Best CenturyLink TV and Internet Bundles

Choosing the perfect bundle requires a bit more research and forethought than just picking an internet plan on its own. But we’ve got a few tips that can make it easier to narrow down your choices.

1. Make sure you have enough internet speed

Not all high-speed internet is created equally. There’s a world of difference between 50 Mbps download speeds and 500 Mbps download speeds.

Below, we break down how much speed you need for a certain number of internet and Wi-Fi users, but high bandwidth activities, like uploading files, should also be considered. Here are a few guidelines to help you figure out how much speed you really need. 

Recommended download speed depending on your household size:

• 1–2 people: 5–25 Mbps
• 2–4 people: 25–50 Mbps
• 4–6 people: 50–100 Mbps
• 6+ people: 100–500 Mbps
• 10+ people: 500–1,000 Mbps

2. Compare TV channel options

It’s not so easy to parse out which TV package is right for you when there are literally hundreds of channels to compare (not to mention choosing between extra features, like HD DVR and sports channel packages).

Still, it’s worth it to look closely at the channel list on each DIRECTV plan to make sure it has everything you need. You might be surprised that some favorites—like the NFL Network or Sundance TV—aren’t included in lower-tiered packages. Internet packages net you about 20 more channels per plan than satellite packages.

If you don’t want to sift through all the channels yourself, check out this guide from our TV expert Chantel Buchi.

3. Compare pricing

The best way to figure out the best bundle deal is to compare prices with plans from other providers in your area. You can do that by using the zip code tool below or by reading our roundup of the best TV, internet, and phone bundles.

This plan gets you high-speed CenturyLink internet with up to 100 Mbps download speeds. If you happen to live in an area with CenturyLink Fiber Internet, then you can get even faster speeds for a few extra bucks each month.

On the TV side of things, you’ll have a DIRECTV plan with over 75 channels, including favorites like Disney Channel, HGTV, USA, TNT, ESPN, and CNN.

All this for under $120 a month. That’s a pretty darn good deal (though it doesn’t necessarily beat bundle deals from Verizon, Frontier, and other providers).

Having a ton of TV channels doesn’t make up for having slow internet, especially if you work from home, watch a lot of Netflix, or have a big family of streamers and gamers.

For those who need the best available internet speeds, we recommend the CenturyLink Internet Fiber Gigabit and DIRECTV CHOICE bundle.

While DIRECTV’s channel offerings are nothing to sneeze at here, the real appeal of this bundle is CenturyLink's fiber internet connection. It can get you download speeds up to 940 Mbps (and upload speeds nearly as fast).

Comparing these fiber internet speeds to CenturyLink’s normal DSL internet speeds (or even cable internet speeds from companies like Spectrum) is like comparing a Honda Civic to a Lamborghini. It ain’t a fair race. And with this plan, you don’t really end up paying much more than you would for 100 Mbps internet.

The big catch is that this super high-speed internet plan from CenturyLink isn’t available in most areas. We hope to see CenturyLink expand its fiber coverage in the coming years (In the meantime, you can check out other fiber internet providers that may have better coverage in your area).

Do you like to unwind after a long day by flipping between ESPN 1, 2, and 3? Are you the type who likes to keep up with every new premier drama? Do you sometimes need the TV to fill in as a babysitter on Saturday afternoons?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, then we’ve got the perfect bundle for you: DIRECTV PREMIER and CenturyLink DSL internet.

This package gets you over 45 premium channels, including HBO (and a free Max subscription), STARZ, Cinemax, MGM+, and Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®. It also has specialty channels like Fox Soccer Channel, CINEMAX ThrillerMax, and HBO Family.

The internet plan that comes with this bundle isn’t the most powerful. It will get you up to 100 Mbps download speeds (depending on where you live and other factors) and won’t have the fast upload speeds that a fiber connection would get you. But this CenturyLink internet plan should still be plenty for everyday activities, like streaming Netflix and browsing.

Side note: DIRECTV is pretty great, but it’s not your only option. 

You can read about how DIRECTV compares to other popular TV providers, like DISH and Xfinity, in our full versus reviews.

While a phone with no touchscreen may seem like a distant relic to Zoomers and Millennials, there are plenty of people who still use a good ol’ landline phone service. For those customers, we recommend the DIRECTV ULTIMATE, CenturyLink Internet, and Home Phone service bundle.

This triple play bundle gets you CenturyLink’s DSL internet, a home phone plan with unlimited nationwide calling, and a DIRECTV package with over 150 channels, including HBO, Disney Channel, Sundance TV, and many others.

With this bundle, you’ll have your entire home outfitted for entertainment and communication for $200 a month. That’s a darn good deal when you think about it (just try adding up what you currently pay for the three services separately).

Alright, folks, that’s about it for this review. Now it’s up to you to decide which bundle fits your lifestyle. Here’s a little recap to help you make up your mind.

• Best Budget Bundle: The DIRECTV ENTETAINMENT and CenturyLink internet double-play bundle gets you everything you need for less than $120 a month. You'll get download speeds of up to 100 Mbps and 75+ live TV channels. 
• Best High-Speed Internet Bundle: Pick up the DIRECTV CHOICE and CenturyLink Fiber Internet bundle for incredible data speeds that keep you gaming, streaming, Zooming, and browsing without lag or buffering. This $155 package comes with gigabit speeds and 105+ live TV channels.
• Best Bundle for TV Lovers: If you want popular and premium TV channels, then go with the DIRECTV PREMIER and CenturyLink internet bundle. And this $205 plan comes with up to 100 Mbps download speeds.
• Best Triple Play Bundle: You can get internet, phone, and TV service for $200 per month with the DIRECTV ULTIMATE, CenturyLink internet, and CenturyLink Home Phone triple play bundle. This package has download speeds up to 100 Mbps and 140+ live TV channels.

We like to give our readers a little peek into our decision making process when we write best-of reviews like this. So, for those of you who are interested, these are the features we looked at to determine the best CenturyLink bundles.

1. Price: this is probably the most important factor to most consumers.
2. Internet performance: performance comes down to more than just speed. We also take into account reliability (are there frequent outages?), upload speeds, and availability.
3. TV channels: are all of the cable classics included in the package? What specialty channels are there? Are there optional add-on packages?