Luke Pensworth
When it comes to getting yourself the TV package that gives you all the shows, movies, and extras that you want, it can get expensive. And that’s just on its own - add on internet service (‘cause everyone needs internet nowadays) and a phone, and your monthly rate can go through the roof - unless you bundle.
The best bundles often give you a discount on at least one of your telecommunications services, plus they bring all your services together into a convenient, all-in-one-place bill.
But which bundles are the best around for your TV, internet, and phone? And if you don’t want a landline – what about just TV and internet? We dug in to answer that question – here’s what we found.
What kind of bundles can I do?
But first, what kind of bundling options do most TV service providers offer? We kind of gave it away already – there are primarily 2 options: TV + Internet + Phone, and TV + Internet. We supposed Phone + TV and Phone + Internet would be options, too – but they’re less popular. That said – whatever floats your boat.
TV + Internet + Phone
When it comes to this kind of bundle, most every TV provider will give you some sort of option here. We’re going to explore a handful: DISH and DIRECTV are the biggest satellite TV providers that also offer internet and phone services through 3rd-parties; Comcast Xfinity is the largest cable provider; Spectrum offers some solid deals with DSL internet; and Verizon Fios gives you fiber-optic options.
TV + Internet
We’re not going to discuss this one as much, because the difference in price between the 2 services and adding a 3rd is usually pretty negligible. But, we will showcase some of the best options available if you want to save the $10 bucks or so.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
TV + Internet + Phone bundles
DISH TV + Frontier + Frontier
| Provider | Sample Bundle | Price | View plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dish + Frontier + Frontier | America’s Top 120 TV + Frontier Broadband Core + phone | $109.99/mo. | View bundles |
| Dish + Frontier + Frontier | America’s Top 200 TV + Frontier Broadband Ultra + phone | $106.99/mo. | View bundles |
| Dish + Frontier + Frontier | America’s Top 250 TV + Frontier Broadband Elite + phone | $134.99/mo. | View bundles |
DISH’s bundling packages tack on just $45-$50 per month to add on Frontier internet and a home phone line. You can also bundle with Viasat or HughesNet satellite internet, but unless you really have no other options - go with Frontier.
Our reasoning is simple: They offer both DSL and fiber-optic (in some areas), so you’ll get faster speeds. Satellite internet (i.e. HughesNet) offers the slowest speed and highest latency of all the different types.
We outlined some sample bundles with DISH and Frontier, but they’ll vary – typically between $6 and $12 off your combined bill each month. You’ll have to call to find out exact prices for different combos of service tiers. Same goes for HughesNet.
DIRECTV + AT&T + AT&T
| Provider | Sample Bundle | Price | View plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIRECTV + AT&T + AT&T | DIRECTV SELECT + AT&T Internet Basic 5 + phone | $84.99/mo. | View bundles |
| DIRECTV + AT&T + AT&T | DIRECTV XTRA + AT&T Internet Basic 5 + phone | $104.99/mo. | View bundles |
| DIRECTV + AT&T + AT&T | DIRECTV PREMIER + AT&T Internet 100 + phone | $169.99/mo. | View bundles |
DIRECTV’s bundling options are a bit more straightforward, especially when you pair it with AT&T Internet - $10 per month off your internet service as you long as you keep the bundle with DIRECTV.
But you can also pair your DIRECTV with internet from Verizon or Windstream, to the tune of $5 off each month for the first 2 years; or with Viasat for $10 off per month for the 1st year. You can also pair with CenturyLink and HughesNet, but like with DISH, you’ll have to call to see if there are any discounts.
When it comes to the 2 big satellite TV providers – DISH and DIRECTV – their bundling options are comparable. The better one for you will depend on what you want out of your TV service. You can check out our head-to-head comparison of DISH vs. DIRECTV here.
Xfinity Triple Play
| Provider | Sample Bundle | Price | View plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | X1 Saver Pro Triple Play (TV, Internet, Voice) | $89.99/mo. | View plans |
| Xfinity | X1 Starter Triple Play (TV, Internet, Voice) | $119.99/mo. | View plans |
| Xfinity | X1 Preferred Triple Play (TV, Internet, Voice) | $139.99/mo. | View plans |
| Xfinity | X1 Premier Pro Triple Play (TV, Internet, Voice) | $159.99/mo. | View plans |
| Xfinity | X1 Saver Latino Pack (TV, Internet, Voice) | $79.99/mo. | View plans |
Comcast Xfinity has a wide variety of clearly laid out bundling options – “Triple Plays.” Each one combines their own cable TV, internet, and landline phone services, to the tune of saving you almost $60 a month. Channels for TV range from over 140 to 260+. Internet speeds go as high as 2Gbps in some regions – crazy fast.
Xfinity is widely available – they’re in 40 states – so if you like their TV packages, take advantage of their huge bundling discounts to nab reliably-fast cable internet speeds.
Spectrum Triple Play
| Provider | Sample Bundle | Price | View plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Triple Play Select (TV, Internet, Voice) | $99.97/mo. | View plans |
| Spectrum | Triple Play Silver (TV, Internet, Voice) | $119.97/mo. | View plans |
| Spectrum | Triple Play Gold (TV, Internet, Voice) | $139.97/mo. | View plans |
| Provider | Sample Bundle | Price | View plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Triple Play Select (TV, Internet, Voice) | $99.97/mo. | View plans |
| Spectrum | Triple Play Silver (TV, Internet, Voice) | $119.97/mo. | View plans |
| Spectrum | Triple Play Gold (TV, Internet, Voice) | $139.97/mo. | View plans |
Spectrum also offers Triple Play bundling options, combining their DSL internet with their very own Spectrum TV and phone. You’ll get 125-200+ HD channels, internet speeds varying, but starting at 100Mbps, and save up to $20 a month overall with landline phone added.
Fiber options - Verizon Fios
| Provider | Sample Bundle | Price | View plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verizon Fios | Fios Triple Play - Fios Gigabit Connection with Fios TV Test Drive & Phone | $79.99/mo. | View plans |
| Verizon Fios | Fios Triple Play - Fios Gigabit Connection with Preferred HD TV & Phone | $94.99/mo. | View plans |
| Verizon Fios | Fios Triple Play - Fios Gigabit Connection with Extreme HD TV & Phone | $109.99/mo. | View plans |
For those of you on the Eastern seaboard, Verizon Fios gives some intriguing options: their fastest internet plan (“Gigabit Connection”) for each bundling option, plus varying tiers of TV and phone. Given that Gigabit Connection on its own costs the same as the first-tier bundling option, that’s not a bad deal, especially if you need fast internet.
If internet speed is #1 to you and TV and phone come next, you can’t go wrong with Verizon Fios – if it’s available in your area.
TV + Internet bundles
| Provider | Sample Bundle | Price | View plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity | Internet + Instant TV | $39.99/mo. | View bundles |
| Cox | TV Starter + Internet Starter 10 | $44.99/mo. | View bundles |
| Verizon Fios | Fios Double Play with Local TV | $64.99/mo. | View bundles |
| DIRECTV | DIRECTV + AT&T Internet | $75/mo. | View bundles |
| Spectrum | Spectrum TV Select + Internet | $89.989/mo. | View bundles |
| Frontier | DISH America’s Top 120+ and Frontier Broadband Core | Varies | View bundles |
Like I said earlier, we’re not going to waste much time here, but with landlines fading away, TV + Internet bundles are definitely worth mentioning. Which one’s best will depend on your location and what you want.
If you like sports and AT&T internet is available for you, it’ll probably give you the best value on both TV and internet fronts. If you care more about your internet than TV, Xfinity will likely give you the best option – unless you’re on the eastern seaboard, in which case Fios may be great, especially if you just want local TV.
Recap
Although we’ve ranked DISH higher than DIRECTV for most people on standalone TV service, it’s the latter that wins in bundling for satellite service. It’s a simple comparison for us: DIRECTV bundled with AT&T Internet and Phone services provides a higher level of all-around service quality then DISH’s options for internet and phone services.
But budget-wise, Comcast Xfinity gives you the highest amount of savings for bundling services together, making them the best cable option. But it’s Xfinity TV, not DISH or DIRECTV, which can be a downer for some people.
Finally, if cable and fiber aren’t available in your area, or you simply prefer DSL options over satellite (who wouldn’t?), Spectrum provides some decent savings for bundling, too.
But again, we’re going to cop out a little bit: it depends on what is most important to you. Do you really like sports, with internet and landline phone taking a backseat? Go with DIRECTV’s bundles. Do you like DISH’s channel lineup and 2-year price guarantee better? Go with their bundling options.
More interested in phone than anything else (or maybe a wireless line bundled in)? Check out Verizon or AT&T. Figure out what’s most important to you, then pick the provider with the bundle to match.
