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Xfinity TV vs. Verizon Fios TV Review 2022
Xfinity is more widely available across the US, but Verizon Fios has a better value
Xfinity TV and Verizon Fios TV are two of the best cable TV providers on the market.
Xfinity is the most widely available cable provider in the US, and it’s reliable. Fios is a fiber-optic TV provider that is speedy and gives you loads of channels straight to your TV.
But Xfinity ends up being pricier in the long run and has tons of fees. Fios is only available in nine states, and that’s a big deal.
Let’s help you find out which cable TV provider is best for you and your home.
These Xfinity deals should put a twinkle in your eye if you're searching for a new internet or cable TV plan:
- Northeastern US: Get a $200 Visa prepaid card with the Gigabit plan—or pair your Blast! or Gigabit plan with Xfinity Mobile to save $30 a month.*
- Central US: Save $30/mo. with the Superfast internet plan + Xfinity Mobile.**
- Western US: Save $10/mo. on the Connect plan or $30/mo. on the Fast plan with Xfinity Mobile, plus get a $100 Visa prepaid card with your order.†
Ready? See the Xfinity TV, internet, and mobile deals in your area.
Save on Xfinity TV + Mobile + Internet
Or, if you just want internet, you're in luck. Switch to Xfinity and get up to a $200 Visa® Prepaid Card!
Data effective 12/10/2021. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
*Offer ends 1/10/2021. Limited time offer. Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. New residential customers only. Limited to Blast! and Gigabit. Offer requires enrollment in both automatic payments and paperless billing. Must enroll within 30 days of placing the order. Cards issued by MetaBank®, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa® U.S.A. Inc. Cards will not have cash access and can be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.
**Offer ends 01/10/2022. Limited time offer. Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. New residential customers only. Limited to Superfast. Paperless Billing and Automatic Payments with bank account required, otherwise monthly service charge automatically increases by $10 (or $5 if enrolling with credit or debit card information). Discount will appear on statement within 45 days of enrollment. 1-year minimum term contract required.
†Offer ends 01/10/2022. Limited time offer. Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. New residential customers only. Limited to Connect. Paperless Billing and Automatic Payments required. Discount will appear on statement within 45 days of enrollment. 1-year minimum term contract required. Cards issued by MetaBank®, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa® U.S.A. Inc. Cards will not have cash access and can be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.
Xfinity TV vs. Verizon Fios TV price comparison
At first glance, Xfinity seems to have less expensive prices than Verizon Fios, but that’s not the case in the long run.
Xfinity offers inexpensive pricing with both of its plans, which requires a 1-year contract., but your pricing increases $20–$30 per month in year two.
Verizon Fios doesn’t require a contract and gives you straightforward pricing throughout your service.
Your Fios TV plan offers the same number of channels as Xfinity’s Popular TV plan for $15 more, but the Popular TV plan turns into $70 after the first year (and you'll be paying less in fees with Verizon Fios). And 425 channels for $105 per month is the best channel-to-dollar ratio you’ll find in the TV industry.
Data effective 10/22/2021. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
$99 setup & taxes & terms may apply. Subj. to credit approval & may require a deposit. Fios avail. in select areas.
Check out our Fios TV Review if you're interested in Spanish-language plans para tus padres y tu.
Xfinity TV vs. Verizon Fios TV contracts
Xfinity requires you to sign a 1-year contract for cheaper pricing. After your 1-year contract ends, your monthly pricing will increase to the following prices:
- Popular TV: $70/month
- Ultimate TV: $88/month
Verizon Fios doesn’t have a contract. Yup, Verizon wins the trophy on this one.
Xfinity TV vs. Verizon Fios TV hidden fees
Simply put: Xfinity TV has one of the longest lists of fees in the TV industry, while Verizon Fios has one of the shortest.
With Fios, you have three different fees:
- A second set-top box for your bedroom
- DVR fee
- Fios router fee
(We recommend buying the Fios router if you plan on keeping this cable TV provider for more than two years.)
With Xfinity, expect to pay five fees that could possibly add up to $79 (no, Xfinity, no). Verizon Fios’ fees could hit a max of $69, further making it the least expensive option.
Data effective 1/10/2022. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
Xfinity TV vs. Verizon Fios TV channels
We’ve named Xfinity as our favorite cable TV provider because it has a channel lineup with popular sports, entertainment, kids, news, and lifestyle channels. Not to mention, Xfinity TV is widely available across the US.
You won’t have to worry about missing out on your favorite channels with Fios either. Fios has all of the channels under the sun in your lineup, so you’ll get a good variety to satisfy any mood you’re in.
Data effective 1/10/2022. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
All of Xfinity TV’s and Verizon Fios’s TV packages have the top local channels, such as ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC. You won’t have to miss out on your Jeopardy or live NFL and NBA games.
Xfinity TV vs. Verizon Fios TV premium channels
Xfinity and Verizon Fios offer all of the premium channels, but they go about their pricing differently.
Xfinity has a set price for each premium channel, and the pricing is average compared to other TV providers. How can you miss out on your Westworld, Billions, or The Undoing? You just can’t.
Fios is a rarity and charges its premium channels by the number. You could get all five premium channels for only $40/mo.! That's the best premium channel deal we've seen in the TV industry.
With Most Fios TV, you can add HBO MAX or Cinemax to your service. No need to order SHOWTIME, STARZ or EPIX because you'll have them in your channel lineup already!
Data effective 1/10/2022. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
Data effective 1/10/2022. Offers and availability vary by location and are subject to change.
Xfinity TV vs. Verizon Fios TV sports channels
Xfinity lacks in sports channels, and Verizon Fios takes the championship belt because it offers way more sports channels.
Xfinity offers nine sports channels in its entry-level package, but unfortunately it doesn’t include NFL Network (while most entry-level cable packages do).
So if its sports channels you're after, we highly recommend upgrading to the Ultimate TV package. For $10 more, you'll get access to 24 sports channels. Worth it.
With Fios, we noticed a couple of things that stood out amongst the sports channel lineup. Keep in mind, the More Fios TV plan doesn’t have the Golf Channel.
And if you’re a Shohei Ohtani fan, you’ll have to get the Most Fios TV plan to get MLB Network and MLB Strike Zone. You’ll also want this plan if you want to enjoy NBA TV and the greatest channel of all, the NFL RedZone Channel.
With Verizon Fios, you can get over 40 sports channels with the Most Fios TV package. Most TV providers only give you around 20.
Xfinity TV’s Popular TV plan has the following sports channels:
- AT&T SportsNet
- ESPN, ESPN2
- FS1, FS2
- Golf Channel
- PAC-12 Network
- Local Sports
- Tennis Channel
Xfinity TV’s Ultimate TV plan includes all of the above and the following sports channels:
- ACC Network (ACCN)
- CBS Sports Network
- ESPNews
- ESPNU
- MLB Network
- NBA TV
- NFL Network
- NHL Network
- Olympic Channel
- Outdoor Channel
- SEC Network
- Sportsman Channel
- TUDN
- Zona Fútbol
Verizon Fios’ Your Fios TV plan includes the following sports channels:
- ACCN
- BeIn Sports
- Big Ten Network
- CBS Sports Network
- ESPN, ESPN 2
- ESPNU
- ESPNews
- FS1, FS2
- Golf Channel
- MLB Network
- NBA TV
- NBC Sports Network
- NFL Network
- NHL Network
- Olympic Channel
- SEC Network
- Tennis Channel
Verizon Fios’ More Fios TV plan includes the following sports channels:
- ACCN
- Big Ten 1, 2, 3
- Big Ten Network
- ESPN, ESPN 2
- ESPNU
- ESPNews
- Fox Deportes
- FS1, FS2
- MSG, MSG 2
- MSG Plus, MSG Plus 2
- NFL Network
- NHL Network
- SEC Network
- SportsNet New York
- TUDN
- TVG
- YES, YES2
Verizon Fios’ Most Fios TV plan includes the following sports channels:
- ACCN
- BeIN Sports
- BeIN Sports en Español
- Big Ten 1, 2, 3
- Big Ten Network
- Eleven Sports
- ESPN, ESPN 2
- ESPN College Extra 1–8
- ESPNU
- ESPNews
- Fox Deportes
- FS1, FS2
- Golf Channel
- MAV TV
- MLB Network
- MLB Strike Zone
- MSG, MSG 2
- MSG Plus, MSG Plus 2
- NBA TV
- NBC Sports Network
- NFL Network
- NFL RedZone
- NHL Network
- Olympic Channel
- SEC Network
- SportsNet New York
- TUDN
- TVG
- YES, YES 2
Xfinity TV vs. Verizon Fios TV DVR
When it comes to the DVR, both Xfinity TV and Verizon Fios TV have their ups and downs.
Both of Xfinity's plans come with a 20-hour DVR storage for no extra cost. Although that might not sufficient for most families, you'll have to upgrade to Fios' $85/month plan to get free DVR service.
But we can't forget that Xfinity has more fees than Fios that could potentially make up for the pricing differences.
With Fios, the higher the plan you order, the less you have to pay on DVR fees:
- Your Fios TV: $10 for 50 HD hours, $20 for 100, $30 for 200
- More Fios TV: 50 hours included, $8 for 100, $18 for 200
- The Most Fios TV: 100 hours included, $10 for 200
Xfinity's DVR fees are a little more straightforward.
Both of its plans include a 20-hour DVR storage. If you agree that this is ridiculously small because you want to record more than three movies and 10 TV episodes, you can upgrade to 150 hours for $10 per month of 300 hours for $20.
Data effective 1/13/2022.
Recap: Verizon Fios TV is the winner
- Pricing: Let’s hypothetically say you want the most channels possible. If you were to get Verizon Fios’ Most Fios TV plan and two set-top boxes with DVR service, you’d expect about a $125 monthly bill. If you get Xfinity’s 1-year contract Ultimate TV plan, two set-top boxes with DVR service, and the rest of the fees, you’ll need to budget for $130 per month for the first year and $148 for the second and onward. Over two years, you’ll save $336 with Verizon Fios, and it’s worth it if you want a complete channel lineup with 425 channels instead of 185.
- Contracts: Xfinity requires a 1-year commitment, whereas Verizon Fios doesn’t have contracts whatsoever. But if Xfinity TV is in your area, a 1-year contract with a reliable cable company isn't so bad.
- Fees: Verizon requires you to order their Fios router to use the TV service and the DVR can get pricey if you order the entry-level package. Xfinity charges astronomical broadcast and regional sports fees. In the end, Verizon’s fees are about $10 less per month than Xfinity.
- Channels: Verizon Fios, hands down. Fios’ channel lineup is the main reason Fios is better than Xfinity. Verizon Fios not only offers a total of 425 channels, but every package has the popular channels most people want. You can’t go wrong with Fios’ entry-level package, Your Fios TV, and you'll only get up to 185 channels with Xfinity. But you get what you pay for.
If you’re still unsure of either of these providers, check out our more in-depth reviews on Xfinity TV and Verizon Fios TV.
If neither sounds like the right service for you, check out our Best TV Service Providers of 2022.
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