We've spent hundreds of hours examining Cox's TV packages to see if the channel lineups are worth the steep price tags.
Bundle discounts available Cox Contour TV $61.00–$152.00/mo. Excellent DVR Inexpensive add-on packages High base plan prices Limited channel counts Limited standalone TV options Check Availability Please enter a valid zip code. Available in $61.00–$152.00/mo. Excellent DVR Inexpensive add-on packages High base plan prices Limited channel counts Limited standalone TV optionsData as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Aug 8, 2024 | Share
We think Cox TV packages aren’t worth it for most people. Your monthly bill will increase, and your channel lineup will be less robust than that of most TV service providers.
If the high price tag and mediocre channel lineups don’t scare you away, Cox cable TV does offer excellent equipment and features and cheap premium add-ons.
Another quick thing: Cox TV customers tend to agree with us. In our annual TV Customer Satisfaction Survey, Cox TV service placed an embarrassing ninth out of the 11 larger cable and satellite TV providers we covered.
We recommend you go with a competitor like Spectrum, DISH, or Fubo if you want quality TV service.
Why you should trust us. Our expert editors surveyed hundreds of Cox cable TV customers, researched pricing and channel counts, tested Cox TV, and then rated Cox on a five-star scale according to four essential criteria:
Editorial star rating: 2.99/5.00
Cox offers term agreements, not contracts, so it’s easy to make changes to your packages without incurring extra fees. You can also cancel your Cox service within 30 days without being charged an early cancellation fee.
Sometimes Cox offers senior discounts. At the moment there is no discount, but low-income households may qualify for Cox’s Connect2Compete program, which provides internet for only $9.95 a month.
Check out our Cox Deals and Promotions page for the latest on freebies, other low-income discounts, and more.
* 1 Year Term Agreement. Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Cox’s Contour TV Preferred plan gives you a decent range of popular cable networks, even if the 140+ channel count is a bit misleading (more on that in a minute).
If you’re looking for more (a likely case), we recommend Contour TV Ultimate, which, on top of its 250+ channels, includes premium channels like CINEMAX®, Max (formerly HBO Max), Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®, and STARZ®. No, it’s not the cheapest option around these days, but if you love a lot of viewing options, Contour TV Ultimate has you covered.
CableTV.com hired a tester and hooked them up with Cox Contour TV Ultimate. Here’s what they thought.
“The channel lineup really does have something for everyone. I get all the lifestyle channels that I love, like AMC, IFC, and Investigation Discovery—known by fans simply as ID. Other members of the household get their goodies, too—it’s packed with sports channels and kids’ content. We take full advantage of the premium movie channels, like STARZ.”
Cox cable TV packages are expensive, but there’s more to the story than just high costs.
A word about Cox channel lineups: Cox TV packages are inflated with local TV stations, shopping networks, and a boatload of Music Choice “radio” channels (50 to be exact).
So while Contour TV Preferred offers a decent array of cable staples, the Contour TV Starter package is a complete non-starter—you’d be better off buying an over-the-air antenna than paying Cox for channels you can easily get free elsewhere.
That’s why we recommend passing on Cox Contour TV packages and going with a better TV service provider like DISH Network or Spectrum.
Check out our reviews of the Best TV Service Providers and Best Live TV Streaming Services to see some pretty solid alternatives to Cox.
*No annual contract or cancellation fees.
**for 12 mos. No annual contract.
† for 12 mos. w/ 1-yr. term agreement. Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
^ Prices include applicable monthly recurring service fees and applicable discounts. Excludes charges for existing Cox services. Additional one-time charges, activation fees and monthly equipment fees may apply. Prices do not include applicable taxes, usage-based charges, fees, and surcharges, which are subject to change. Prorated charges may appear on your bill if you change services before the bill cycle is complete.
Cox offers some impressive internet download speeds, but you’ll be stuck with a less-than-impressive TV plan. Spectrum and Verizon Fios will get you better channel lineups for less money, for example.
That said, Contour TV Preferred does give you most of the popular channels (which can be built upon with Cox’s various add-on channel packages—if you want to spend even more than $200 a month) and plenty of internet speed (500 Mbps) to handle a household with multiple surfers and streamers.
To learn more about Cox TV and internet bundles, check out our shop bundles page, or skip the expensive TV plans altogether and bone up on standalone Cox cable internet plans.