When you want to save money on entertainment, bundling your internet and television services is a good way to do this. However, it’s hard to tell what the best internet and tv provider bundles are. So, if you are moving to a new market or switching service providers, this list is for you.
Below, you’ll find a guide on the top television and internet bundles you can get. So if you want to save some money on your bills, keep reading.
What are my options for combining television and internet?
In finding the best internet and tv providers, it's important to know the advantages and disadvantages of each. After all, you don’t want to buy something that doesn’t work for you.
To start, it's important to know the types of internet services and television you can buy. Below, we will start with a quick review of internet services you can get:
- DSL internet - Offers slower speeds and makes use of phone lines to offer internet service.
- Cable internet - Offers good speeds and uses the same lines as cable television services.
- Fiber-optic internet - Provides the fastest internet speeds using the latest wired technology.
- Satellite internet - Provides rural customers with internet using satellites that orbit the earth.
- Fixed-wireless internet - Provides rural customers with internet making use of nearby radio towers.
- 5G internet - Makes use of 5G cell towers to provide high-speed internet at decent speeds.
When shopping for television services, you’ll also find one of three options:
- Cable television services - Use physically laid cable lines to send programs to you. (Comcast and Time Warner Cable)
- Satellite television services - Use satellites hovering around earth to beam television programs to a satellite outside of your home. (DirecTV and DISH Network)
- Cable television alternatives - Streaming services that can include both on-demand and live TV (Netflix, Hulu, YouTube TV, etc.)
It’s important to note that cable internet and television bundle together. For example, Xfinity and Cox plans both include cable options. You can also say the same about satellite services, as Viasat plans come with DISH Network.
Many of these service providers recognize the power of the internet-only streaming TV. For example, you can get a streaming box (similar to a Roku) with many Xfinity plans.
The best internet and TV provider - Top X list
Based on our review, we found these companies to offer the best internet and TV combo services:
- Xfinity
- Cox
- Spectrum
- CenturyLink
- Astound Broadband (formerly RCN Internet)
Below, we will let you know what bundles to look out for getting the best pricing.
1. Offers the best pricing: Xfinity
- Best TV & internet bundle: Double Play
- Monthly costs starting at $89.99 per month
Xfinity is among the cheapest cable providers in the United States. Many of their intro plans are below $40. If you want to add TV, the cost doesn’t go up that much.
Minimum costs for most other cable service providers exceed $100 per month. With Xfinity, your internet and TV provider plans provide excellent discounts. The extra cost removal comes from signing up for year-long contracts and automatic payments.
If you don’t want traditional cable, Xfinity internet plans also include a streaming box option. Basically, this increases your bill by a $5 rental fee, providing you with a streaming box (similar to Roku). If you are lucky, you’ll be part of one of those promotional periods where you can get one for free. Compare Xfinity internet plans near my zip code.
2. Easiest customization: Cox Communications
- Best TV & internet bundle: Internet + Contour TV
- Monthly costs starting at $147.99 per month
Cox Communications offers a “build your own bundle” feature. This tool allows you to add and remove things you don’t need. This way, you can see what offerings get you the best internet deals.
Cox’s major benefits come when you get extra bundling through its internet packages. The combination of the internet, TV, home phone, and security is pretty good. However, you can still get some pretty good deals if you stick to the internet and TV provider option.
Much like Xfinity, you can choose to stick with streaming TV options. Cox offers a streaming box with its services, with internet costs starting at about $54.99 per month. As one of the largest private internet service providers, Cox provides great deals and solid service. Compare Cox internet plans near my zip code.
3. Clear billing practices: Spectrum
- Best TV & internet bundle: Internet + TV Select
- Monthly costs starting at $98.99 per month
Charter Communications, the owner of Spectrum, has been around for many years. As one of the best known cable companies, Charter has been offering internet and television services for some time. It does this through Spectrum, which is best known for offering high-speed internet and cable services at reasonable prices.
Spectrum is not one of the cheapest internet providers you can get. Instead, Spectrum internet plans are solid because they offer clear pricing and excellent customization. When packages start at about $5 per premium channel package, you get more control of what you pay for.
Depending on what you want to watch, you could end up paying less for Spectrum overall. Alongside speeds that start at 300 Mbps, you get a pretty good combo package of fast internet and solid TV. Compare Spectrum internet plans near my zip code.
4. Awesome for rural customers: CenturyLink
- Best TV & internet bundle: Both DISH and DirecTV
- Monthly costs starting at $149.99 per month
Outside of satellite internet providers, CenturyLink is one of the few internet service providers that works in rural areas. Despite working in less populated areas, they don’t stagger on the speed. Many of these rural customers get the benefit of hundreds of megabytes per second.
The bundling deals offer a bit more flexibility as well, providing customers with either DISH or DirecTV. Other internet providers, like Viasat, Xfinity, and RCN, focus on a single offering. This means less choice for you. CenturyLink solves this through its willingness to work with multiple companies.
The drawback is that you won’t get the lowest price through CenturyLink. However, the company offers a price-for-life promotion in some locations. Those who want to prevent rising prices and keep to a consistent monthly budget might find this opportunity appealing. Compare CenturyLink internet plans near my zip code.
5. Excellent introductory pricing: Astound Broadband (RCN Internet)
- Best TV & internet bundle: Internet + Basic TV
- Monthly costs starting at $52.73 per month
Astound Broadband, previously known as RCN, is an interesting case of bundling. Similar to Cox Communications, you can build your own bundles. What makes RCN Internet plans different is their crazy promotional pricing.
Initial pricing for internet and TV provider bundles is $52.73. This varies a bit depending on where you live, but you’ll find something in the ballpark. The only weakness here is that they lack the same flexibility as Cox Communications, meaning you don’t get a home phone and security in all areas.
Given their reliance on promotional pricing, you can expect a hefty increase after your first 12 months. Even then, the pricing compared to other similar providers can be pretty competitive. If you find something better, you can always switch off with Astound’s no contract plans. Compare RCN internet plans near my zip code.
How to pick a good internet and TV provider bundle
While this list of providers is a good start, there might be many more where you live. If you want to find the best internet providers in your area, you’ll need to know what you need.
Below, you’ll find some tips you can use to ensure you are confident in finding an excellent internet and TV provider. Using these, you’ll reduce your research time and avoid unwanted calls to customer support.
Select an internet speed that works for your household.
Foremost, you need to be sure the internet speed meets your needs. Look at your household and ask: “What speed internet do I need?”
To narrow this down, ask yourself two questions:
- What does my household do on the internet?
- How many devices do I have?
Answering both questions will tell you what you need to prepare for.
In answering question one, does your family play online games or just browse the internet? Below, you’ll find some download speed suggestions based on activity:
- Online gaming - 25 Mbps
- Video streaming - 5 Mbps
- High-quality (4K) video streaming - 10 Mbps
- Browsing, checking email, and checking social media - 1 Mbps
- Hosting a server - 250 Mbps (or more)
- Video conferencing - 10 Mbps
- Group video conferencing - 25 Mbps
You’ll also want to base your internet speed needs from the number of devices. For example, if there is only one computer or device capable of all of this, you won’t need excessively fast internet. Otherwise, you will need to assume that all these activities can (and will) run at the same time.
Compare pricing of all providers in your area
Next, you’ll want to make sure that the internet you choose is budget friendly. After all, if the internet breaks your bank, it isn’t helping you at all. If you ask “what internet speed do I need for working from home,” making sure you can afford the internet is even more important.
Start by looking at your current finances. Break down how much you pay in rent, food, insurance, and other utilities. From there, find out your remaining monthly amount. Ideally, you don’t want to spend all of this money, just enough to get internet you can afford.
If times are tight, take the time to ask each internet provider what promotions they offer. You might find more about special deals. For example, college students can sometimes get discounts through companies like Spectrum.
Check the channel listings of different television providers
If you’ve ever said “there’s 400 channels, but nothing to watch,” chances are you might have too many channels. Many customers think they need the best premium television packages when they only watch about 20 shows.
Before you settle on a TV package, take the time to look through channel listings. Find listings that meet your needs the most by providing things your household will watch. For example, if your kids are teenagers, they might not enjoy Nick Jr. (a television network for younger kids) anymore.
Find the best rated internet and TV provider based on customer service
Knowing that 37% of all internet service provider ratings are one star means customer service is incredibly important regarding the internet. So, to be sure you find the best rated ISP, you need to get some opinions.
Start by looking up these companies through local Google Reviews. If the company doesn’t have any local offices, search for reviews on sites like Trustpilot. You can also check out the listings on InternetAdvisor to see our star ratings.
Be sure to get an unbiased source of information on this. A friend or a coworker might also be willing to share their thoughts. People are almost always happy to share their opinion.
Don’t buy internet bundles with features you won’t use
Finally, the most important piece of advice: don’t buy things you will not use. Even if bundling services, the cost of getting it alongside what you planned to get isn’t usually cheaper.
Instead, focus on buying services you plan to use. For example, why would you purchase a home phone when you don’t need it? You might convince yourself that the bundle price is better, but research often shows us that this isn’t the case.
No internet provider services are sold under the idea that selling them will lose money. Therefore, many internet providers don’t include home phone services alone.
With television, this isn’t always the case, as TV services are expensive and diverse enough to sell by themselves. Regardless, focus on buying the things you know you will use. Unless you can see the math on how it saves you more, don’t include unnecessary extras.
