Cox Cable TV Plans: Packages, Pricing, and More
We've spent hundreds of hours examining Cox's TV packages to see if the channel lineups are worth the steep price tags.
Price: $53.00–$138.00
Channels: 75–250+
DVR storage: Up to 1,000 hrs.
Contract: 12 mos.
Are Cox TV plans good?
We think Cox TV plans aren’t very good for most folks. In a nutshell, your monthly bill will be higher and your channel lineup won’t be as robust compared to most other 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.
Pros
- Excellent DVR
- Inexpensive add-on packages
Cons
- High prices
- Limited channel counts
- Limited standalone TV options
Cox cable TV deals and promotions
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.
Currently, Cox has a few deals and promotions like free Peacock with select plans. Check out our Cox Deals and Promotions page for the latest on freebies, low-income discounts, and more.
Cox TV plans and pricing
| Package | Price* | Channel count | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cox Contour TV Starter | $53.00/mo. | 75+ | |
| Contour TV Preferred | $98.00/mo. | 140+ | |
| Contour TV Preferred Plus | $118.00/mo. | 170+ | |
| Contour TV Ultimate | $138.00/mo. | 250+ |
* 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 Preferred Plus, which has 170+ channels, including premium channels like CINEMAX®, HBO Max, SHOWTIME®, and STARZ®.
Unfortunately, Cox doesn’t include Contour TV Preferred Plus in its bundles, but there are a number of Cox bundles to choose from if you are going to pair your TV with internet service.
If you like what Contour TV Preferred Plus has to offer, and don’t mind spending an extra $20 a month you can become a Contour TV Ultimate customer. For that $20 price hike, you get a lot more channels—250+ to be exact.
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.
Cox TV channel lineups and equipment
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.
All four plans include your first HD receiver at no charge (additional boxes are $10 each). Since Cox TV plans are already expensive, these additional fees will really jack up your monthly payment.
That’s why we recommend passing on Cox Contour TV packages and going with a better TV service provider like DISH Network or Spectrum.
Cox TV and internet packages
| Package | Price | Channel count | Download speeds up to | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Preferred 250 + Contour TV Preferred | $157.99/mo.† | 140+ | 250 Mbps | |
| Internet Ultimate 500 + Contour TV Preferred | $177.99/mo.† | 140+ | 500 Mbps | |
| Internet Gigablast + Contour TV Preferred | $197.99/mo.† | 140+ | 1,000 Mbps |
† For 12 mos. w/ 1-yr agrmt. Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
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 $190 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 comprehensive review, or skip the expensive TV plans altogether and bone up on standalone Cox cable internet plans.
Cox cable TV equipment and features
If you made it this far in our review of Cox cable TV, you’re probably okay with the high prices. While we don’t love the costs of Cox service, we do think Cox TV equipment and features are pretty dope for premium TV lovers.
Cox Contour DVR
The Cox Contour DVR is one of the best DVRs on the market. If you want high-quality DVR service, Cox has three tiers that cover the needs of most TV fans:
- Record up to 2 shows simultaneously and store 250 hours of HD content: $10/mo.
- Record up to 6 shows and store 500 hours: $20/mo.
- Record up to 24 shows and store up to 1,000 hours: $30/mo.
Most people will be happy with the first or second tier. As for the third one, it’s only for hardcore TV lovers because, while we’re totally into 1,000 hours of HD storage, we can’t imagine ever finding 24 things to watch at the same time.
As for the other hardware, the Contour 2 Voice Remote allows you to search for all of your favorite shows at the press of a button, and the microphone is sensitive enough to pick up your voice without repeated shouting. This may seem like a low bar, but we’re tired of struggling to get the attention of Siris and Alexas and Okay Googles.
Again, the prices are high, but the quality, in this case, is good. Check out our full review of the Cox Contour DVR for more details.
Cox Contour app
The Cox Contour app is also a nice feature for Cox TV subscribers. You can catch up to 150 live channels on the go and download a lot of content for offline viewing (like on an airplane or camping trip).
To get more of the deets, check out our comprehensive review of the Cox Contour app.
Cox On Demand
Not only will you get live TV with your Cox TV plan, but you’ll have access to over 150,000 on-demand shows and movies. Some of those you’ll have to rent, but that’s a whole lotta entertainment (more than Netflix and Amazon Prime Video by our count) baked into your TV bill.
To check out what’s on Cox On Demand, read our full review.
Testing the Cox channel guide on a laptop computer. Image credit: CableTV.com
Final take: Are Cox TV packages worth it?
Cox’s TV service is standard-issue cable fare: it covers the basics, but if you want more, it’ll cost you—Cox TV prices are a little on the high side to begin with. With prices on the higher side, you’ll also want to be aware of additional fees on our Cox Hidden Costs page.
We wouldn’t recommend Cox as a standalone TV provider; bundles are the smarter way to go with this company. You’ll get excellent internet service, which you can use to supplement your cable-channel selection with streaming TV services like Netflix and Hulu.
Are you ready to sign up with Cox? You can get Cox TV now or if you’re still deciding, read our full reviews on Cox internet and Cox bundles too.
We also have the full Cox channel lineup here.
Cox TV FAQ
How much is Contour TV a month?
Cox offers three Contour TV plans.
| Package | Price | Channel count |
| Contour TV Preferred | $98.00/mo. | 140+ |
| Contour TV Preferred Plus | $118.00/mo. | 170+ |
| Contour TV Ultimate | $138.00/mo. | 250+ |
What channels are included in Cox TV Starter plan?
Cox’s basic cable plan—which costs $53 a month—is a good way to go for those who don’t want to miss out on content from local stations. In addition to ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX, here are some of the other channels this no-frills plan includes:
- PBS
- HSN
- QVC
- C-Span
- ION
- Univision
Can I watch Cox TV on mobile devices?
You can watch live and on-demand Cox cable TV content through the Contour app, available for iOS and Android on phones, tablets, and computers. You can also use network-specific apps for free with your Cox account info.
Does Cox TV offer add-on channel packages?
In addition to premium channels like HBO® and SHOWTIME®, Cox offers five multi-channel packages: Variety Pack (15 entertainment channels for $12/mo.), Movie Pack (10 film-centric channels for $12/mo.), Sports & Information Pack (14 news and sports channels for $10/mo.), Sports Pack 2 (nine more sports channels for $10/mo.), and Latino Pack (10 Spanish channels for $10/mo.).
Does the Cox Contour DVR/receiver include streaming apps?
Cox Communications’s Contour DVR/receiver comes with several streaming apps installed, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Pandora, YouTube, Tubi, and a few others. Most require internet service (because streaming) and will count toward your internet plan’s data usage.
How much is basic cable with Cox?
TV Starter is the cheapest of Cox’s TV packages, coming in at $53 a month. This no-frills option doesn’t include premium channels, but it gets you connected to local ABC, CBS, NBC, CW, Fox, and PBS affiliates offering plenty of content. It also features C-SPAN, more than 50 music channels, and shopping destinations like HSN and QVC.
Does Cox require a cable box for every TV?
A Cox basic box, wired HD Contour box, or wireless 4K Contour box is needed for each TV used to enjoy your favorite programs. The first box is included with your Cox TV package. It is $4 a month for each additional Basic Box and $10 for each additional Contour Box.
To give you the best information so you can make the right decision when it comes to cable TV packages, we’re not the biggest fans of basic cable TV packages. The cost doesn’t equal the value. In most cases, you get local channels and not much more.
If a simple package is what you want—and local channels are a must—go with a cable TV antenna. We’ve researched to help you find the best antenna to meet your needs.
Methodology
To find the best Cox TV plans, we examined the channel lineups of each Cox plan and took a look at the standalone price of every option, including the channel lineups and add-on package options of each. We also compared Cox standalone plans and bundle packages.
We assessed how Cox ranks in price and features when put head-to-head with cable TV competitors and compared it with what you get when you bundle Cox TV with an internet plan. We also drew star ratings from our annual customer satisfaction survey. You can learn more about our process on our How We Rank page.
