offer as it has rights to events like MLB, NFL, NASCAR, NCAA basketball and football, WWE, MLS, and of course, FIFA! 

FIFA is the biggest draw that Fox Sports has over the other competitors since it was able to secure the rights to it for both the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup, and since FIFA is celebrated worldwide, it is great that it has the rights.

And the overall service of Fox Sports is also pretty great as it hasn’t received many complaints regarding its working nature. 

What we didn’t like about Fox Sports

Unlike other popular cable TV networks, Fox Sports isn’t available on any major streaming option. You can get Fox Sports on Sling TV, and that is a great way to watch your sports as well.

But, it doesn’t have a dedicated streaming platform, and neither has it collaborated with any streaming service such as Hulu or YouTube or any other service for that matter.

This is a shame since many people are looking forward to cutting their cable tv connection because of their expensive plans and want to shift to a much more affordable way of entertainment.

Why did we choose Fox Sports as a BT Sport alternative?

Fox Sports, if you compare it only as a cable tv network, then it is a great alternative to BT Sport since it has almost all the available sporting events and programmes rights it.

It has great service, and its customers are also very pleased with it, so that is also an added advantage for Fox Sports.

And the overall availability of Fox Sports and the trust behind their prominent name is much more than what you get on BT Sport, making it a great alternative to it.

Review and rating of Fox Sports

Fox Sports is trusted by many as their source of entertainment for sports and everything else about sports as well. It has been around for quite some time now and, over the years, has built on its reputation.

You can enjoy all the major sporting events that are played across the world on Fox Sports, and you also get that in a fairly cheap plan if you ask your cable operator to sign you up with their service.

It is a great service, and I am sure you would love it as well; for that reason, I would be rating Fox Sports 3.5/5 stars.

ESPN

espn

ESPN is one of the most prominent names that is known in the world of sports. Many people do consider it the holy grail of sports since it has been around for such a long time and has a wide variety of fan bases.

You can very easily find all the sporting events that you like on ESPN since they have the rights to all the major sporting events that are played, except FIFA, since they got outbid for that one by Fox Sports.

Let’s discuss some of the things that I liked and disliked about ESPN.

What we liked about ESPN

ESPN has a lot to offer. It is a service that is known all around the globe for its sports coverage on everything and its live sporting events that it covers, but in general, you get a lot out of it.

ESPN also has a streaming service of their own, which they are calling ESPN Plus, where you can get all the great things that you are getting on ESPN, but along with that, some Original exclusive content as well.

And if you are a Hulu subscriber or a Disney Plus subscriber, then you can get an additional discount on ESPN Plus with their Disney Plus bundled pack.

What we didn’t like about ESPN

ESPN, even though it is considered the best sporting network available on cable right now, it is also the most expensive one among the entire bunch.

A study was made about how much money from your cable tv subscription, on average, goes to ESPN, and the amount came up to $10! 

Now, to put that in context, if you ask your cable tv provider to have you sign Fox Sports, the average amount that would go to Fox Sports would be around $1.86! 

That’s a pretty heavy margin between the two.

Why did we choose ESPN as a BT Sport alternative?

ESPN is basically the best sporting network in the business right now. Yes, they are expensive compared to the other sports tv network, but their overall service and the content that it has to offer is unrivalled.

You can very easily watch almost all the sporting events that you would want to watch on ESPN, and then if you want more from them, then you can subscribe to their streaming service ESPN Plus.

It is a great recommendation and a great alternative to BT Sport.

Review and rating of ESPN

ESPN has been around for quite some time now, and it is now going to stop anytime soon with its content and news coverage regarding everything that is sports and more. 

It has been a trustworthy brand for many people, and many people still do tune on it for their daily sports coverage, and you can be one of those people as well.

Granted, it is expensive, but it still is the best in the business, and for those reasons and more, I would be rating ESPN 4/5 stars!

Ten Sports

ten sports

Ten Sports is also a popular sports network that is popular in Asia. It is owned and operated as a Pakistani-based networking company and has been the tv network for many people in Asia.

You are able to watch tons of different sporting events on Ten Sports as well because of its streaming rights which it has bought over the years.

It also features a number of different sports, ranging from Cricket to Football, and many more popular sports played internationally. 

What we liked about Ten Sports

Ten Sports overall has a lot of different sports to offer. Especially if you are a Cricket fan, which is also quite popular in Britain, then you would love Ten Sports because many channels are dedicated to Cricket.

You also get to watch it at a very affordable rate if you ask your cable service providers to hook you up with Ten Sports. 

Ten Sports also covers news related to sports, which is also a great initiative by them, and the overall service of Ten Sports is pretty decent.

What we didn’t like about Ten Sports

Ten Sports is not wildly available across the globe. It is mostly available in countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and other Asian countries. 

It is also not available as a service on any streaming platform as I know of. There is a streaming service called ‘Sony Liv’, which does have live sports on it.

And since Ten Sports is partially owned by Sony, then maybe you can see Ten Sports on it, but then again, Sony Liv is not available worldwide, and it can be accessed only via a VPN.

Why did we choose Ten Sports as a BT Sport alternative?

Ten Sports also falls along the line of sports networks that provide you with the experience of watching your favourite sporting programmes on live television using your cable network.

You can watch a bunch of different matches and games on Ten Sports, as it does have rights to many popular sporting events that happen internationally.

You can compare the events that both of them provide and see for yourself which one you like the most. 

Review and rating of Ten Sports

Ten Sports is a sports network that is popular in Asia, and if you are someone who is staying in Asia or in the countries that it is available in, then you would surely know about its services.

It has the rights to some of the best sporting events played and some of the best sports that ae played as well, and if you are a Cricket fan, then you would love this network channel as well.

I have used Ten Sports in the past and have no complaints against it; for that reason, I would be rating Ten Sports 3/5 stars.

Sky Sports

skysports

Sky Sports is also a very popular sports network, especially in the UK, and a lot of people do choose it as their sporting network for all of their sports and sports coverage. 

Sky Sports does have a lot to offer, and it often competes against BT Sport as well. Let’s look at the facts as to why it can be a great alternative to BT Sport.

What we liked about Sky Sports

Sky Sports offers a wide variety of premium sporting events on its channels. In fact, you can get up to 140 live Premier sporting events when you subscribe to Sky Sports.

Sky Sports also offer HD content and UHD content as well. This is particularly a great thing since many sports network still tries to broadcast SD content in this day and age.

What we didn’t like about Sky Sports

Sky Sports is a bit expensive when compared to other networking channels because it has over 140 live Premier sporting events played on it.

You would have to pay around $44/month with a 24-month signed contract. That is a lot of money asked from any networking company, let alone a sports networking company. 

Why did we choose Sky Sports as a BT Sport alternative?

Sky Sports and BT Sport often compete against one another because both of them are quite popular in the UK and other European countries, and for fair reasons as well.

But, if you are a sports junky and would like to watch almost all the premier events that happen across the globe, then Sky Sports is your best option.

Review and rating of Sky Sports

The great thing about Sky Sports is also the fact that you don’t have to have a cable connection to avail of its features. You can simply subscribe to Sky Sports Now and stream all of its coverage.

That is another added advantage that Sky Sports has over BT Sports, but it is also fairly expensive among the different services out there; for that reason, I would be rating Sky Sports 3/5 stars. 

Sony Sports Network

sony sport network

Sony Sports Network is also an alternative to BT Sports that is quite popular in Asian countries, such as India and others. Sony Sports Network has a number of different channels under its brand. 

All the channels cover different sporting events in different languages, as well, and the overall coverage of Sony Sports Network channels is pretty good. 

What we liked about Sony Sports Network

Sony Sports Network, as I mentioned above, has a number of different channels under its brand and users are able to access those channels in different languages, so in India that is quite ideal. 

The overall cost of Sony Sports Network channels is also quite cheap compared to what BT Sports is available in its countries.

What we didn’t like about Sony Sports Network

Sony Sports Network does have its sets of cons, as well, for example, its channels are only available in Asian countries, such as India, and it is not available in European countries under this name. 

So, the coverage of the channels also mostly focuses on sporting events that are the most popular in countries like India, such as Cricket, and while it also shows other sports, the overall coverage isn’t as much. 

Why did we choose Sony Sports Network as a BT Sport alternative?

Sony Sports Network is definitely an alternative to BT Sports because they both offer users to watch live sporting events. 

The great thing about Sony Sports Network channels is that they are relatively cheaper than what BT Sports cost to its users, and it is also available in various different countries too. 

Review and rating of Sony Sports Network

The channels of Sony Sports Network are quite a lot, and I have also written articles where I go in-depth about the overall cost of those channels, so you can read them too, if you would like to know more about it. 

However, the channels are mostly available in India, and that can be an issue for other countries, so for that reason I will rate Sony Sports Network 3.5/5 stars.

Our recommendations on the best BT Sport alternative?

Well, there you have it, six of the best alternatives to BT Sport that you can find right now for your cable connection and ask your cable service provider to hook it up for you.

They all have more or less the same sporting events, and it is up to you to decide which one you would like to watch and which one falls under your budget.

For me personally, I would have to go with ESPN and NBC Sports.

Why did we choose ESPN and NBC Sports as the best BT Sport alternative?

The reason why I chose ESPN and NBC Sports is because they are both readily available in the streaming services as well, and I cut my cable connection a long time ago, and I don’t miss it a bit.

Both of them provide great live sporting events that are unparalleled, and it also comes in a budget-friendly way, so it’s a win-win situation if you get any of these for yourself on your streaming service.

But, as always, these have been my thoughts and alternatives, which I found the best for BT Sport. 

What about you? Do you agree with my list? Or do you prefer to watch a different alternative to BT Sport? Do let us know in the comments down below!

Picture of Sanjit Mansingh

Sanjit Mansingh

Sanjit Mansingh is a Journalism and Mass Communication graduate. While studying in this field he quickly realized what he wants to do in his life: Filmmaking. His interest in writing scripts is what made him give a try in the world of content writing. Sanjit's an avid Movie Geek and is an award winning Director as well.

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