If you’re someone who likes a broad range of content—an NFL game on Sunday, the local news on weeknights, and the new episode of your favorite HBO drama on Friday—then a cable TV and internet bundle could save a good chunk of change and make your life a little easier. But, if you mostly watch shows that are available through streaming services, and you’re willing to do a little legwork, then skipping the bundle and cutting the cord may be your best bet. We’ll go over both options in detail here, beginning with the benefits of bundling. We should be clear, not all bundles will save you money. Many companies offer bundles that are just the same price as buying separate services. But sometimes you can find an amazing deal. For example, with Comcast Xfinity you can get 400 Mbps internet service plus TV service with 125+ channels for just $86.15 a month. Separately, these two services would cost over $110! Comcast has quite a few bundles like this, depending on where you live. But it’s not just Comcast. Cox, Spectrum, and Verizon and others have stellar bundle deals. Here’s a look at some of our favorite TV and internet bundles on the market. If you decide to cancel your service because you’re moving or just want something different, you only have to deal with one company’s (likely) annoying cancellation process. Plus, many bundles offer special promotions that aren’t available for single services, like free installation and equipment, rebates, and waived fees. For one, bundle packages often offer live TV, special channels, and pay-per-view options that aren’t available via streaming services. And there’s something nice about having content that’s just on all the time. Sometimes you don’t know that you want to watch Speed 2: Cruise Control until you come across it while channel surfing at two in the morning. Another thing to keep in mind is that streaming TV through the internet eats up your data and your bandwidth. Even the fastest internet can get congested when you have too many devices streaming high-definition video at once. With cable TV, you don’t have to worry about it. So, instead of bundling internet and cable, you can eliminate your cable package altogether. Just make sure you have a fast enough internet connection with a high enough data cap to handle the extra bandwidth. Whatever your reason is, there’s nothing inherently wrong with skipping the bundle, no matter what the salesperson from Comcast says to you (stay strong!).
What do you watch? If you mostly watch channels and shows that are available through streaming apps (like HBO, Disney, FX, and network sitcoms) then cutting the cord and eliminating cable may be the best option. But, if you watch a lot of news, sports, or just enjoy channel surfing, then bundling cable and internet is the way to go. How fast is your internet? If you’re not going to bundle, you’ll want really fast internet so that you can stream content on several TVs without sacrificing internet speeds on your computer, phone, and other devices. What are the deals like? Bundling or not bundling often just comes down to price. Check out the best internet and cable bundles in your area and compare the price to buying the two services separately.
