Best TV, Internet, and Phone Bundles 2023

Xfinity’s wide availability and large assortment of bundled internet speeds and TV channels make it our pick for the best bundles for most TV viewers, especially those who value channel selection and DVR storage.

Our TV expert, Chantel, called out Xfinity TV for its “excellent dollar-to-channel ratio” and the spacious storage of its X1 DVR. We also highlight Xfinity as the best value internet service provider thanks to its strong internet speed performance, wide availability, and competitive prices.

But before you make the splurge, double-check that Xfinity’s TV fees won’t cause you grief. And keep an eye on that internet data cap of 1.2 TB.

Xfinity is also kind of an odd duck in that its bundles change depending on where you live in the US. So if you live in the Northeast you’ll see different bundle prices, channel counts, and download speeds than someone who lives west of the Mississippi.

Let’s take a look at some of the more popular bundles in each Xfinity region.

Some of the Xfinity bundles available in the Northeast come with extra add-on perks. With Xfinity's Superfast and Gigabit Extra bundles, you can pick from the following bundle add-ons:

• $20.00/mo for 12 months (then $31.48/mo):
  • Netflix and MGM+ membership
  • 150 DVR hours
• $20.00/mo for 12 months (then $30.98/mo):
  • Max and MGM+ membership
  • 150 DVR hours
• $40.00/mo. for 12 months (then $58.47/mo.):
  • Netflix, Max, SHOWTIME, and MGM+ membership
  • 150 DVR hours

If you total the basic memberships of each streaming service, the total is $33.96: Netflix ($6.99), MGM+($5.99), Max ($9.99), and SHOWTIME ($10.99). And since the most expensive add-on is $6 more than the services a la carte, your decision lies in how important DVR storage is to you.

Of course, watch out for that price bump after your 12 months are up—no one likes a surprise on their internet bill.

As for the Central US, your bundles will have different names, but you'll pick and choose in the same way. Once you've chosen your internet, TV, and phone packages, you can select from Xfinity's channel packs or add channels a la carte.

Xfinity Bundles for the Western US also allow you to pick and choose each internet, TV, or phone plan. The Superfast Internet and Gigabit Extra Internet bundle offers the same channel count, so you'll just have to decide how much speed you need and how much you're willing to pay.

Most of the Xfinity Voice phone service plans come with unlimited nationwide calls. But there are a couple of unique treats if you live in the Central or Northeastern US:

• Central US: Xfinity Voice also includes unlimited calls to American Samoa, Canada, China, Guam, India, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and the US Virgin Islands.
• Northeastern US: Xfinity voice also includes unlimited calls to Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and South Korea.

If your Xfinity Voice plan doesn’t include unlimited calls to a country where you need to keep in contact with someone, check the international rates before you rack up a whopper of a phone bill. Or give Xfinity Mobile a look.

View Bundles | Read Xfinity Internet Review | Read Xfinity TV Review

DIRECTV isn’t the cheapest way to get all the channels, but it's great for those who don't have other TV options in their area. And AT&T’s DSL internet service now comes with a fiber-DSL hybrid option that boasts speeds up to 100 Mbps.

DIRECTV comes with coveted channels like Max and SHOWTIME®. And if those channels don’t tickle your fancy, never fear. Even the basic DIRECTV package, ENTERTAINMENT, comes with a variety of 65+ channels.

Our TV expert noted that DIRECTV channels have something for everyone: “for the family, for movie buffs, and for sports addicts.”

But what about AT&T Internet?

There are definitely better internet access options out there. DSL is an older technology and generally offers slower speeds than a cable or fiber internet connection.  Thankfully, AT&T’s DSL features some of the newest technology available, so its speeds can rival cable or fiber internet depending on where you live.

AT&T’s DIRECTV bundles all come with its Phone Unlimited home phone service. That service sports unlimited nationwide calls to numbers in the US, Canada, Mexico, and US territories. If you need to call someone in another country, check out AT&T’s international rates.

Though it’s not offered as a bundle deal, AT&T Wireless might be a better deal for you depending on your needs.

View Bundles | Read AT&T Internet Review | Read DIRECTV Review

Cox Communication recently changed the way you sign up for its internet, TV, home security, and phone service.

Now you can pretty much bundle whatever internet service with whatever TV package you want—and add phone service too, if that’s your jam.

We love this approach because it really gives you the power to choose the exact bundle you want. Here’s a quick look at a few of the Cox TV, internet, and phone combos you can build:

You can add Cox Voice Preferred to any internet and TV combo for an extra $20 a month. That gets you unlimited calls to the US, Canada, and Mexico, plus you can opt for a few other features, like keeping your old phone number or choosing how you want your info to show up in the phone book—or not.

• Your info available only through directory assistance (411): $3.50/mo. extra
• Non-published directory listing: $5.50/mo. extra

You can also add an international calling plan for an extra $2.99 a month. That gets you calls to more than 230 countries, but be sure to check those international rates too. (You'll need to scroll down and select the country you're calling.)

Frontier is but one of many ways you can bundle your internet service with YouTube TV. And we love that you can now bundle Frontier’s Fiber Internet with YouTube TV instead of only its DSL internet service.

Of course, you may live in an area where Frontier DSL is all you can get. If so, you’re at least not going to miss out on scrolling through hundreds of TV channels.

Here’s a quick look at how you can bundle YouTube TV with Frontier internet, and we’ll touch on some other ways to pair your internet service with YouTube TV in just a minute.

If Frontier DSL internet isn’t available in your part of the US, you’ve still got a couple more options for getting YouTube TV in your life.

Frontier offers its Frontier Home Phone service for $25 a month. With Frontier's Home Phone Line gets you unlimited nationwide and long-distant calling, plus calls to Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and US territories. You'll also have features like call waiting, caller ID, and voicemail.

View Bundles | Read Frontier Internet Review | Read YouTube TV Review

Verizon is another favorite of ours when it comes to bundling because it lets you mix and match all your plans however you like. That means you can pick your internet speed and channel lineup.

Actually, Verizon takes that channel lineup one step further if you get its Your Fios TV package. With Your Fios TV, you get a recommended channel list based on your five favorite channels. So long, TV channels we don’t care for. And hello binge-watching favorites.

Here’s a look at some of the ways you can bundle Verizon Fios TV and internet together.

You can also swap out one of your five favorite channels each billing cycle. So if you know your sports season is coming up, go ahead and tag ESPN in.

You can add Verizon home phone service to any TV plus internet combo for an extra $20 a month. That gets you unlimited calls to anywhere in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico. And Verizon also has international plans you might be able to upgrade to.

Don’t forget that Verizon is also home to one of the biggest wireless networks in the US. And you’ll save $10–$20 a month on your bundle bill if you have a Verizon Unlimited plan too.

View Bundles | Read Verizon Fios Home Internet Review | Read Verizon Fios TV Review

No bundle is a one-size-fits-all deal, and though we make a few recommendations here, there are some things you should consider when shopping for TV, internet, and phone service.

Obviously you want to stay within your budget, but if you’re comparing a couple of bundles (or maybe even providers), take a look at the internet speed and channels you get for that price.

There’s no sense in paying for channels you won’t watch or speed you don’t need. Similarly, you don’t want to pay a low price only to turn around and not have your favorite channel or run into frustratingly slow internet speeds.

As for phone service, most phone plans come with unlimited calling within the US. If you regularly call family members or friends in Canada or Mexico, make sure those calls are included in the plan or come at a low minute-by-minute cost.

Channel selection can be an exercise of give and take, but it’s still worth investigating whether your bundle includes the channels you just have to have. For us, that’s HGTV, Max, and ESPN. Everything else is optional.

Most providers have a channel guide on their websites. If you can’t match your bundle to the TV package, try matching channel counts or give your provider a call.

• Xfinity channel guide
• DIRECTV channel guide
• Cox channel guide
• DISH channel guide
• Verizon Fios channel guide

While some bundles don’t give you many options for internet, some let you pick between a wide variety of download speeds. In general, here’s what you should look for:

• 1–2 people: 40–100 Mbps
• 2–4 people: 75–300 Mbps
• 4+ people: 500+ Mbps

You should also estimate your internet speeds based on what your household does online:

• Working/studying from home with video calls: 100+ Mbps
• Using home security cameras: 100+ Mbps
• Streaming 4K video: 75+ Mbps
• Gaming: 40+ Mbps for most games

If you need more help figuring out your internet speed needs, our guide on how many Mbps is best should help.

• Comcast Xfinity: Best for most. Xfinity is available across most of the US and generally offers competitive prices for its bundles. It offers fast internet speeds, and the X1 DVR offers a lot of storage space.
• AT&T: Best DIRECTV bundles. AT&T is one of the best ways to pair internet access with all those glorious DIRECTV channels. Still, we wish you could bundle AT&T’s fiber internet with DIRECTV, but for now you’ve got a choice of AT&T DSL with speeds up to 100 Mbps.
• Cox: Best cable TV bundles. We love Cox’s mix-and-match approach that lets you create a fairly personalized internet, TV, and phone bundle. It also offers a couple of phone service options that we haven’t seen offered anywhere else just yet.
• Frontier: Best YouTube TV bundles. Frontier lets you pair its Fiber and DSL internet service with YouTube TV.
• Verizon Fios: Best fiber bundles. Verizon gets a gold star for allowing you to mix and match your internet, TV, and phone service however you want. We’re especially keen on Your Fios TV, which lets you pick your five favorite channels and builds out a custom channel list for you.

Still shopping for a triple play bundle that meets your needs? These other articles might help.

• Best Xfinity Bundles
• Best DIRECTV Internet Bundles
• Best Cox Bundles
• Best Cable TV and Internet Bundles
• Best DISH + Internet Bundles
• Best Verizon Bundles

When looking for providers that offer the best triple play bundles, we mainly focused on price and value.

1. How do the bundle prices compare to other providers?
2. Does the TV and internet provider offer a discount if you bundle?
3. Do you get a lot of internet speed for the price?
4. Do you get a large channel selection for the price?

We also paid special attention to Cox and Verizon Fios, which allow you to customize your bundle selection. This approach makes it more likely you’ll get a TV and internet combo that you’ll be satisfied with.

Still have questions about TV, internet, and phone bundles? Let’s find you some answers.