Note:
Spectrum discontinued the TV Essential plan and replaced it with TV Stream for $39.99/mo.
All the essentials in one! The Spectrum TV Essentials package is the ultimate doorway to endless entertainment. It helps you spend quality time with your loved ones as you discover the world together through the lens of media.
Continue reading as we explore the Spectrum TV Essentials package, channels list, and more.
Unlock 65+ HD TV Channels for $24.99/mo!
What is Spectrum TV Essentials?
- 65+ HD TV Channels
- 85,000 On-Demand Options
$24.99/mo.
Get TV Essentials Now!
Spectrum TV Essentials is a live TV-streaming plan that is exclusively offered to the existing Spectrum Internet and Spectrum Business Internet customers. The service is bundled with Spectrum Internet, Internet Ultra, or Internet Gig plan and costs only $24.99 per month. The package carries over 65 HD channels, including all the top-rated entertainment, news, lifestyle, and children’s networks. You can customize the channel lineup by adding premium channels for a nominal extra fee of up to $15 per month.
The Spectrum TV Essentials package gives homes and small-medium enterprises the convenience of watching popular cable TV channels without a cable box. The plan can be upgraded to Spectrum TV Select Signature (for residential customers) and Spectrum TV Premier (for business customers) for just $59.99 per month for more options.
TV Essentials + Internet + Mobile
Only For: $74.99/mo.
- 65+ HD TV Channels
- 85,000 On-Demand Options
- Internet Ultra (500 Mbps)
- FREE Unlimited Mobile Line
People from all social strata will find something beneficial in the Spectrum TV Essentials package. The low-cost, over-the-top (OTT) video service is the ultimate solution to everyone’s unique preferences. Whether you are looking for a cordless replacement for your outdated set-top box, or thinking about switching to a streaming service that combines all your favorite TV channels, movies, and shows in one plan, Spectrum TV Essentials has it all. Subscribers of Spectrum TV Essentials can watch over 85,000 never-seen-before movies and series on Spectrum Originals On Demand, without any ads, on channel number 2010.
Hence, it is not a surprise that Spectrum TV Essentials’ pros outweigh its cons.
Pros
- Only $24.99/month
- 65+ channels in HD quality
- A low-cost live-TV streaming service
- Access to more than 85,000 on-demand titles
- You do not need a cable box.
- Stream anywhere with the Spectrum TV® App.
- Carries all the popular channels
- Add-on packages for more channels
- No-contract service
Cons
- Only available for existing Spectrum Internet customers
- Price is valid for the first 12 months and when bundled with a Spectrum Internet plan.
Spectrum TV Essentials Channels List
Below, is the complete Spectrum TV Essentials channels list. You can browse the list to check whether or not your favorite TV networks are deemed “essential” by Spectrum. Viewers can watch up to 72 cable TV channels on their Spectrum TV Essentials package.
| Channel Name | Channel Category |
|---|---|
| A&E | General Entertainment |
| AMC | Movies |
| ASPiRE TV | Lifestyle |
| AXS TV | Music |
| American Heroes Channel | Education |
| Animal Planet | Education |
| BBC America | General Entertainment |
| BBC World News | News |
| BET | Lifestyle |
| BET HER | Lifestyle |
| BET Jams | Lifestyle |
| BET Soul | Lifestyle |
| Bloomberg Television | Business/ News |
| CMT | Music |
| CMT Music | Music |
| Cars.TV | Sports |
| Cheddar News | Business/ News |
| Cleo | Lifestyle |
| Comedy Central | Comedy |
| Cooking Channel | Lifestyle |
| Crime & Investigation | General Entertainment |
| Destination America | Lifestyle |
| Discovery Channel | Education |
| Discovery Family | General Entertainment |
| Discovery Life Channel | Lifestyle |
| Food Network | Lifestyle |
| GAC Family | General Entertainment |
| GSN | General Entertainment |
| HDNet Movies | Movies |
| HGTV | Lifestyle |
| HISTORY | Education |
| HSN | Lifestyle |
| HSN2 | Lifestyle |
| Hallmark Channel | Movies |
| Hallmark Drama | Movies |
| Hallmark Movies & Mysteries | Movies |
| IFC | Movies |
| Investigation Discovery | General Entertainment |
| Jewelry TV | Lifestyle |
| Justice Central | General Entertainment |
| LMN | Movies |
| LOGO | Lifestyle |
| Lifetime | General Entertainment |
| MTV | Music |
| MTV Classic | Music |
| MTV Live | Music |
| MTV2 | Music |
| Magnolia Network | Lifestyle |
| Military History | Education |
| MotorTrend | Sports |
| Newsmax TV | News |
| Nick Jr. | Kids |
| Nick Music | Kids |
| Nickelodeon | Kids |
| Nicktoons | Kids |
| OWN | Lifestyle |
| Outdoor Channel | Lifestyle/ Sports |
| Paramount Network | Movies |
| Pets.TV | Lifestyle |
| QVC | Lifestyle |
| QVC2 | Lifestyle |
| Recipe.TV | Lifestyle |
| Science Channel | Education |
| Spectrum News – Local | News |
| Spectrum Originals On Demand | Movies/ Series |
| SundanceTV | Movies |
| TLC | Lifestyle |
| TV Land | General Entertainment |
| TV One | Lifestyle |
| TeenNick | Kids |
| The Weather Channel | News |
| Travel Channel | Lifestyle |
| UP | Lifestyle |
| VH1 | Lifestyle |
| VICE | News |
| WE tv | General Entertainment |
| fyi, | Education |
| theGrio | News |
Spectrum TV Essentials Local Channels
The Spectrum TV Essentials package includes Spectrum News (the only local TV channel available in this package) and Spectrum Originals. The list of channels remains consistent across the country, except for Spectrum News channel, which is offered in the following variations, depending on your location within Spectrum’s 41-state footprint.
| Spectrum News | States |
|---|---|
| Spectrum News 1 | Austin |
| Spectrum News 1 | Buffalo |
| Spectrum News 1 | Capital Region/ Hudson Valley |
| Spectrum News | Central New York |
| Spectrum News 1 | Dallas-Fort Worth |
| Spectrum News 1 | North Carolina |
| Spectrum News | Rochester |
| Spectrum News 1 | Kentucky/ Southern Indiana |
| Spectrum News 1 | Ohio |
| Spectrum News 1 | Southern California |
| Spectrum News 1 | Wisconsin |
| Spectrum News | Massachusetts |
Spectrum TV Essentials Package
- 65+ HD TV Channels
- 85,000 On-Demand Options
$24.99/mo.
Get TV Essentials Now!
Spectrum TV Essentials package is one of the best entry-level TV plans in the market. It offers 65+ cable TV channels in HD quality along with thousands of most in-demand movies and TV Shows for a small monthly fee of $24.99. The affordable, value-added live-TV streaming service is for all residential and business customers who are actively using Spectrum Internet®.
Let’s look at the details of the Spectrum TV Essential to assess if the claim “top entertainment at lowest monthly cost” holds true or not.
On-Demand Titles
Spectrum TV Essentials package comes with exclusive access to over 85,000 hit movies and shows. You can watch all the archived on-demand titles on the Spectrum TV® App simply by clicking on the tab for “On-Demand” and keying in the name of the movie or series in the search box. Spectrum TV® App’s on-demand library contains a vast collection of blockbuster films and award-winning TV series that are bound to keep you entertained for hours.
You can also catch missed episodes of your favorite TV shows aired on cable TV channels, like HBO, CBS, and FOX, by going on the Spectrum Originals On-Demand channel and searching for the recording. Spectrum TV Essential may not include a DVR box yet, but it sure has found a way to keep you updated on the latest happening in the entertainment realm.
Add-On Channels
Spectrum TV Essentials subscribers can customize their channel lineup by adding premium networks to their base plan. Each add-on package has a designated extra charge that must be paid on top of the $24.99 monthly fee. The add-on channels allow Spectrum TV Essential customers to enjoy a wider variety of premium entertainment without switching plans or carriers.
Here is a list of all the add-on channels that are available to the residential and business customers of Spectrum TV Essentials.
| Premium Channels | Additional Price |
|---|---|
| Cinemax | $10.00/mo. |
| MGM+ | $6.00/mo. |
| HBO | $15.00/mo. |
| Showtime | $10.00/mo. |
| STARZ & STARZ ENCORE | $9.00/mo. |
| Business Add-On Packs | Extra Charge |
|---|---|
| Spectrum Business TV-Variety | $15.00/mo. |
| Seasonal Sports | Prices vary. Call for details |
Cloud DVR
Busy moms and professionals will love the live TV recording feature of Spectrum TV Essentials. For a small monthly fee of $4.99, customers can purchase Cloud DVR storage and record the live broadcast of up to 50 shows to watch later. The recordings will be available for 90 days and can be accessed on the Spectrum TV® App as well.
Bundle Deals
You can bundle your Spectrum TV Essential package with Spectrum Internet and Voice services to get discounts of up to 80 percent in the first 12 months.
Check out these amazing, supersaver bundle deals for the Spectrum TV Essential package.
Spectrum TV Essential Bundles for Residential Subscribers
Home internet subscribers can save up to $20 every month by signing up for the 3-in-1 Spectrum TV Essentials bundle deal. When bundled with an eligible Spectrum Internet plan and home phone service, the price of the Spectrum TV Essential plan reduces to $24.99 per month.
| Price | Internet | TV Essentials | Home Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| $94.97/mo. | 300 Mbps | 65+ HD Channels | Unlimited, nationwide |
| $114.97/mo. | 500 Mbps | 65+ HD Channels | Unlimited, nationwide |
| $134.97/mo. | 1000 Mbps | 65+ HD Channels | Unlimited, nationwide |
Spectrum TV Essential Bundles for Business Customers
You can avail of discounts up to $45 each month by bundling your Spectrum TV Essential package with Spectrum Business Internet and Business Voice services.
The regular price of Spectrum Business Voice is $29.99 per month, but when you bundle it with the internet and Spectrum TV plans, the price drops to $19.99 per month, leading to $10 in savings, every month. Similarly, the regular monthly fee of Spectrum Business Internet 300 is $64.99 per month, but after bundling, the price is reduced to $49.99 per month.
So, with the Spectrum TV Essential deals, business owners can trim their overhead expenses by 20 percent while enjoying seamless full-office connectivity.
| Price | Business Internet | Business TV | Business Voice |
|---|---|---|---|
| $94.97/mo. | 300 Mbps | 65+ HD Channels | Unlimited, nationwide |
| $144.97/mo. | 600 Mbps | 65+ HD Channels | Unlimited, nationwide |
| $209.97/mo. | 1000 Mbps | 65+ HD Channels | Unlimited, nationwide |
Compatible Devices
You can access Spectrum’s internet-only video streaming on the following devices:
- Amazon Fire TV
- Apple TV
- Google Chromecast (Google Cast)
- AirPlay
- Roku
- iPhone/ Android phone
- iPad/ tablet
- Mac (laptop, desktop)
- Windows (laptop, desktop)
- Xbox One
- Samsung Smart TV
Spectrum TV Essentials is not compatible with Nintendo Switch and PlayStation gaming systems.
Spectrum TV App
Spectrum TV App is a free mobile application that Spectrum TV Essentials subscribers can download on their portable devices. Through this App, customers can live stream all the content on cable TV channels or download on-demand titles on their devices to watch them later (e.g. in the absence of a stable, high-speed internet connection). Spectrum TV App can be found on Google Play Store or App Store and is compatible with most versions of Android OS and iOS.
You can use the Spectrum TV App to watch TV at home or on the go. Here is what you have to do.
- Download the Spectrum TV App on the device.
- Sign in to the application using your Spectrum username and password.
- Select “Watch TV Online”. A home page will appear with a recommended list of channels. You can stream the recommendations or,
- Go to the channels lineup to select the channel you want to watch.
As long as you are connected to the Spectrum Internet service or are using your Spectrum Mobile data outside of the home, you should be able to stream live cable TV channels on the Spectrum TV® App.
You can limit your children’s screen time through the Spectrum TV® App. Under settings, you will see all the devices on which Spectrum TV® App is running. You can manually disconnect these devices from the application by selecting the device and clicking on “log out”. This enhanced parental control will ensure that your children cannot watch the TV on their smart devices without your permission.
Contract
Spectrum TV Essentials is a contract-free TV streaming service. You can cancel the service, or upgrade to a package with over 150 TV channels (Spectrum TV Select Signature) without paying a forfeit. You will remain a Spectrum Internet® customer, even if you decide to terminate the Spectrum TV® service.
The Spectrum TV Essential package does not need a cable box (receiver). Therefore, you do not have to worry about returning the equipment after service cancellation.
It costs at least $70 to install and lease the Spectrum receiver and another $97 in unreturned equipment fees. Thankfully, you can avoid these additional expenses with Spectrum TV Essential’s equipment-less service.
Availability
The Spectrum TV Essential package is available in all 41 states falling under Charter Communications’ coverage area. The Spectrum TV Essentials channel lineup includes a standardized list of 72 national TV channels. Therefore, apart from Spectrum News, which is offered in localized versions in 12 different regions, you will not see any variations in the Spectrum TV Essentials channel list.
Spectrum Business Internet customers can subscribe to the plan online and add a touch of joy to their waiting rooms and cafeterias. However, Spectrum home internet subscribers must call Spectrum customer service to enroll in the Spectrum TV Essential plan.
Conclusion
Spectrum TV Essentials package is an affordable live TV streaming service that carries more than 65 cable TV channels, in HD quality, for a starting price of $24.99 per month. The service is only available to Spectrum Internet® customers.
The contract-free, over-the-top (OTT) video streaming service is compatible with most smart devices and only needs a fast and stable internet connection for glitch-free viewing.
Subscribers of the Spectrum TV Essentials package can also watch over 85,000 most in-demand films and series or take their TV on the go by downloading the Spectrum TV® App.
Business owners can purchase the Spectrum TV Essentials plan online, while residential customers who wish to bundle their Spectrum Internet® plan with the TV Essentials service will have to call customer service for enrollment.
So, is it worth it? Well, if it has everything you need and you do not mind compromising on your wants, then Spectrum TV Essentials can be a great starter TV plan for you.
FAQs
