The Best Cable and TV Packages for Seniors (2025)

Starting Cost: $20 per month (requires Xfinity post-paid internet or Xfinity TV)

Xfinity provides all the live TV you want, plus streaming, for only $20 a month. How? The company uses the internet, not cable, to bring you live TV, so its live TV prices are about one-fourth its competitors, such as Cox. If you want a more traditional live TV experience and not just live sports, the costs start at $43 a month.

You may remember Xfinity providing cable, but that is no longer the case — at least from our Philadelphia apartment. Rather, our options were all digital subscriptions, which means there was no cable box, no expensive installation process and no high monthly fees. We paid only $20 for 125 live and on-demand channels.

Because we are huge Bravo fans, we upgraded to the Popular TV option for $93.30 a month, which includes more than 125 channels. With free self-installation, we didn’t feel too guilty about upping our monthly expenses to see the live “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” reunion.

Xfinity used to be one of the most affordable providers on this list, but that’s no longer the case if you want more than just access to streaming services. For actual live TV channels other than sports, costs start at $43 a month — and that gets you only 10 channels.

If you want to save money, you can buy Now TV for $20 a month. Keep in mind, however, that you won’t have any live TV other than sports, and it requires Xfinity internet or Xfinity TV, which adds to your bill.

Xfinity TV Packages Compared

Xfinity’s live TV options are pricey, despite the fact that they are streaming, not cable. Unlike Cox, which charges a $60 one-time fee for a streaming box with over 750 channels, Xfinity charges $20 a month for no channels except online sports.

If you are interested only in streaming movies and TV shows and watching live sports, Xfinity will be the most affordable option at $20 a month.

To learn more about the provider, read our guide to Xfinity cable for seniors.

Starting Cost: $84.99 per month

DIRECTV offers digital and satellite live TV and streaming with all of its plans. The satellite option requires professional installation, but most people outside of rural areas without high-speed internet will go for the digital option, which includes free installation, equipment and shipping.

To install our Gemini Air voice remote, we:

1. Plugged its HDMI cable into our TV and a power source
2. Turned on our TV
3. Changed the input
4. Followed the on-screen prompts to accept the terms and conditions
5. Paired our remote and TV
6. Updated the software

The process took only a few minutes, which is typically the case with internet-connected TVs. The satellite option would have been complicated, but most people won’t want that option if they have high-speed internet.

DIRECTV is not the cheapest option on the market, with prices ranging from $84.99 to $164.99 per month — or more if you want advanced receiver services (ARS). What does ARS include?

• 4K picture quality
• Ability to use different third-party apps on the same input
• Combined charge for all services
• Premium remote options, such as a full numeric keypad and previous-channel buttons
• Voice remote, which comes with Google Assistant

You’ll also have to pay $10 a month to lease your equipment. With all plans except the Entertainment plan, prices will go up after the first month, but they will be locked for months two through 24. Because DIRECTV is heavy on fees, we’ve included them in the prices below.

DIRECTV Packages Compared

DIRECTV advertises that its prices start at $49.99 a month with the Entertainment package, but once you add the fees the cost can be up to $49.99 for the first month, with a significant price hike to $89.99 in months two through 24. DIRECTV is one of the worst offenders regarding required fees.

DIRECTV may be pricey, but its entertainment options are unmatched. Plus, you won’t have to pay anything for installation.

To learn more, read our rundown of DIRECTV senior plans.

Starting Cost: $60 one-time fee (streaming) or $71 per month (cable)

Whether you want streaming on your TV or access to more than 250 channels, Cox is a great TV provider with flexible, month-to-month contracts. Installation and equipment are free, so the only thing we paid for was the TV service. We also had the option to add DVR, more streaming apps and pay-per-view access.

We wanted both streaming and cable, so we purchased the streaming box for a one-time fee of $60 — by far the cheapest on this list — which allowed us to access all our favorite Netflix shows in 4K and thousands of free shows and movies.

We also wanted cable TV, however, so we chose the Cox TV Starter plan, which, for $71, got us over 75 channels, including the top broadcast networks. Not a bad deal, especially considering we saved $100 on professional installation by installing our Easy Connect kit ourselves.

Cox offers the most affordable TV service outside Xfinity, with prices starting at a one-time $60 for the streaming box or $71 for actual cable TV. Cable, of course, has the benefit of being actual cable and not digital TV, which means we weren’t affected by low bandwidth or network outages.

DIY installation was free, but there’s an option to pay $100 for professional installation. The Contour Box and voice remote were included for free, and prices were locked for two years even though our contract was month to month. There are some discounts available with internet, home phone and smart home bundles, but you’ll save only $5 to $10 a month — and with only some bundles. All in all, Cox is a reasonably priced TV provider, especially if you want only streaming.

Cox TV Plans

In the western U.S., which includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, Cox has the worst J.D. Power customer-satisfaction score on this list at only 501 out of 1,000.

The average is 516, however, so Cox is only slightly below average.2 We had no issues using Cox’s 24/7 phone line, live chat and online help center, but many people beg to differ.

Despite its slightly below average customer-satisfaction score in the western U.S., Cox is still a top provider for streaming and cable, with affordable pricing and a plethora of channels.

To learn more, read our guide to Cox cable for seniors.

Starting Cost: $40 per month

Spectrum TV includes a Xumo Stream Box free with all of its plans. With the TV Select Signature plan or higher, streaming apps such as Disney+, Paramount+, HBO Max and Peacock are included (although not actual streaming subscriptions). Installation is free, and we did it ourselves in less than 10 minutes.

We love that all of Spectrum TV’s plans include streaming, because where would we be without 18 seasons of “Sister Wives” available on HBO Max 24/7? To get more than 150 channels, we signed up for TV Select Signature, which nearly doubled our channels compared to the TV Stream plan. We also added some premium channels, as well as live sports, for $7 a month.

Unlike Xfinity, Spectrum TV has excellent customer service, with an online help center, live chat and a 24/7 phone line. The company is the No. 1 nationally rated cable and satellite TV provider for customer satisfaction. We had no issue setting up our Xumo Stream Box. Once we received it, we had our favorite shows up and running in no time!

If you want streaming plus over 85 channels of live TV, TV Stream is an affordable option at about $40 a month. It’s not quite as cheap as Cox’s streaming-only option for $60 flat or Xfinity’s 10 channels plus streaming for $20 a month, but you’re getting more bang for your buck due to the live TV. Even the more typical TV package, TV Select Signature, is reasonably priced, offering more than 150 channels for only $100. That’s a promotional rate, though, and the standard rate is $120. All plans come with a free Xumo Stream Box.

Because Spectrum TV is digital, not cable, installation is DIY and free. Contract lengths are one month with the streaming-only options and 12 months with all other plans. You can save on a home phone if you bundle it with Spectrum TV.

Spectrum TV Packages Compared

Note that the promotional rates are available only to new residential customers who haven’t had Spectrum services in the past 30 days and are in good standing with the company. Spectrum internet is required.

Spectrum TV has a maximum of only about 160 English-language channels. That seems like a lot, but it’s actually the lowest number on this list aside from DIRECTV. Verizon Fios, for instance, has more than 425 channels, Dish has more than 290 and Cox has more than 250. If variety is the spice of life, Spectrum TV is a little bland.

It may lack the variety of channels of Verizon and Dish, but Spectrum TV gives you everything you need to stream to your heart’s delight.

To learn more about the provider, read our guide to Spectrum TV for seniors.

Starting Cost: $91.99 per month

Satellite TV is a good option if you live in a rural area and don’t have access to high-speed internet. It’s not a very popular way to get TV, but Dish is one exception. It offers two-year contracts with 190 to 290 channels from about $92 to $122 per month, plus thousands of free on-demand titles.

The benefit of satellite TV over digital TV is that you won’t have to worry about your Wi-Fi network being overloaded with devices and downloads, not to mention network outages. Dish monitors its networks at all times to check for signals. With Dish, you can also stream on up to five extra devices, since streaming is included in its subscriptions. The best part is, you don’t have to install it yourself. Professional installation is free.

Another benefit of Dish is that it’s the only provider on this list to offer discounts to people 55 or older. If you ever have technical issues, a technician will come to you free of charge under the Dish Protect Plus plan. For younger customers, the Dish Protect Plus costs $12.99 a month or a technician visit costs $95. The discount lasts for six months.

Since it’s satellite instead of digital, Dish is more expensive than other companies, such as Xfinity and Cox, which start at $20 a month or $60 flat, respectively. That’s expected, but Dish is also more expensive than satellite TV from DIRECTV, which starts at $89.99 a month for 90 channels. For all other packages, however, Dish offers more channels for less money, so it’s a better deal for someone who wants more than 90 channels.

Prices with Dish are locked for two years, and installation is free. There are DVRs available for $5 or $10, and no other fees for equipment. Dish offers internet service, but it’s provided by another company and you will be billed separately. Whether you’ll get a bundling discount depends on where you live.

Dish TV Packages Compared

Streaming is not available on its own from Dish, unlike with Cox and Xfinity. Dish also has the highest starting costs of any company on this list at $91.99 per month. When you consider how much more satellite and cable costs than digital TV, however, the price makes sense — even more when you factor in that you get a minimum of 190 channels.

With 190 or more channels and free installation, Dish is the most affordable option if you want satellite TV with more than 90 channels.

To learn more about the provider, read our rundown of Dish TV for seniors.

Starting Cost: $72.99 per month

You’ve heard the phrase “the more the merrier,” but Verizon took it to heart. With its top-tier package, you’ll get more than 425 channels, which is dozens more than even the second most on this list. If you get bored of those channels, there’s streaming through YouTube TV.

Verizon is the only provider we’ve come across that let us try before we, well, bought. With the Fios TV Test Drive, we paid $95 for 60 days of service, which was the same service as the Your Fios TV, meaning over 125 channels. We loved going through the channels on our TV, not to mention streaming as much as we wanted on our devices. Once the 60 days were over, it was time to upgrade.

Verizon’s pricing is more on par with other nondigital TV providers, such as Dish, which starts at $91.99 a month, and DIRECTV, which starts at $89.99 per month. Those prices include a $10-per-month auto pay and paperless billing discount, however, and we had to pay $99 for installation. The first set-top box rental was free. All contracts are monthly, except the Fios TV Test Drive. Verizon also offers internet and phone service, but there are no discounted bundles that include TV — only internet and mobile.

Verizon TV Plans Compared

We were a bit disappointed that installation wasn’t free, especially because it’s free with DIRECTV and Dish, two satellite providers. Since Verizon uses actual fiber-optic cable, its prices are much more expensive than with a digital TV provider like Xfinity. Cable is more trustworthy than Wi-Fi, however, and fiber-optic is even better.

If you’re willing to pay a little more to use fiber-optic cable, Verizon is the provider for you. It’s also great for anyone who is constantly looking for new content. With over 425 channels, you’ll never get bored!