Advertisement

BT to offer free YouView box with one-year broadband contract, £49 for existing customers

Alexis Santos
Updated ·4 min read

If you're not quite comfortable shelling out £299 for BT's YouView box, then you're in luck. Starting October 26th, the hardware will be free for new Infinity broadband subscribers who ink contracts that are one year or longer. Instead of relying on cable, the Humax-built device uses both aerial and internet connections to deliver content from more than 100 digital TV and radio channels including Channels 4 and 5, the BBC and ITV. With the IPTV box, users can sift through content that's aired in the past seven days, watch on-demand programs and record up to 300 hours of standard definition television or 125 hours of high-def video to a built-in 500GB hard drive. Current British Telecom subscribers pining for the subsidized box will be able to get their own for a £49 activation fee and a £6.95 delivery charge. Those eager for the gratis set-top solution will be able to order it online starting October 19th if they register interest with BT's website beforehand. For more details, check out the press release below.

Show full PR text

BT offers YouView box worth £299 for free

DC12-277 September 20, 2012

BT has announced today that it will offer a free YouView set top box* with no TV subscription to new BT Infinity customers. Broadband customers not in an Infinity enabled area will also be able to get a free YouView box* when they subscribe to TV Essential, starting at £4/month. Both offer a massive saving on the retail price of the YouView set top box, which is priced at £299 at retailers across the country.

With YouView from BT customers can enjoy:
• More than 100 digital TV and radio channels
• Seven day catch-up TV allowing customers to scroll back and catch up across all the channels from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.
• On-demand content from BBC iPlayer, ITV player, 4OD, Demand5, Milkshake and NowTV with more content providers on the way
• Access to BT Vision, the largest library of video on-demand on YouView, with over five thousand programmes, including blockbuster and classic films, the best UK and US TV shows, kids shows, sports and the only place where you can find the latest HD films and music videos on YouView.
• Self-install YouView HUMAX box – customers with BT broadband can be up and running as soon as it arrives
• BT's YouView box comes with 500Gb hard drive, able to store up to 300 hours of SD TV or around 125 hours of HD TV
• All of this with market leading broadband, up to 8x faster than the UK average**

YouView's unique programme guide lets users go back in time, so they can watch shows from last night or last week even if they forgot to record them, as well as record, pause and rewind live TV.

With the simple-to-use search facility viewers can find on-demand content by programme or genre.

YouView from BT will be available with all of BT's TV and broadband packages and will launch on 26 October. Existing customers can also upgrade to YouView for £49 ***.

Customers who register their interest in YouView in advance (with no obligation) at www.bt.com/youview will have the opportunity to be first to place their order for YouView, during an exclusive window between October 19-26. These customers will be sent an e-mail invitation with a link to a special web site.

Alex Green, director TV, BT Retail, said: "This is a fantastic offer. Customers will now be able to enjoy BT's super-fast fibre broadband with a YouView box and TV Essential pack all for £18 per month. With YouView from BT not only can customers experience a great new way to watch TV they will also be able to access a huge range of on-demand content from BT Vision. The launch of YouView from

BT is another piece of exciting news about BT's plans for TV."
YouView is backed by some of biggest names in British TV and broadband: the BBC, BT, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV, Arqiva and TalkTalk. The YouView set top box integrates content delivered by broadband and television aerial.

* £49 activation charge, £6.95 delivery charge for the hub and line rental applies. To get a free YouView box you'll need to sign up to BT Infinity/BT Broadband and BT Vision Essential (rising to £5/month on 5 Jan) both with a 12 month minimum term. You'll also need a fast-enough line and a BT Home Hub. Quality of content depends on local transmitter, suitable rooftop aerial and availability of digital channels (www.youview.com). We'll charge you for some On Demand content. Terms apply.
** Speeds based on Infinity Option 2 average customer speed and UK average from Ofcom report, July 2012
*** £6.95 delivery. Existing customers will need to be out of their minimum term