Britons are paying significantly more for pay-TV packages that include premium content such as top-flight football and Hollywood movies than consumers in Europe and the US, according to new research.

Telecoms regulator Ofcom found that British consumers pay £66 a month for the “best offer” premium pay-TV subscription – defined as including the “best package of top league football” as well as films and high definition TV – more than twice that paid by consumers in the cheapest nation surveyed, Germany (£27).

The UK fared the worst in a six-nation comparison, with Spain ranked second (£49), followed by the US (£47) then Italy (£40) and France (£35), according to Ofcom.

However, Britons receive 410 channels in their premium package, Germans get half this and most of the other countries surveyed have access to a quarter the number.

Britons do get a good deal on basic pay-TV packages, at £16 a month second only to Italians.