EE TV: MailOnline gets hands-on with the new subscription platform

Ahead of its official launch today, MailOnline has tried out EE TV, the latest subscription platform that offers content under one roof. 

EE TV – from the telco that's owned by British giant BT – puts films and TV shows together in one slick interface.

That's regardless of whether it's the live broadcast from BBC One or Channel 4, or the latest on-demand show from Netflix, Disney+ or Amazon Prime. 

Unlike Sky Glass, EE TV is not an actual television but a new subscription package that combines an app with a choice of set-top box. 

It is tied to EE’s broadband service – so in effect EE TV is designed to entice people who are with a rival broadband operator, like Sky or Virgin Media. 

What is EE TV? 

EE TV is a new platform from EE, the telco owned by the BT Group, and a rebrand of BT TV. 

Unlike Sky Glass, EE TV is not an actual television but a new subscription package that combines an app with a choice of set-top box. 

It is tied to EE’s broadband service – so in effect EE TV is designed to entice people who are with a rival broadband provider, like Sky or Virgin Media. 

The cost of EE TV depends on the package you choose – for example the sports package with four TNT Sports channels giving access to the Premier League is £18 per month. 

However, the various streaming services on offer through EE TV – Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ to name a few – are priced separately. 

Sachin Joshi, head of products at EE, said the new product has been designed as a 'new way to enjoy TV' because it cuts out the jumping between separate apps on a smart TV. 

'EE TV blurs the lines between live linear television and on-demand,' he told MailOnline at BT's new global headquarters in Aldgate, London. 

'It's putting control into the customer's hands.' 

EE TV features a full TV guide for a 'comprehensive live TV experience' just like regular broadcast TV. 

But its homescreen boasts a scroll-down menu and numerous carousels – many of which separate available content by category, such as sports and films.

Little promo boxes for each TV show or film – similar to the layout on Netflix – include a logo of the provider in the corner (e.g. ITVx, BBC iPlayer, TNT Sports). 

READ MORE Sky's TV has no-dish or box 

People who want to switch telco provider to EE can choose between multiple set-top boxes from the telco if they fancy trying EE TV. 

EE's main box is the TV Box Pro, which streams content in 4K and lets users pause and rewind TV, as well as record up to 600 hours of TV on up to four channels at the same time.

With the EE TV Box Pro, it can connect via an aerial to get the free to air channels – so if the internet stops working users can still watch live TV the old-fashioned way.

In addition, customers can opt for a smaller box, TV Box Mini, which doesn't allow live recording but still plays content in 4K. 

TV Box Mini can also be an additional device for another room at no extra cost – so for example people who have a second TV in their kitchen or study. 

Thirdly, customers also have the option to access EE TV through their Apple TV 4K, Apple's set-top box that comes with its own remote. 

For users of Apple's set-top box, EE TV appears as an app along with the likes of BBC iPlayer and Netflix, as well as apps for Apple services such as FaceTime App Store and Apple Music. 

EE TV is a rebranded version of BT TV, but existing BT TV customers don’t need to do anything – their service is just going to be renamed. 

Anyone who is a BT TV customer will notice the rebrand to EE TV from today (Wednesday) when they switch on their machine. 

EE TV is part of a major rebrand effort from the BT Group, which earlier this year changed the name of BT Sports to TNT Sports. 

The creation of a new brand follows last year's acquisition of BT Sport by Warner Brothers Discovery, who also own Eurosport, in a deal worth up to £650million. 

Why did BT Sport change its name to TNT Sports? 

TNT Sports is officially the new name of BT Sport, having launched in the UK and Ireland in July 2023.

The creation of a new brand follows last year's acquisition of BT Sport by Warner Brothers Discovery, who also own Eurosport, in a deal worth up to £650million.

A holding company has been set up called Warner Brothers Discovery Sport, which is likely to feature in new channels' branding, with BT Sport consigned to history.

'The TNT Sports name is already synonymous with premium live sports in a number of countries around the world,' said Andrew Georgiou, president and managing director of Warner Bros Discovery Sports Europe.

Although officially described as a joint venture it appears that BT Sport have been taken over by the American giants.