The TV market is pretty rotten at the moment. I’ve called it death by a thousand cuts a few times. You can pay a small fortune and still miss your favourite shows or sporting events. This has seen countless people turn to “dodgy boxes” with a steady increase in interest around these illegal streaming services offering up the best alternative to Sky’s defacto monopoly.
But Vodafone has seen this scenario as a massive opportunity, launching Vodafone TV Play to offer up home entertainment packages at very appealing prices.
What is Vodafone TV Play?
Vodafone TV PLAY is an all-in-one smart entertainment hub and soundbar that brings together the best of live TV, streaming services, and Dolby Atmos immersive audio. It is designed to provide a seamless and personalised entertainment experience for all customers. The box you get, made by Sagemcom, comes with an integrated soundbar, 4K Ultra HD picture quality, and hands-free voice control via Google Assistant, Vodafone is aiming to offer unparalleled value for your money.
The aggressive part of Vodafone’s offering is the pricing.
Vodafone TV Play offers a variety of packages to suit your needs, from €65 per month for broadband and TV to €95 per month for broadband, TV, and sports.
Is Vodafone TV Play Good Value?
Without yet testing the service, it’s hard to say – but let’s look purely at pricing.
| Provider | TV & Broadband |
| Sky TV + Broadband | €50 for the first 12 months €106 thereafter |
| Virgin Media TV + Broadband | €50 for the first 12 months €104 thereafter |
| Vodafone TV Play + Broadband | €70 per month |
Vodafone’s pricing stands out here because there is no thereafter pricing. The €70 per month is, as is the case with all providers, subject to the annual price adjustment of CPI +3%. Consumer Price Index (CPI) pricing increases are a way for telecoms companies to recoup their costs from inflation. When the CPI increases, the cost of everything from labour to equipment goes up, which means that telecoms companies have to charge more for their services to make a profit.
What we’re seeing here is good news for the consumers of Ireland. Vodafone has brought an option to the TV market which could disrupt Virgin Media and Sky’s friendly agreement to charge astronomical prices for TV and Broadband bundles. Vodafone is effectively offering the same thing for €34 less than Virgin Media and €36 less than Sky.
How Does Vodafone TV Play Work?
Vodafone TV Play is IPTV. This means your entertainment is streamed over the internet. For this reason, Vodafone will only sell Vodafone TV Play to people with a high-speed Vodafone Broadband connection. It’s not available to customers from other broadband providers.
Now, does Vodafone TV Play offer a route back from the world of “dodgy boxes” for customers? Maybe. At €95 a month for Broadband, TV and Sports channels, it’s the most competitive entertainment package Ireland has had for some time. A massive green tick for Vodafone TV Play is that it’s legal and legitimate.
If you’re in the market for a change, it’s worth a look for sure.