Cable TV providers 2024
Looking for cable tv companies in your area? Check out the best services, deals, and special offers below, along with opportunities to bundle cable TV with internet.
Best cable TV providers
Mediacom
- Speeds – 100 – 1,000 Mbps
- Prices starting at – $29.99/mo. for 50+ channels
Xfinity
- Speeds – 50 Mbps – 6,000 Mbps
- Prices starting at – $20.00/mo. for 10+ channels
Cox
- Speeds – $61.00/mo. for 75+ channels
- Prices starting at – $49.99/mo.*
Optimum
- Speeds – 300 – 5,000 Mbps
- Prices starting at – $65.00/mo. for 220+ channels
- Data caps – None
Spectrum
- Speeds – 300 – 1,000 Mbps
- Prices starting at – $29.99/mo. for 15+ channels
- Data caps – None
Shop TV packages near you
Finding cable companies in your area is easy when you enter your ZIP code below. In addition, you can get satellite TV almost anywhere you can put a dish, and live TV streaming services work anywhere with a decent internet connection. There are other alternative TV options available, too.
When picking a TV provider, you’ll want to compare the number of available channels, add-ons like premium channels, monthly cost, hidden fees, contracts and customer service scores. While some cheap plans like Xfinity’s starting plan of $20/mo. sounds terrific, you only get 10+ channels. If you want a deeper channel selection, for example, you’ll want to consider Xfinity’s more expensive plans.
You’ll find a few of the top TV providers in your area below. For more accurate results, click Update location.
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Cable TV breakdowns by provider
Mediacom TV – Best package add-ons
Plan | Starting price* | Channels | Download speeds | Data cap |
---|---|---|---|---|
Access Internet 60 + Local TV | $29.99/mo. | 50+ | 60 Mbps | 200GB |
Access Internet 60 + Essential TV | $59.99/mo. | 125+ | 60 Mbps | 200GB |
Access Internet 60 + Variety TV | $79.99/mo. | 170+ | 60 Mbps | 200GB |
Internet 100 + Local TV | $49.99/mo. | 50+ | 100 Mbps | 1,000GB |
Internet 100 + Essential TV | $79.99/mo. | 125+ | 100 Mbps | 1,000GB |
Internet 100 + Variety TV | $99.99/mo. | 170+ | 100 Mbps | 1,000GB |
Internet 300 + Local TV | $59.99/mo. | 50+ | 300 Mbps | 2,000GB |
Internet 300 + Essential TV | $89.99/mo. | 125+ | 300 Mbps | 2,000GB |
Internet 300 + Variety TV | $109.99/mo. | 170+ | 300 Mbps | 2,000GB |
What we like
Channel customization – Easy customization options for every plan, including adding premium channels, digital paks and sports channels
Channel lineup – Good channel lineup with every plan
Things to consider
Additional fees – Expect monthly surcharges for local TV and DVR.
Bundling – Required to bundle cable TV and internet together
Optimum TV – Best TV equipment
Plan | Starting price | Channels |
---|---|---|
Core TV | $85.00/mo.* | 220+ |
Select TV | $105.00/mo.* | 340+ |
Premier TV | $125.00/mo.* | 420+ |
What we like
Great DVR equipment – Record up to 15 shows at once
High channel count – All of Optimum’s plans have a high channel count (220+ – 420+), which means you will always have lots of shows to choose from
Things to consider
High fees – Expect to pay additional fees for the Optimum cable box, cloud DVR service and network enhancement fee
High starting prices – Optimum does not offer any cheap TV plans (i.e. under $50/mo.)
Spectrum TV – Best for no-contract cable TV
TV Plan | Price | Channel count |
---|---|---|
TV Select Signature | $64.99/mo.* for 12 mos. | 150+ |
Mi Plan Latino | $39.99/mo.** | 170+ |
Spectrum TV Stream | $39.99/mo.*** | 75+ |
Spectrum TV Stream Latino | $24.99/mo. *** | 45+ |
What we like
High channel count – All of Spectrum’s TV packages offer a high channel count (15+ – 200+ channels)
No contracts – With Spectrum, you can cancel your plan at any time
Add-ons available – You can add on additional channel packs to your existing plan
Things to consider
Hidden fees – If you include the broadcast fee, TV box fee and the DVR fee, you can expect to pay an additional $20 – $30/mo. than the advertised price. Take this into consideration when choosing a plan.
Disappointing equipment capabilities – Spectrum does not have 4K streaming capabilities and you can only record two shows at a time
Xfinity – Best for cheap cable TV packages
Package | Introductory price* | Channel count | Popular channels |
---|---|---|---|
Limited Basic | $20.00/mo. | 10+ | ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS |
Choice Limited TV | $30.00/mo. | 10+ | Hallmark, Oxygen, HSN |
Extra | $67.27/mo. | 125+ | AMC, ESPN and Disney |
Digital Preferred | $69.99/mo. | 185+ | ESPN, CBS Sports, MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL networks |
Digital Premier | $89.99/mo. | 185+ | HBO, STARZ and SHOWTIME |
Things we like
A variety of plans – Xfinity offers four main packages that range from 10+ channels all the way to 260+ channels. The channel lineup for the main three packages all include ESPN
Premium channels included – Xfinity’s top two packages, Preferred and Premier, both include premium channels in its lineup. Preferred only offers STARZ, but Premier offers all the most popular premium channels including STARZ, HBO, SHOWTIME and more
Things to consider
Equipment fees – Expect equipment fees to add up to at least an additional $20/mo.
Pricing varies – Expect pricing to vary slightly based on your location and also if you choose to bundle TV and internet.
Cox TV – Best for free HBO
Package | Price | Channel count |
---|---|---|
Contour TV Starter | $61.00/mo.* | 75+ |
Contour TV Preferred | $115.00/mo. | 140+ |
Contour TV Ultimate | $146.00/mo. | 250+ |
What we like
Great channel lineup – With any of Cox TV packages, you get access to a wide selection of channels
Great DVR options – The Cox Contour DVR offers customers 3 DVR options to choose from
Things to consider
Additional fees add-up quickly – Expect boadcast/regional sport surcharges and the DVR fee to increase your monthly bill.
Should you buy cable TV?
If you’re weighing cable TV against other types of home TV service, such as satellite or streaming, you might want to examine the pros and cons of cable TV to see if it may be a better choice over other TV options in your area.
What we like
Bundling convenience – Cable TV companies typically also provide internet and home phone, and may offer extra incentives for bundling.
Package selection – Most cable providers offer three or more different TV packages, plus lots of add-on options for sports, movies and more.
Reliability – Cable service is also not as susceptible as satellites to service interruptions during bad weather.
Things to consider
Equipment costs – Rental fees for cable boxes and the DVR or HD service they provide can inflate your cable bill by $30/mo. or more.
Package pricing – Cable TV tends to be priced about the same as satellite TV, but more expensive than streaming services.
Pressure to bundle – Some cable TV providers only make certain equipment or special offers available with TV and internet bundles. Others may not even offer standalone TV service, requiring you to get their internet if you want TV service with them.
Programming constraints – Unlike on-demand streaming services, you are bound by channel programming schedules with cable.
Cable TV pricing and additional fees
Expect to pay more for cable than the listed starting price. Along with taxes and broadcast fees, equipment rentals and add-on packages can add to your monthly cable bill.
- Package pricing: $20-$125/mo. – The rate you pay for a set lineup of channels will vary, but starting prices for cable TV packages can range from $20-$125/mo. depending on the provider.
- Taxes and broadcast/regional sports fees: Varies – These are unavoidable and will vary by location. Broadcast and regional sports fees are costs the provider has to pay to air certain content, which are passed down to the customer and can add $10-$20/mo.
- Add-on packages: $10-$20/mo. each – If you want premium channels, extra sports networks or international channels, you can add individual packages for $10-$20 extra per month, each.
- TV boxes and DVR: $5-$15/mo. per device – Some providers include one TV box with their service, but most will charge you $5 or more a month per device. The cost typically goes up for more advanced equipment that comes with DVR capability.
Cable TV package deals
Check for special offers, like Spectrum’s contract buyout offer, good for up to $500 to help you out of your contract with another provider. Be sure to read the fine print, however, as Spectrum’s buyout offer is only available when you sign up for select TV and internet bundles.
Cox, Verizon, DISH and DIRECTV often bundle premium channels or other streaming services with your package, so always ask about what channel perks come with it.
Bundling TV and internet together is a great way to potentially save on your cable bill. Along with saving you money on your monthly bill and possibly installation costs, bundling could qualify you for extra equipment and package options.
Other common cable TV deals to lookout for are:
- Free equipment
- Free gift cards
- Free installation
- Free subscriptions to other services
Bundling cable TV and internet
One of the best ways to save money on your cable TV bill is to bundle TV and internet together with one provider. Some providers, such as Mediacom and Suddenlink, do not allow customers to buy cable TV without bundling. Here are some of the benefits of bundling your services together:
- Discounts – Although not all, many providers offer discounts when you bundle services together. For some providers, such as Xfinity bundles, the more services you bundle (cable TV, internet, home phone, home security, etc.), the more you save. Many providers, however, are starting to move away from bundle discounts.
- Convenience – The most common reason customers bundle their services is just for the convenience factor. When you have one provider for all of your services, changing your plans, moving or updating your billing preferences is much simpler.
- Promotional offers – Instead of offering a monthly discount, many providers will offer a free subscription to a premium channel or streaming service, or will even provide a VISA Gift Card.