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Best TV cable providers

By David Anders Last updated: February 21, 2023

Looking for cable companies in your area? Check out the best services and special offers below.

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Our picks for the best cable TV providers 

Mediacom – Best availability

50+ channels for $29.99/mo.

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Optimum – Best TV equipment

220+ channels for $65.00

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Spectrum – Best for no-contract TV

125+ channels for $59.99

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Keep in mind

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.

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 options available, too.

You’ll find a few of the top TV providers in your area below. For more accurate results, click Update location.

Mediacom TV – Best package add-ons 

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 02/09/23.

Mediacom TV is available in 22 states. Primary service areas include the Midwest, central U.S. and the Mid-Atlantic.

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 

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. As of 02/07/23.

Optimum TV is available in four states. Primary service areas include the Northeast and greater NYC area.

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 

*Limited time offer; subject to change; valid to qualified residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and who have no outstanding obligation to Charter. Spectrum TV® Select promotion price is $59.99/mo; standard rates apply after yr. 1. Taxes, fees and surcharges (broadcast surcharge up to $21.00/mo) extra and subject to change during and after the promotional period; installation/network activation, equipment and additional services are extra. General Terms: TV: TV equipment required; charges may apply. Channel and HD programming availability based on level of service. Account credentials may be required to stream some TV content online. Services subject to all applicable service terms and conditions, subject to change. Services not available in all areas. Restrictions apply. Enter your address to determine availability.  ©2022 Charter Communications.

Spectrum TV is available in 46 states. Primary service areas include the South, Midwest and West Coast.

What we like

  • High channel count – All of Spectrum’s TV packages offer a high channel count (125+ – 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 

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. Prices shown for Northeast region. As of 02/09/23.

Xfinity TV is available in 40 states. Primary service areas include the Northwest, Great Lakes area and eastern U.S.

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 

*Pricing per month plus taxes for length of contract. Additional fees and terms may apply. Pricing varies by location and availability. All prices subject to change at any time. May or may not be available based on service address. Last updated 02/09/23.

Cox TV is available in 19 states. Primary service areas include the Southwest, central U.S. and the Northeast.

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.

Pros and cons of cable TV companies

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 cable TV and internet 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.

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FAQs

What is cable TV?

Cable TV uses coaxial cables or, sometimes, fiber optic cables, to send radio frequency signals to your cable box which then turns the signals into the image and audio you get through your television.

Xfinity offers the cheapest TV package at $20/mo. for 10+ channels.

The main reason only certain TV providers are available in your area is to help keep costs low. With all the expenses that come with providing cable TV and internet service, attempting to offer new services where another cable provider is already established would not be cost-effective.

Quite often, yes. Most cable TV providers offer price discounts and other incentives, such as equipment upgrades, when you bundle TV and internet together. Call our cable TV and internet experts to hear about special offers from cable TV providers in your area.

Yes. One of the best ways to access the major Networks, such as FOX, NBC, ABC, PBS and your local channel, is through installing an HDTV antenna. You can also stream shows for free on many of these major Networks’ websites or by going to TV.com. However, you will probably not be able to stream these shows live like you would be with an HDTV antenna.

You can find the cable companies available near you by entering your address or ZIP code in the “Shop TV packages near you” section at the top of this page.

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David Anders

Written by:

David Anders

Senior Writer, Broadband Content

David joined the Allconnect team in 2017, specializing in broadband and TV content. His work has been referenced by a variety of sources, including ArcGIS, DIRECTV and more. As a Senior Writer, David is motivate… Read more

Robin Layton

Edited by:

Robin Layton

Editor, Broadband Content

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