Decide whether this is a new purchase or an existing account
Before selecting any purchase or restore control, establish what already exists. Look for a receipt and identify its seller, without sharing the receipt publicly. Someone with no previous purchase has a different task from someone trying to recover an Apple-managed subscription after replacing a phone.
For a new pass, follow the official website purchase guidance and check the selected product before committing. For an existing subscription, retain the original purchase route in the account note. Creating another account or buying again before identifying the old purchase can turn a navigation question into a duplicate-subscription problem.
Use Restore Purchases for the matching purchase route
The help centre places Restore Purchases within its older Apple-purchase instructions. It is not a universal mechanism for recovering a pass purchased on the website. Match the control to the seller shown by the receipt rather than assuming that every subscription visible in an Apple app was sold by Apple.
For example, a household member may use an iPad to watch a pass bought through a browser. The viewing device does not change that purchase into an Apple transaction. Keep those two facts separate when asking for help: device used for playback and seller that processed the subscription.
Retain a clear account history before support
Write down whether the subscription is new or existing, which seller appears on the receipt and which sign-in identity the viewer intends to use. Keep full payment identifiers and credentials private. This record is usually more useful than a screenshot showing only that a Buy button is absent.
If the pass remains unavailable after following the correct route, tell support which step failed and quote the visible message. Avoid making another purchase merely to test playback. The publisher’s separation between current website purchases and continuing older Apple subscriptions is the key distinction; an app installation alone cannot establish the account’s purchase history.
Questions about this guide
Does no Buy button mean Sky Sport Now cannot be watched on Apple devices?
No. The help distinguishes new purchase availability from continuing playback and older Apple subscriptions.