The broadcaster confirmed it uses rateable value (RV) as the measure of pricing for commercial customers, after operators raised concerns online about increased sports broadcasting costs.
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A letter shared in a pub operator group showed one customer was told TNT Sports Business subscriptions would be subject to a 3.1% inflationary price increase from 1 September 2026 and priced according to 2026 non domestic rateable value.
The example stated the customer’s new rate card price was £871.92 excluding VAT per month, with a transitional price of £492.17 excluding VAT per month for 12 months.
Rateable values
A TNT Sports spokesperson told the Morning Advertiser (MA): “TNT Sports use rateable value as the measure of pricing for our commercial customers.
“For pubs seeing a reduction in RV, prices will be lowered and for those seeing an increase, we will support our customers by phasing the increase across a three year period.”
The spokesperson added customers would not see pricing changes linked to new rateable values while still in contract.
TNT said its pricing was not band based, but tailored to each pub’s individual rateable value.
Where a customer’s rateable value has increased, the higher charge will be phased over three years when their contract ends. Customers whose rateable values have fallen will move to the lower price when their existing contract ends.
TNT also confirmed that if a pub successfully challenges its rateable value, its price will be adjusted.
Sports trade
The broadcaster said it understood the challenges facing hospitality businesses and said live sport remained a key footfall driver for pubs.
The spokesperson said: “Sport remains one of the most powerful footfall drivers for pubs, illustrated by this summer’s World Cup.
“TNT Sports is dedicated to helping customers to grow their business through the power of sport, with our Support Squad team on the ground visiting customers every day to offer practical help and point of sale support.”
TNT said it had also made TNT Sports Social, its digital sports marketing service, free for all TNT Sports pub customers this year.
The broadcaster said pubs showing the UEFA Champions League Final last season sold 19% more pints, according to Oxford Partnership data.
It also said 17 of the top 25 days of trade in 2025 had sport on TV, with 11 of those including major events on TNT Sports.
TNT Sports said its out of home Premier League audiences were up 42% year on year across the season.
The issue has also raised questions over how other sports broadcasters are approaching commercial pricing for pubs.
A Sky Business spokesperson said: “We are honouring all existing customer agreements using their 2023 rateable values.
“We regularly review our pricing in line with evolving market conditions and would always update customers on price increases and how they will be implemented before they come into effect.”
Sky said rateable values were one of several factors that informed its pricing decisions.
