Sparklight TV Review: Plans, Prices, and More
From channels to prices, we've spent hours researching Sparklight's cable TV plans. Here's what you need to know about them.
Is Sparklight TV worth it?
Despite its luminous name, Sparklight—previously known as Cable ONE—dulls in comparison to competitors like DISH and DIRECTV. Sparklight TV prices are just way too high, and its channel lineups are tiny.
Sparklight had an unsurprising middle-of-the-road finish in our annual TV Customer Satisfaction Survey, coming in at 6th place out of 11 providers.
We do appreciate the convenience of an internet and TV bundle, and Sparklight does offer solid no-contract internet plans, now that they’ve ditched their data caps. But in our opinion, even with the small bundle discounts, you’re better off sticking with a solo Sparklight internet package.
But if you need only a few months of TV service to tide you over before a big move, Sparklight’s not a bad choice to save you from other providers’ super-long contracts.
Sparklight TV perks, cool stuff, and deals
Sparklight, formerly Cable ONE, doesn’t have any hot TV deals right now, but we’ll update this section when they do.
Sparklight TV packages and pricing
| Package | Price for first 6 mos. | Channel count up to | Cloud DVR | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy TV Plus | $54.00/mo. | 20 channels | Up to 200 hrs. | View Plans for Sparklight |
| Standard TV Plus | $131.75/mo. | 100+ channels | Up to 200 hrs. | View Plans for Sparklight |
| Digital Value Pack add-on | $16.00/mo. | 24 channels | n/a | View Plans for Sparklight |
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
If you’re wondering why we listed the cheap Digital Value Pack last, that’s because it’s an add-on pack, not a regular Sparklight TV package, and it’s available only when you sign up for both Standard TV Plus and a Sparklight internet package.
The Digital Value Pack is an online streaming service that comes with a selection of channels like ESPNU, Disney Junior, and Big Ten Network. But you won’t find local channels, ESPN, or Disney Channel here.
Sparklight’s other little package, Economy TV Plus, is focused on local channels. It will keep you plugged into primetime and local news, but $54 per month is a pretty steep price for locally broadcast networks. You could get those channels with no monthly payments if you buy an HDTV antenna (we recommend the Mohu ReLeaf on Amazon*).
Finally, the Standard TV Plus plan is the way to go for awesome networks like ESPN, Hallmark Channel, Disney, and HGTV. But be aware that—even at this highest tier—Sparklight doesn’t offer Viacom channels like MTV and Nickelodeon.
These exclusions don’t make the Standard TV Plus package any more affordable. You can get a similar standard package from DISH or DIRECTV for about $20 less per month. We suggest going that route if bang for your buck is your top priority.
But Sparklight is the better option if you’re thinking of moving soon. Those satellite TV companies each have a two-year contract, whereas Sparklight plans don’t have contracts, so you can leave at any time without paying an early termination fee.
Sparklight TV features include bundle discounts and Cloud DVR
Sparklight TV plans come with a few key features, equipment options, and bundle discounts (plus some pesky extra fees). Read on for all you need to know before you get Sparklight TV.
Sparklight TV equipment
You’ll need your own equipment to support your Sparklight TV plan, since you’ll need to stream Sparklight TV through their downloadable app. Luckily, that means you won’t have to pay rental fees—and you might already have one of these Sparklight-compatible devices:
- Amazon Fire TV Stick
- Apple TV
- Apple iPhone/iPad
- Google Phone/Tablet
- NVIDIA SHIELD
- PC or Mac, using Chrome, Edge/IE, Firefox, or Safari browsers
- Sony & Sharp TV’s with Amazon Fire TV built-in
Sparklight DVR
Every Sparklight TV plan comes with 200 hours of DVR storage. That means you can store up to 200 hours of recording time of any of your favorite shows for no extra cost, which we really appreciate.
Plus, Sparklight’s DVR is stored in the cloud, meaning you don’t need any extra equipment to record or play your saved shows.
Sparklight TV and internet packages
Data effective as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
You can save some cash when you bundle your Sparklight TV with internet. Not only with bundle discounts, but also with saving the $10.50/mo. Sparklight TV Modem lease that’s required to get Sparklight TV if you don’t have Sparklight internet. BOO! Sparklight already is expensive, and the sneaky fees make it worse.
Sparklight also bundles TV plans with phone service. To see all your mix-and-match options, head over to our Sparklight bundles review.
What do real Sparklight customers think about Sparklight TV?
Sparklight fell right around the middle of the pack in our annual TV Customer Satisfaction Survey, coming in at 6th place out of 11 major television providers.
64% of customers polled were satisfied with Sparklight’s overall service, which, although below providers like Verizon and DISH, still beat out major cable TV competitors like DIRECTV and Spectrum.
As for user experience and reliability, Sparklight once again fared middlingly well, with 62% of respondents saying their Sparklight TV service’s reliability was completely or very satisfying to them. Since Sparklight’s TV service is streamed through the Sparklight TV app, this middling reliability may also be a reflection of the respondent’s internet service, so keep that in mind when going through the survey results.
Although there can be outages at times (that is something that goes with any service and) they are not excessive. It would be silly to say there are not any, because when you are dealing with cable/streaming there are going to be some. It just goes with the territory. Overall I am very pleased with Sparklight.
Sparklight TV FAQ
Is Sparklight TV the same as Cable ONE TV?
You nailed it—Sparklight TV is the new name for Cable ONE TV. The company made the switch mid-2019.
Does Sparklight TV require a contract?
No, Sparklight TV plans are all contract-free, which makes it a good choice if you need TV service for only a short time. You can cancel Sparklight service at any time without facing a high-price early termination fee.
Can I watch Sparklight online?
You can watch Sparklight online via Sparklight TV Everywhere, which is Sparklight’s on-the-go TV service. It has over 60 channels and comes with the Standard TV Plus package.
What are Sparklight’s cable packages?
Sparklight’s cable TV packages are as follows:
- Economy TV Plus ($54.00/mo., up to 20 channels)
- Standard TV Plus ($131.75/mo., up to 100+ channels)
We don’t recommend Economy TV Plus, which is a basic cable package. You can get the same 20 local channels—plus a variety of subchannels—with an over-the-air (OTA) antenna. And the best part is that you can buy the antenna for only $30–$60, and that’s way, way better than paying $54.00 a month.
What channels does Sparklight offer?
We recommend Sparklight’s Standard TV plan ($131.75 a month), which has up to 100+ channels, including all your local channels plus popular channels like CNN, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, ESPN, ESPN2, Fox News, Food Network, Hallmark Channel, HGTV, HISTORY, TNT, and USA. Beware, though. If you want MTV, Nickelodeon, and other Viacom channels, Sparklight doesn’t carry them. To see more Sparklight channels, read our Sparklight channel guide.
Does Sparklight have Netflix?
Sparklight doesn’t offer Netflix directly—but if you select the TiVo DVR when you order Sparklight TV service, you can use it to watch your Netflix subscription (sold separately).
Why you should trust us
To find out how Sparklight stacked up against the competition, we spent more than 16 hours breaking down Sparklight’s plans in areas including cost, internet speeds, and channel lineups. We also used our annual internet customer satisfaction and TV customer satisfaction surveys to see what real Sparklight internet and TV customers thought about the ISP.
To learn more about our methodology, check out our How We Rank page.
