Plusnet's jumping on the YouView bandwagon with its own TV service

In recent times, many of the UK's biggest broadband and TV providers have sought to head off competition by expanding into new markets. Virgin Media, TalkTalk and Sky are betting on mobile, while others are rushing to augment their offerings by diving into TV. Plusnet, which has made a name for itself as a reliable low-cost ISP, is one of these companies. After first trialling a YouView-powered set-top box with employees, then opening a small customer trial, the provider says it will begin offering a new TV bundle to all of its Unlimited Fibre customers.

Commenting on the official YouView forum, a Plusnet representative confirmed that "TV from Plusnet will be launching soon," while inviting customers to register their interest on its website. It's actually quite surprising that it's taken Plusnet this long: the ISP is actually owned by BT, which already offers customers a couple of YouView-powered boxes. It would be safe to assume that BT's TV offering will feature in some way on a new Plusnet service, but the company is staying tight-lipped at this point. While the operator doesn't yet offer a mobile service, that could certainly change when BT's deal to acquire EE is given the green light.