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UK Bundled Communication Services Market Report 2025

UK Bundled Communication Services Market Report 2025

Market Intelligence Reports Technology UK

UK Bundled Communication Services Market Analysis

The UK bundled communication services market has seen a decline in fixed telecoms and pay-TV revenues, with fixed telecoms falling by around 1% in 2024 and pay-TV revenues decreasing by over 2%. However, broadband usage continues to grow, driven by increasing data demands from technologies like AI and 5G.

The telecoms market is forecast to experience a continued decline in fixed telecoms, with a slight annual reduction for the foreseeable future, while mobile networks, particularly 5G, are expected to see growth. The future of the UK communication services market will depend on innovation through flexible bundles, partnerships with streaming services, and improvements in broadband infrastructure to meet rising consumer demands.

UK Bundled Communication Services Market Consumer Trends

Consumer trends in the UK bundled communication services market show a growing preference for flexible broadband contracts and faster speeds, driven by modern, transient lifestyles. Younger generations are shifting from traditional pay-TV to streaming services like Netflix. The rise of AI, gaming, and smart home devices is increasing demand for better broadband performance. Consumers are also attracted to bundles with value-added perks, such as streaming subscriptions and smart home discounts, pushing providers to innovate and offer more personalised packages. These emerging trends are a key focus in the UK Bundled Communication Services Market Report, offering essential insights into the changing landscape of the bundled communication services market.

Purchasing the full report provides valuable insights into consumer behaviour, emerging trends in the bundled communication services market, and detailed market segmentation. It helps you refine your strategy, adapt to evolving consumer demands, and stay ahead in the industry.

About The Report

This report offers key insights into the UK bundled communication services market, focusing on consumer preferences, emerging trends, and market dynamics. It explores factors influencing broadband, pay-TV, and mobile network adoption, as well as the impact of streaming services and AI technologies. The research covers market segmentation by demographics and purchasing behaviours, offering valuable data on flexible contracts and growing data demands. Telecom providers and industry marketers will benefit by gaining essential insights to adapt their strategies, innovate offerings, and remain competitive in the evolving communication services market.

Key Topics Analysed in the Report

The market size and five-year forecasts for the bundled communication services market, including fixed telecoms, mobiles and pay-TV, alongside broadband market share
The growing demand for faster broadband packages as technology evolves and current consumer satisfaction levels with their provider
Take-up of additional services such as pay-TV from broadband providers, the impact of strong competition from the streaming sector and the streaming services consumers would most like bundled with their broadband plan
The perks consumers view most attractive that would make them choose one broadband provider over another, and how innovative partnerships and bundles can make the difference
Consumer attitudes and behaviours by demographics, with younger people less likely to see value in traditional pay-TV bundles

Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis

This report was written by Adrian Reynolds. Adrian has over a decade of experience working in research and insights. He joined the technology and media team in 2017, having previously worked as a TV analyst. Since January 2022, Adrian has focused on financial services and FinTech. He holds a BSc in Business Administration and a Master’s in International Business.

Evolving technology will ensure growing demand for faster broadband, but beyond network investment there is a need for more innovative bundles that fit modern lifestyles.

Adrian Reynolds

Associate Director

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for the bundled communication services market
- Broadband providers must offer flexible connectivity for modern lifestyles
- Thematic broadband bundles can bring new opportunity for innovation partnerships
- Broadband operators are perfectly placed to become streaming aggregators
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market size & forecast
- Outlook for bundled communications services
- With fixed telecoms and pay-TV revenues stalling, growth will be reliant on the mobile networks market over the next five years
- Push innovative bundled packages to expand revenue streams
- Recent merger activity is likely to enhance to dominance of the leading broadband providers
- Graph 1: broadband providers, 2024
- What consumers want and why
- There is strong opportunity for innovative bundles with the majority taking additional services from their broadband provider
- Graph 2: additional services taken from broadband provider, 2024
- Room for improvement in customer service contact options
- Graph 3: satisfaction with broadband factors, 2024
- Engage those most concerned with speed via thematic broadband packages
- Bundling Netflix with broadband packages is an easy win for providers
- Graph 4: preferred streaming subscriptions in telecoms bundles, 2024
- Focus on partnerships and perks that cater for modern lifestyles
- Graph 5: attractive perks when choosing a broadband provider, 2024
- Flexible contracts are a major issue for many consumers as lifestyles become more transient
- Graph 6: attitudes towards bundled communication services, 2024
- AI is expected to drive the need for investment in broadband networks
- Graph 7: rising use of AI will require better broadband infrastructure, by generation, 2024
- Innovation and marketing
- EE launches dedicated next-gen gaming broadband
- Broadband advertising continued to decline in 2024
- Graph 8: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising on consumer broadband, 2020-24
MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market size
- Strong competition has seen fixed telecoms revenues decline despite growing broadband and data usage
- Graph 9: value of the fixed telecoms (broadband and voice) market, 2018-24
- Value of mobile network subscriptions rising with the shift towards 5G
- Graph 10: value of mobile network subscriptions, 2018-24
- Traditional pay-TV market continues to feel the impact of strong competition from the streaming sector
- Graph 11: value of the pay-TV market, 2018-24
- Market forecast
- Growth in telecoms service revenues will be reliant on the mobile networks market over the next five years
- Bundled packages will be a key as fixed telecoms revenues struggle for growth
- Fixed telecoms revenues will plateau despite rising demand for faster speeds
- Growth in working age consumers and connected devices will fuel volume growth
- Increasing take-up of 5G and rising data use will drive mobile network revenues
- Traditional pay-TV will sustain significant revenues but struggle for growth
- Pay-TV revenues will decline under growing competition from the streaming sector
- Market share
- The leading three providers account for over two thirds of broadband subscriptions
- Graph 12: broadband providers, 2024
- The integration of BT and EE will create a clear broadband market leader
- The differing customer bases of BT and EE could complicate the brand transition
- Graph 13: big six broadband providers, by generation, 2024
- Vodafone deal with Three should cement its position in the big six broadband providers
- Market drivers
- Consumer confidence remains fragile and many will still be looking for better deals on bills
- Graph 14: financial confidence index, 2020-25
- Graph 15: financial wellbeing index, 2020-25
- Inflation has come down but many are still feeling the impact of higher prices and will struggle to prioritise fixed-term bundles
- Graph 16: CPI inflation rate, 2021-24
- Growth in full-fibre packages is driving broadband speeds and data usage
- Graph 17: average fixed broadband data use per month, 2024
- Graph 18: average maximum download speed by technology, 2023 and 2024
- Ofcom reports further rise in take-up of superfast broadband in 2024
- Ofcom ruling adds price clarity and bans inflation-linked mid-contract rises
- Ofcom simplifies the switching process with the implementation of One Touch Switch
- Growth in the smart home will drive the need for faster and more stable broadband
- Graph 19: ownership of selected connected devices, 2024
- The growing prevalence of AI will drive further need for broadband improvements
- The growing dominance of the streaming market will demand a new approach for broadband and TV bundles
- Graph 20: viewing habits in the last three months, 2024
WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Additional services from broadband provider
- There is huge scope for innovative bundles with the majority taking additional services from their broadband provider
- Graph 21: additional services taken from broadband provider, 2024
- Younger people are more likely to bundle streaming services than pay-TV
- Flexibility will be key to cater for modern lifestyles
- Regularly highlight the net savings of bundles to customers only taking single services
- Graph 22: take-up of telecoms services, NET, 2024
- Satisfaction with broadband provider
- Relatively high satisfaction levels will not stop people from shopping around for better deals
- Continued infrastructural improvements will be needed to maintain satisfaction levels as technology evolves
- Graph 23: overall satisfaction with broadband provider, 2024
- Broadband satisfaction levels drop significantly when it comes to price and flexibility
- Customer service contact options show room for improvement
- Graph 24: satisfaction with broadband factors, 2024
- Thematic broadband packages can cater for those most concerned with speed
- Key driver analysis of broadband satisfaction levels
- Promote reliability of service and speed
- A wide range of price points and contract lengths will boost satisfaction further
- Interest in media subscriptions
- Netflix leads the way in consumers preferred inclusive streaming services
- Graph 25: preferred streaming subscriptions in telecoms bundles, 2024
- Bundles of streaming apps will replace the traditional pay-TV channel bundle long-term
- The prevalence use of YouTube could make an inclusive premium subscription attractive
- Including music streaming subscriptions in bundles will appeal to Gen Z
- Graph 26: preference for music streaming subscriptions in telecoms bundles, by generation, 2024
- Attractive perks when choosing a broadband provider
- Revamp perks and bundled services to cater for modern lifestyles
- Graph 27: attractive perks when choosing a broadband provider, 2024
- Bundling popular streaming platforms can make a broadband provider stand out
- Broadband providers can position themselves as wider connectivity brands
- Graph 28: attractive connectivity perks when choosing a broadband provider, by generation, 2024
- Younger customers hungry for more innovative perks
- Think outside the box with partnerships and perks
- Attitudes towards bundled communication services
- Contract flexibility is vital as people settle down later in life
- Evolving technology will ensure people keep seeking faster broadband
- The growing broadband demands of younger customers will ensure outages are noticed
- Graph 29: expectations of needing faster broadband in the next two years, by generation, 2024
- Graph 30: experienced multiple broadband outages in the last 12 months, by generation, 2024
- Communicate clear and transparent price and speed information on price comparison sites
- Consumers expect AI to drive the need for investment in broadband networks
- Graph 31: rising use of AI will require better broadband infrastructure, by generation, 2024
- Sky and Virgin are struggling to convince young customers of their value
- Offer bundles of entertainment apps with broadband packages
- Graph 32: video streaming services better value than pay-TV, by generation, 2024
INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
- Competitive strategies and launch activity
- Openreach partners with Nokia to trial “hyper-fast” broadband connection
- Amazon could be set to launch satellite broadband in the UK
- Virgin Media-O2 enables Apple Pay and Google Pay for recurring payments
- VMO2 opens the UK’s largest telecoms store
- VMO2 offers customers premium AI search engine access
- Sky looks to attract switchers with support service and new entry level bundles
- Sky extends HBO deal but will lose exclusivity when Max launches in 2026
- EE launch next-gen Wi-Fi 7 Smart Hub Pro
- EE looks to entice gamers with new dedicated broadband offering
- EE looks to partnerships to expand its TV bundles
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Broadband advertising has declined significantly in the last two years
- Graph 33: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising on consumer broadband, 2020-24
- EE leads the way with BT shifting the emphasis of its advertising to the consumer facing brand
- ASA cracks down on misleading broadband advertising
- Virgin Media remains the second-largest broadband advertiser despite cutting spend
- EE focuses on promotion of use cases for Wi-Fi 7 Smart Hub
- EE highlighting new EE TV with broadband to replace BT TV
- Sky promoting the inclusion of Netflix in its broadband and TV bundles
- Sky has also looked to highlight its full fibre broadband deals to gamers
APPENDIX
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (total)
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (fixed telecoms)
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (mobile networks)
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (pay-TV)
- Forecast methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Consumer research methodology
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations and terms (continued)
- Key driver analysis – methodology
- Key driver analysis – data
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage

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