Radio Times TV Guide: UK Listings, Cost & Subscription

Few TV guides have weathered a century of change, but Radio Times has done just that since its first issue in 1923. Today it remains the UK’s definitive weekly listing for television and radio programmes, covering everything from BBC One to Sky Sports. This guide cuts through the nostalgia to give you the current costs, where to buy, digital access options, and how the magazine stacks up against free online alternatives like Freeview and iPlayer.

First published: 1923 ·
Frequency: Weekly ·
Coverage: United Kingdom ·
Print price: £2.99 per issue ·
Online access: Available via website and app ·
Channels listed: Over 100 TV channels

The snapshot above separates what can be verified from what remains speculative — a pattern that holds across the rest of this guide.

These figures anchor the product overview. The real debate starts with how Radio Times earns its price against free alternatives.

What is the Radio Times TV Guide?

History of Radio Times

• First published on 28 September 1923 by the BBC, the magazine originally covered only BBC radio schedules (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).
• It gradually expanded to include television listings from the 1930s and became a weekly fixture in British households.
• In 2011, BBC Worldwide sold Radio Times to Immediate Media Company, ending nearly 90 years of BBC ownership (magazine.co.uk, subscription retailer).

How it became the UK’s leading TV listing magazine

• Radio Times differentiates itself with editorial content – interviews, reviews, and previews – alongside plain schedules (Magazine Supermarket, specialist magazine seller).
• It covers all major UK broadcasters: BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Freeview, Sky, and Virgin Media, plus radio stations (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).
• Regional editions (London, Midlands, North, etc.) include local programming details.

The implication: Radio Times is not just a schedule – its curated editorial voice is the reason many readers still pay for print in a free-listings world.

Where to Buy and Subscribe to Radio Times TV Guide

Newsagents and supermarkets

• A single issue costs approximately £2.99 and is available at WHSmith, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and other major retailers (magazine.co.uk, subscription retailer).
• Shopping at a supermarket can sometimes save a few pence versus the newsstand price.

Online subscriptions

• A 12-month print subscription is advertised from £61.00 including free delivery, which works out at roughly £1.17 per copy – a 61% saving on the cover price (magazine.co.uk, subscription retailer).
• Digital-only subscriptions via the Radio Times app cost £12.99 for one month, £33.99 for three months, or £129.99 annually (Apple App Store, official marketplace).
• Auto-renewal is on by default; you must turn it off at least 24 hours before the period ends (Google Play, official app store).

Digital app access

• The Radio Times app (iOS and Android) lets you buy single issues or complete your collection of back issues for £49.99 (Apple App Store, official marketplace).
• Third‑party platforms like Pocketmags, digital magazine platform also offer digital-only subscriptions starting at $12.99/month (pricing varies by region).

The trade‑off: print subscribers pay roughly half the digital‑only monthly rate per issue but commit to longer terms. For occasional readers, single issues or a monthly rolling subscription are more flexible.

Is There a Radio Times Online TV Guide?

RadioTimes.com TV listings

• Yes – radiotimes.com/tv/tv-listings offers free, up‑to‑date schedules for all UK channels with no account required.
• The online guide covers today’s listings and the week ahead, with filters by channel, time, and genre.
• On‑demand catch‑up links (e.g., BBC iPlayer, ITVX) are embedded directly into the schedule (magazine.co.uk, subscription retailer).

Mobile app functionality

• The Radio Times app includes the full weekly schedule plus editorial features, and push notifications for favourite shows (Apple App Store, official marketplace).
• Subscribers can download the digital replica of the print edition for offline reading.

Comparison with other online guides

• Free alternatives like the Freeview EPG and BBC iPlayer only show a few days of listings for their own channels.
• Radio Times covers the full seven‑day schedule for over 100 channels, including premium services like Sky Sports (schedule data from magazine.co.uk, subscription retailer).
• The website is ad‑supported but free – no paywall for basic listings.

The catch: the free web guide lacks the editorial features that make the print magazine a curated experience. If you only want raw listings, the website suffices; if you want recommendations and analysis, you need the magazine or app.

What’s on TV Today: Radio Times Listings for BBC, Freeview and Sky Sports

BBC schedules

• Radio Times publishes the full lineup for BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four, BBC Parliament, and the BBC’s children’s channels (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).
• Each issue highlights the “Pick of the Day” and “Editor’s Choice” to help readers navigate prime‑time options.

Freeview channels

• The magazine includes the complete Freeview channel line‑up – BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, plus digital‑only channels like Dave, Drama, and Yesterday (Magazine Supermarket, specialist magazine seller).
• Regional editions tailor the schedule for London, Anglia, Midlands, and other areas.

Sky Sports coverage

• Radio Times lists all Sky Sports channels (Main Event, Premier League, Football, Cricket, etc.) in both print and online editions.
• For live sports events, the magazine often includes previews and expert analysis alongside the schedule.

The pattern: for planning your week ahead, the print edition gives a stable overview; for tonight’s actual listings, the website or app is more reliable.

Radio Times vs ITV TV Guide: Which is Best?

Three key differences, one pattern: Radio Times aims for breadth across the entire TV landscape, while ITV’s own guide (or its sibling magazine TVTimes) focuses narrowly on ITV channels.

Why this matters: if you watch channels from multiple broadcasters, Radio Times is the only single‑source paper guide. ITV’s offerings are fine if you’re mostly an ITV viewer – but for anyone with a Freeview box or Sky subscription, Radio Times saves you from juggling three different schedules.

What’s Unclear: Reported Issues and Unknowns

• Confirmed facts: Radio Times has been continuously published since 1923; it is owned by Immediate Media Company; it offers print, digital, and app access; it lists over 100 channels.
• What’s unclear: Exact print circulation figures are not routinely published. Some Trustpilot users report that renewal prices after introductory offers can be significantly higher than the advertised ongoing price (Trustpilot, customer review platform). A MoneySavingExpert forum post alleged a jump from £52 every six months to £128.70 after the first term (MoneySavingExpert, consumer forum).
• Rumour / unverified: The same forum posts suggest that calling to cancel can sometimes trigger a retention offer – but this is anecdotal and not confirmed by the publisher.

“Radio Times is the UK’s longest-running TV and radio listings magazine.”

Radio Times website, quoted in magazine.co.uk, subscription retailer

“Radio Times is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules.”

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The evidence is clear: Radio Times remains the most comprehensive single printed guide for UK television, but its subscription model requires careful attention to renewal terms. For viewers who primarily watch free-to-air channels, the free online listings on radiotimes.com offer a no‑cost alternative – though without the curated editorial that has defined the brand for a century. For the dedicated TV fan who wants print, the best value is an annual subscription from magazine.co.uk, subscription retailer at roughly £61, but be sure to set a calendar reminder before the renewal hits full price. For UK viewers still navigating the shift from print to pixels, the trade‑off is clear: pay for curation and convenience, or accept the free but fragmented alternatives.

Frequently asked questions