Spectrum TV Essentials Package

The smallest and least-expensive TV plan from Spectrum, TV Essentials has a surprisingly attractive mix of channels. It features 65 high-value channels for $29.99/mo. Part of the reason for the relatively low price is that Essentials is only available as part of an internet bundle (no contract required). So, if you don't watch a ton of TV and already have Spectrum internet, this plan could be a great fit.

Check out all the channels available below:

TV Essentials Channel Lineup

	Questions? Call 1-844-895-6321			Compare to other plans
Channel	Base	Movies	Sports	Local	Spanish	Music
A&E	•
AMC		•
American Heroes Channel	•
Animal Planet	•
ASPIRE	•
AXS TV	•
BBC America	•
BBC World News	•
BET	•
Bloomberg	•
Cleo					•
Comedy Central	•
Cooking Channel	•
Country Music TV (CMT)						•
Crime & Investigation	•
Destination America	•
Discovery	•
Discovery Family	•
Discovery Life	•
Disney Channel	•
DIY Network	•
Food Network	•
FYI	•
GAC Family	•
GSN	•
Hallmark Channel	•
Hallmark Drama	•
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries		•
HDNet Movies		•
HISTORY	•
Home and Garden TV (HGTV)	•
HSN	•
IFC		•
Inspiration Channel (INSP)	•
Investigation Discovery	•
Lifetime	•
LMN		•
LOGO	•
Military History	•
MotorTrend Network			•
MTV						•
MTV Classic						•
MTV Live						•
MTV2						•
MTVU						•
New York 1 News	•
Newsmax TV	•
Newsy	•
Nick Jr	•
Nick Music						•
Nickelodeon	•
Nicktoons	•
Outdoor Channel	•
OWN TV	•
Paramount Network		•
QVC	•
Science Channel	•
Spectrum News	•
Spectrum Originals		•
SundanceTV	•
TeenNick	•
TLC	•
Travel Channel	•
TV Land	•
TV One	•
UP	•
VH1						•
Viceland	•
WE tv	•
Weather Channel (TWC)	•

Where to find this package:

As of today, get TV Essentials at the lowest price available below, with the most savings over the phone...

Actual Cost of the TV Essentials Plan

Hidden monthly fees

Here, we'll review ALL the obscure line items that can show up on your Spectrum bill. Overall, Spectrum does a good job of being price transparent with this plan. The only extra fee everyone has on their bill is a regular tax (average of $1.50/mo). The exact tax depends on your local and state government regulations.

Since there are no local channels in TV Essentials, you won't have to deal with the "Broadcast TV" fee for local programming. That saves you a tidy $25.75/mo.

Spectrum TV Essentials fees

Apple TV 4K device option

Since this bundle requires internet and you can stream TV via the Spectrum TV app, there's no HD Box requirement (so, no extra receiver fee). If you want more options, during sign-up, there's a way to add an Apple TV 4k device...

With the Apple TV box, you can add ALL your streaming accounts (Netflix, max, etc) and combine that with your TV Essentials programming. So, everything in one place with a sleek, modern look. Choosing Apple TV goes for $5.00/mo and with an extra $4.99/mo for DVR access.

Installation: service activation fee

Setting up cable TV service is pretty easy these days. In most cases, you can set it up yourself. You can also choose to have a technician come down and get everything connected just right. Either route, your final step includes an activation fee of $30. It's obviously a one-time charge and can sometimes be waived (especially if you self-install).

Save with an internet bundle

As mentioned, you can only get TV Essentials with an internet bundle. There's no contract involved. Bundling saves you, on average, at least 30%. That discount isn't front and center on Spectrum's site. It's our rough estimate on how much you'll save by choosing a Spectrum bundle over TV and internet from two different providers.

Special: for a limited time, Spectrum is offering a $50 bonus on all TV and internet bundles.

Spectrum TV Essentials discounts

Compiling all the numbers above, here's a sample cost breakdown with 1 TV (no receiver)

Premium movie packs

With TV Essentials (and about all TV providers), you can add a variety of premium movie channels to your plan (HBO, Showtime, etc). Spectrum's more popular TV plan, TV Select, also lets you add a bunch of non-movie channels packs (sports, family, international channels, etc). It's interesting Spectrum doesn't appear to allow you to add those with TV Essentials. The likely reason is that it's more cost effective to just switch your bundle to include TV Select. Could also be that the lack of a Spectrum receiver doesn't easily allow for programming changes. Either way, it'd be nice to have more customization options other than just premium movies.

Spectrum will pay you to switch

In most areas and with most bundles, if you're under contract with another TV/internet provider, Spectrum will pay whatever it costs to break that contract. We've all been there... mid-contract you're desperately looking to switch but have no choice but to wait it out. So, this is a nice card to play to leave early. Be sure you bring this up before you order though - send over your bill and contract details and confirm they'll cover the entire cancellation penalty.