CableTV.com has released its annual customer satisfaction awards. Spectrum secures bragging rights in multiple categories.
DRAPER, UT, UNITED STATES, January 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — CableTV.com today released results from its 2026 TV Customer Satisfaction Awards, naming Spectrum TV Stream the top-rated provider for highest overall satisfaction and best bang for the buck among major cable and satellite-style options included in the study. The annual survey asked U.S. television customers to rate providers across satisfaction, pricing, reliability, loyalty, and feature experience. Spectrum TV Stream led the field with a 78% overall satisfaction rating and earned top marks across 12 of 20 questions, reflecting strong performance in both perceived value and day-to-day service experience. CableTV.com published the findings in a detailed report designed to help households compare TV services as streaming and traditional delivery models continue to converge in pricing and features for the coming year.
In the 2026 survey, CableTV.com collected responses from 4,977 TV customers nationwide, asking each participant to evaluate a current provider on overall satisfaction, price perception, and key aspects of service delivery. Results were analyzed by CableTV.com data experts using prevailing industry standards, and providers were included only when a 125 respondents was met. The awards reflect customer-reported ratings rather than promotional claims, offering a snapshot of how households experience channel access, billing, support interactions, and technical dependability. The approach allows year-over-year comparisons while also tracking newer products that blend traditional provider brands with streaming-based delivery. This year’s report also separated Spectrum cable TV from Spectrum TV Stream, enabling measurement of satisfaction for each product line within the Spectrum brand family.
Within the highest overall satisfaction category, Spectrum TV Stream finished first with 78% of respondents reporting they were completely satisfied or very satisfied. Verizon Fios followed at 77%, and Xfinity placed next at 76%, highlighting a tightly contested top tier. CableTV.com attributed Spectrum TV Stream’s debut win in part to the advantages customers associate with live TV streaming experiences, while noting that traditional cable customers also showed improved satisfaction compared with prior years. The overall satisfaction metric incorporates broad service impressions, including whether issues are resolved effectively and whether the service meets expectations. Spectrum TV Stream’s lead, even by a narrow margin, established the product as the survey’s highest-rated option for overall customer sentiment. In the table, other providers trailed at 74% or lower.
Spectrum TV Stream also earned the Customer Satisfaction Award for Best Bang for Your Buck. On the value question that asked respondents to rate the price paid given service quality, 72% rated Spectrum TV Stream as excellent or good, ahead of Verizon Fios at 70% and Xfinity at 69%. CableTV.com reported that Spectrum TV Stream was the only provider in that comparison without a price increase during 2025, and that the service dropped by $5 to $40 per month. The combination of a lower monthly rate and a streaming delivery model helped position Spectrum TV Stream as a standout for value, even as consumers reported broader frustration with TV bill complexity and recurring increases. In years past, few providers reached the 70% level on value.
Additional pricing measures reinforced Spectrum TV Stream’s top value showing. When respondents rated the price paid against initial expectations, 74% selected excellent or good for Spectrum TV Stream, compared with 71% for Cox and 71% for Verizon Fios. In a separate question that asked participants to compare the price paid with competitors’ prices, Spectrum TV Stream again led at 75%, topping Verizon Fios at 69% and Cox at 68%. CableTV.com noted that the $40 monthly price point is paired with 85 or more channels, while Verizon Fios plans cited in the report ranged from $95.00 to $139.99 per month. The survey results suggest that customers weigh both price and perceived channel quality when evaluating value. That tradeoff is central to how households build TV bundles.
Although Spectrum TV Stream did not lead every feature category, the service rated near the top in measures tied to channel satisfaction. In the survey question on overall channel offering, 75% of Spectrum TV Stream customers reported being completely satisfied or very satisfied, one percentage point behind Verizon Fios at 76% and ahead of Xfinity at 74%. CableTV.com described the gap as evidence that some viewers prefer a trimmed-down lineup that emphasizes channel quality over sheer channel count. The report highlighted that Verizon’s highest plan lists 425 or more channels, while Spectrum TV Stream lists 85 or more channels. Customer satisfaction for channel offerings remained clustered. The results indicate that a smaller lineup can align with expectations when channels are delivered reliably for households.
Reliability was another category where Spectrum TV Stream placed among the strongest performers. On the question that asked whether customers were satisfied with provider reliability, Spectrum TV Stream recorded 73% approval, trailing Verizon Fios at 76% and ahead of Cox and DIRECTV at 69%. CableTV.com noted that reliability matters for live programming, where unexpected outages can disrupt events and viewing. While the report explained that fiber optic delivery is often viewed as the most dependable form of TV service, Spectrum TV Stream’s second-place result showed that customers also associate streaming-based delivery with consistent performance when supported by adequate home internet speeds. In practical terms, the reliability score suggests fewer perceived interruptions and fewer service problems relative to lower-ranked providers in the survey.
Customer loyalty metrics also placed Spectrum TV Stream near the top of the field. In the question measuring likelihood to continue subscribing to a TV provider for cable service, 73% of Spectrum TV Stream respondents indicated they were completely likely or very likely to stay, second only to Verizon Fios at 77% and ahead of DIRECTV and Xfinity at 72%. CableTV.com framed the results as a contrast between brand tenure and newer streaming products, noting that long-running providers can retain an advantage in loyalty even when satisfaction is closely contested. Even so, Spectrum TV Stream’s second-place finish indicated strong intent to renew among current customers, a signal that perceived value and service experience can translate into ongoing subscription commitment across multiple billing cycles.
Beyond the two award wins, CableTV.com reported several additional metrics where Spectrum TV Stream scored strongly. In the highlights section of the report, Spectrum TV Stream registered 80% for customer experience and 86% for being easy to work with, indicating favorable interactions with the provider and support processes. The same highlights listed 72% for pricing and 80% for expectations met, suggesting that many customers felt the service delivered what was promised at a cost that aligned with perceived quality. Spectrum TV Stream also recorded 74% for willingness to recommend the service, a measure that often correlates with both satisfaction and future growth through word of mouth referrals. Together, these indicators reinforced the overall satisfaction result and helped explain why the product led the survey overall.
The survey’s expectations measure offered further context for Spectrum TV Stream’s performance. When asked to what extent a provider met expectations as a cable service, 80% of Spectrum TV Stream respondents selected completely or very much, surpassing Verizon Fios at 77% and Xfinity at 75%. CableTV.com connected that result to a year when some providers experienced price increases, while Spectrum TV Stream did not, and it emphasized that the service’s smaller lineup could still satisfy core viewing needs. The report described customer expectations around reliable service, a solid channel lineup, and predictable pricing. Spectrum TV Stream’s lead in the expectations category indicated that customers judged the service against those baseline needs and felt that the product delivered an acceptable balance of channels, performance, and cost.
Across the broader report, CableTV.com emphasized that customer satisfaction results are unfolding amid shifting economics for streaming and traditional television. The analysis observed that streaming services have been rising in cost and cited an estimate that Americans spend $69 per month on streaming subscriptions. At the same time, cable and satellite providers continue to adjust pricing and manage disputes over programming and carriage. Against that backdrop, the survey suggested that households are willing to consider hybrid offerings that deliver live channels through streaming technology while maintaining a provider brand. Spectrum TV Stream’s top rankings for overall satisfaction and value supported that narrative, showing that a lower-priced, established brand streaming product can resonate with customers sensitive to price, channel availability, and service stability in 2026.
CableTV.com noted that the 2026 study is the first year that Spectrum cable TV and Spectrum TV Stream were separated in the survey results. That distinction is important for interpreting the awards: Spectrum TV Stream captured the top overall satisfaction rating at 78%, while Spectrum cable TV posted 69% in the same satisfaction table. In several additional tables, Spectrum cable TV also appeared with ratings that differed from the streaming product, underscoring that customer experience can vary by delivery method, pricing structures, and feature packages. In terms of Spectrum services, the report positions Spectrum TV Stream as the brand’s strongest performer in customer-reported satisfaction, and it identifies the streaming product as the entry that clearly topped the list in its first year of inclusion.
In discussing value, the CableTV.com report stressed that customer perceptions of bang for the buck are shaped by more than a base package rate. The analysis described pricing as including taxes, equipment rental fees, service and equipment activation charges, local channels, regional sports networks, and other costs that may be unanticipated. Those factors can influence whether a household views a plan as affordable after the first bill arrives. Spectrum TV Stream’s value scores reflect an assessment of what customers feel they receive for the total monthly outlay, not only headline rates. Value leaders can differ from providers with the largest channel counts, and this survey paired high value with high satisfaction. That pairing positioned Spectrum TV Stream as a leading option for value-minded viewers.
CableTV.com’s annual Customer Satisfaction Awards are part of a broader body of reporting that compares television and internet services using both editorial evaluation and real customer feedback. The organization publishes provider reviews and viewing guides intended to explain options such as traditional cable, satellite, fiber, and live TV streaming. In the satisfaction survey, however, the focus remains on customer-reported experience rather than feature checklists alone. By presenting category leaders for overall satisfaction and value, the report aims to clarify which products deliver a combination of price and experience that customers consider worthwhile. Spectrum TV Stream’s results illustrate how a provider-affiliated streaming product can compete with established services on both satisfaction and affordability, even as TV pricing models continue to evolve.
Consumers face choices that mix linear channels, on-demand libraries, and cloud DVR features, often delivered through apps. The 2026 CableTV.com survey evaluates services on day-to-day outcomes, including enjoyment of interactions, ease of working with the provider, and whether the service matches expectations. Spectrum TV Stream’s wins in overall satisfaction and value indicate that streaming delivery can satisfy households seeking live channels at a lower monthly price. The report’s margins among leading providers were narrow, showing that rankings can shift as customer experience changes. For providers, the findings emphasize that pricing clarity and consistent performance remain decisive, particularly when channel offerings and feature sets look similar to customers. For consumers, the results offer a data-based starting point for comparing TV options nationwide.
For Spectrum, the survey results provide third-party validation that the TV Stream product is resonating with customers who prioritize both satisfaction and cost. CableTV.com reported that Spectrum TV Stream topped the full provider list and earned top marks in 12 of 20 questions, indicating consistent strength across categories rather than a single isolated win. That breadth matters because satisfaction, value, reliability, and loyalty can diverge in consumer surveys when tradeoffs arise among price, channel variety, and support quality. Spectrum TV Stream’s pattern of high scores suggests that customers are finding a balance that fits current viewing habits, including live sports, news, and entertainment delivered through streaming technology. The pattern may influence household comparisons when bundles and add-ons are considered in future shopping decisions.
CableTV.com delivers the Customer Satisfaction Awards as part of an effort to help audiences make better TV and internet decisions through service comparisons, research, and explainers. According to the company’s 2025 media kit, CableTV.com reaches about 15 million annual site visitors and publishes more than 200 TV and internet service reviews. The same materials note more than 650 sports team viewing guides and more than 50 sports league viewing guides, reflecting demand for information on how to watch live events across platforms. Those editorial resources provide context for the survey by pairing customer feedback with provider coverage that spans traditional cable, satellite, fiber, and streaming options. The Customer Satisfaction Awards add consumer feedback to that coverage, complementing reporting on pricing, channels, and viewing experiences.
Methodology disclosures in the 2026 report state that CableTV.com has conducted Customer Satisfaction Award surveys for eight years and has covered cable TV since 2007. For the 2026 TV survey, the organization surveyed nearly 5,000 people across the United States to measure satisfaction with a current TV provider, and the published respondent count was 4,977. CableTV.com reported that the sample reflected broader U.S. demographics such as gender, race, and age, and that results were analyzed using prevailing industry standards. To limit margin of error, a 125-respondent floor requirement was applied when a provider was included in the analysis. The survey design supports comparison across providers while accounting for the differing technologies that deliver TV service, including cable, satellite, fiber, and streaming. Results published.
Members of the media seeking additional details about the survey, scoring, or category definitions can contact CableTV.com at pr@cabletv.com, as listed in the report’s methodology section. CableTV.com’s Customer Satisfaction Awards include multiple categories and providers each year, and the results described here focus on Spectrum TV Stream’s first-place finishes in highest overall satisfaction and best bang for the buck. The report also shows Spectrum TV Stream near the top in customer loyalty, reliability, and channel satisfaction, offering a broader view of how customers rate the service beyond the two award badges. As streaming and cable markets continue to overlap, the report provides a standardized set of metrics that can be referenced by journalists, researchers, and consumers evaluating provider performance and value online.
The full CableTV.com 2026 TV Customer Satisfaction Awards report, including category explanations and the complete provider tables, is available at https://www.cabletv.com/tv/best-tv-providers-in-customer-satisfaction. The report details how Spectrum TV Stream achieved 78% overall satisfaction to earn the Highest Overall Satisfaction award and how it led value measures that support the Best Bang for Your Buck designation. It also documents Spectrum TV Stream’s near top results for channel satisfaction at 75%, reliability at 73%, and customer loyalty at 73%. By consolidating these measures, the report offers a single reference point for understanding how customers rate TV providers at a time when delivery methods and pricing strategies are changing. CableTV.com will continue publishing Customer Satisfaction Awards annually to track these trends and to provide benchmarks for consumer decision-making.
Craig Stirland
CableTV.com
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