Sparklight TV has a good channel lineup for non-sports fans, but it comes at a steep cost.
Sparklight TV Review (2026): Moving to Streaming Hasn’t Helped the Service
5 min read
Edited ByBrenna EliesonSparklight TV is a pay-TV service from the company formerly known as Cable One. The company sells internet and phone plans, so it's a solid option for customers who want to bundle services under one umbrella.
But purchasing TV services through Sparklight has a catch. You must buy internet service in order to access the possibly 100+ channels. Despite this requirement, I like that Sparklight offers a three-year price lock for most of its internet packages. The rate lock is attractive, but is the cost too much of a deterrent? Let’s dig into my Sparklight TV review to learn if the service is worth considering for your entertainment needs.
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Our breakdown of this Sparklight TV
Our review of Sparklight TV is based on three main criteria. We give a score for each, and then average them to give you an overall rating.
Sparklight TV plans and prices
3/5
*
Taxes, fees and surcharges extra. Services may not be available in all areas and programming is subject to change. Rates subject to change. A $10.50/mo Sparklight TV Modem lease is required to get Sparklight TV if you do not have an active subscription to Sparklight Internet Service.
Sparklight Cable TV carries numerous popular networks, but you need to purchase the more expensive tier to access them. Users can purchase add-ons to customize plans, including premium options like HBO and STARZ/Encore. Keep in mind that you must call to secure TV service as the company doesn’t allow online sign-ups. Sparklight TV does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee for people not satisfied with the service.
Some Sparklight users online have expressed frustration with monthly costs. “I’ve been on Sparklight for TV and internet for years. Never have any outages where I live so it’s reliable, just expensive. I pay $310/month for basic TV and 1Gb internet,” said one Redditor. And I must admit, it’s difficult to see the value in either plan. The Economy plan includes only local channels, and Standard offers roughly 50 additional channels. Beyond that, Sparklight is a hybrid fiber-coaxial internet provider whose TV plans run on Wi-Fi. In short, the company is no longer like traditional cable (except for its burdensome pricing) and offers programming via streaming.
Add-ons
If you want to personalize your Sparklight TV channels, the company makes it easy to do, starting from $6 monthly.
22 channels, including ESPNU, Big Ten Network, and Discovery Life
9 channels, including Cine Mexicano, TeleN, and Telemundo
Sparklight TV fees and surcharges
Remember that pricing is the base rate for service. Like cable providers, Sparklight TV is also fee-heavy. The fees are on top of the advertised price and drive up your monthly bill. I like Sparklight’s move toward streaming, but it’s clear they’re still embracing fees that many dislike about cable.
Fees you can expect to hit your bill include a required broadcast TV surcharge, sports surcharge, and franchise fees, which vary by location. You must also pay a monthly $10.50 modem fee, but you can avoid it if you provide your own modem, as long as it’s compatible with the platform and DOCSIS 3.1 capable.
Sparklight Cable TV's reliability and experience
2/5
Sparklight TV’s overall reliability is subpar, based on many online reports. Pricing is an obvious concern, but so is the experience of some users. “Sparklight is trash. And that's what they think of their customers. Ripping them off month after month. Stay away from Sparklight and keep looking,” said one Redditor.
Sparklight has transitioned from cable to being an internet protocol television provider (IPTV), allowing customers to watch content on TVs, computers, and other devices through its proprietary app. Supported hardware includes:
- Amazon Fire TV devices
- Android TV devices
- Apple TV devices
- Android mobile devices on Android 7.0 or above
- Apple mobile devices on iOS 10 or above
- Amazon Fire, Element, Android, Sony, and Sharp TVs
If you prefer, you can opt for the Sparklight TV streaming device for an additional cost. The device comes with an intuitive remote to navigate the platform and manage your TV needs. Regardless of whether you use your own device or Sparklight’s, you download the Sparklight TV app and access channels, on-demand content, and recordings via the app.
Sparklight TV features
Sparklight TV includes a variety of features to help users enhance their subscriptions. Multiple profiles are a bit on the low side, with only four. Compare that against a competitor like Mediacom’s 11, and it’s a bit disappointing. Sparklight TV includes DVR capacity, but it’s only 200 hours, and the company says you can’t record content from HBO or Cinemax.
All account holders have TV Everywhere access and can stream simultaneously on up to six screens. Sparklight doesn’t confirm exactly how much content is available through its on-demand offerings, but it may mitigate the reduced recording capabilities. You can get Spanish channels, but there are only nine, and they require a paid add-on.
Sparklight TV channel selection
3/5
There are only two Sparklight TV packages: Economy and Standard. Economy includes just 26 channels for the Beaufort, South Carolina, area, and they are all local networks. If you want a better selection of channels, you must purchase the more expensive Standard plan, which also includes everything from the Economy plan. If you opt for the Standard plan, you get 59 additional channels. All plans include 50 music channels.
Although Standard includes some sought-after channels, it also has some disappointing gaps. If you’re an avid sports fan and want ESPNU, ESPNews, CBS Sports, ACCN, or BTN, you must purchase the Digital Value Pack add-on. Interestingly, the SEC Network is included in the Standard plan. If the NFL Network is a must-have for you, it’s not currently available on Sparklight TV. Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) are available on Sparklight, depending on where you live. Sparklight does have add-ons available for purchase, but there are fewer than other providers. You can purchase a variety of premium or movie options at an extra cost.
Here are the Sparklight TV channels you can expect to receive in the Standard plan:
- Lifetime
- LMN
- OWN
- Bravo
- WE tv
- Oxygen
- Investigation Discovery
- ESPN
- ESPN2
- TBS
- FX
- FXX
- A&E
- BBC America
- TLC
- FreeForm
- truTV
- Motor Trend
- E!
- TV One
- Cowboy Channel
- Animal Planet
- Nat Geo Wild
- Discovery
- INSP
- BYU
- Hallmark
- Hallmark Mystery
- Hallmark Drama
- Tennis Channel
- Golf
- FS1
- Outdoor Channel
- FS2
- SEC Network
- TNT
- USA Network
- Syfy
- Travel Channel
- Food Network
- National Geographic Channel
- HGTV
- History Channel
- Disney
- Cartoon Network
- HLN
- CNN
- CNBC
- MS Now
- FOX Business Network
- FOX News
- NewsNation
- AMC
- TCM
- FX Movies
- IFC
- Sundance
Overall quality
2.3/5
Sparklight TV is worth trying if you want to bundle TV with your internet provider. The 30-day money-back guarantee, price lock, and up to six simultaneous streams are nice but come at a steep cost. You must pay for a higher tier to get a large selection of channels, but even then it’s missing popular channels sports fans want.
If you live in one of the locations where Sparklight operates and want to bundle, it may be worth trying. Review the Sparklight TV plans to learn which best fits your needs.
Hide
See all Sparklight TV plans here
I have over a decade of experience testing streaming and cable platforms. I used this experience to inform this Sparklight TV review. This included reading user reviews of Sparklight TV to better understand the service and identify what subscribers think of their experience with the platform.
- Plans and pricing: Where you live can impact pricing, so I used an address in Beaufort, South Carolina, selected the “Choose Your Plan” internet tiers, and then reviewed the available TV tiers for specific pricing.
- Reliability and experience: I reviewed feedback in online forums on Sparklight TV to better understand what customers think of the service.
- Features: I analyzed all of the available features and upgrades Sparklight TV offers and how they can enhance subscriptions.
- Channel offering: I compared the Sparklight TV channel lineup with both cable and streaming providers to learn how it measures up.
- Billing: I tested various subscription options to see how they would affect monthly charges.
For more information on how we test, check out our methodology.
Sparklight TV FAQ
Yes, Sparklight is dropping traditional cable service and moving to an app-based streaming offering.
Sparklight TV’s online reviews are lackluster, with many users ranking them below average and often under three out of five stars.
No, Sparklight TV doesn’t offer a senior citizen discount.
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