Cutting the Cord in 2026: Complete Guide to Ditching Cable TV
A complete guide to cutting the cord in 2026. Learn how to replace cable TV with streaming, save money, and never miss your favorite shows or sports.
Why Cut the Cord in 2026?
The average cable TV bill is $120-180/month when you include equipment fees, broadcast fees, regional sports fees, and all the other charges that don’t appear in the advertised price. Meanwhile, a well-chosen combination of streaming services costs $30-100/month — with better on-demand content and more flexibility.
37% of U.S. households have already cut the cord. Here’s how to join them without missing anything you care about.
Step 1: Get the Right Internet Plan
Before cutting cable TV, make sure your internet can handle streaming. You need:
| Streaming Needs | Minimum Speed |
|---|---|
| 1 TV streaming HD | 25 Mbps |
| 2 TVs + browsing | 100 Mbps |
| 3-4 TVs + gaming | 200-300 Mbps |
| 4K streaming on multiple devices | 300+ Mbps |
Critical: Choose a plan with no data cap. Streaming uses 3-7 GB per hour. A household streaming 4 hours/day across 2 TVs uses ~500-800 GB/month. Data caps will wreck your budget.
Recommended Internet Plans for Cord-Cutters
| Provider | Speed | Price | Data Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontier Fiber | 500/500 Mbps | $49.99/mo | None |
| Spectrum | 300 Mbps | $49.99/mo | None |
| Verizon 5G Home | 100–1000 Mbps | $50/mo | None |
| T-Mobile 5G Home | 72-245 Mbps | $50/mo | None |
| AT&T Fiber | 300/300 Mbps | $55/mo | None |
Step 2: Choose Your Streaming Services
For Live TV (Cable Replacement)
If you watch live TV, news, and sports, you need one of these:
| Service | Price | Channels | DVR | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube TV | $72.99/mo | 100+ | Unlimited | Best overall, sports fans |
| Hulu + Live TV | $76.99/mo | 90+ | Unlimited | Hulu originals + live TV |
| Sling TV Orange/Blue | $40-55/mo | 30-50 | 50 hours | Budget live TV |
| Fubo | $79.99/mo | 180+ | 1000 hours | Sports fanatics |
| DirecTV Stream | $79.99/mo | 75+ | Unlimited | Regional sports |
Our pick: YouTube TV offers the best balance of channel lineup, DVR, and reliability. It includes most major networks, sports channels, and local affiliates.
For On-Demand Shows & Movies
| Service | Price | Best Content |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix Standard | $15.49/mo | Widest variety, originals |
| Disney+ | $13.99/mo | Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, family |
| HBO Max | $15.99/mo | HBO series, movies, documentaries |
| Amazon Prime Video | $8.99/mo | Originals + rental library |
| Apple TV+ | $9.99/mo | Original series (small but high quality) |
| Peacock Premium | $7.99/mo | NBC shows, Universal movies |
| Hulu | $7.99/mo | Current TV season episodes, originals |
Our Recommended Bundles
Budget Cord-Cutter ($16/mo saved content):
- Hulu (with ads): $7.99/mo
- Tubi: Free
- Pluto TV: Free
- Total: $7.99/mo
Standard Cord-Cutter ($100/mo total with internet):
- Internet (300 Mbps): $49.99/mo
- YouTube TV: $72.99/mo
- Netflix (Standard with Ads): $6.99/mo
- Total: $129.97/mo (vs $200+ for cable TV + internet)
Premium Cord-Cutter ($160/mo total with internet):
- Internet (500 Mbps): $49.99/mo
- YouTube TV: $72.99/mo
- Netflix Premium: $22.99/mo
- Disney+ Bundle: $19.99/mo
- Total: $165.96/mo (with 4K everything + massive library)
Step 3: Get a Streaming Device
If your TV isn’t a smart TV (or the built-in apps are slow), grab a streaming device:
| Device | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K | $35 | Budget pick, Alexa integration |
| Roku Streaming Stick 4K | $40 | Easiest to use, all apps |
| Apple TV 4K | $129 | iPhone/Mac users, best quality |
| Chromecast with Google TV | $30 | Google ecosystem, budget |
One device per TV is all you need. Most cost $30-50 and last 3-5 years.
Step 4: Handle Sports
Sports are the #1 reason people hesitate to cut the cord. Here’s how to watch everything:
NFL
- YouTube TV or Hulu Live: Sunday games (CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN)
- Amazon Prime Video: Thursday Night Football
- NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube: Out-of-market games ($349/season)
- Free over-the-air antenna: Local games on CBS and Fox
NBA, MLB, NHL
- YouTube TV or Fubo: Regional sports networks (check availability)
- League Pass options: NBA League Pass, MLB.TV, NHL Power Play
- ESPN+: $10.99/mo for supplementary coverage
College Sports
- YouTube TV: ESPN networks, Fox Sports, CBS Sports
- ESPN+: Additional college games
Local Games
A digital antenna ($20-40) gives you free HD broadcast of local channels (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS). This covers most local sports broadcasts and is completely free after the antenna purchase.
Step 5: Contact Support and Cancel Cable TV
When you contact support to cancel TV service:
- Say: “I’d like to keep my internet service but cancel my TV package.”
- They will offer deals — retention reps will try to keep you. Stay firm unless the deal is genuinely exceptional.
- Return equipment — Cable boxes, DVRs, and remotes need to be returned within 14-30 days to avoid fees.
- Confirm new billing — Verify your internet-only rate in writing or on your next statement.
Note: Sometimes canceling the TV portion of a bundle causes the internet rate to increase. Ask about this before canceling and compare the total cost.
Common Cord-Cutting Concerns
”I’ll miss live TV”
YouTube TV, Hulu Live, and similar services provide the same live channels — same content, just delivered via internet instead of cable box.
”What about DVR?”
YouTube TV includes unlimited DVR. Hulu Live includes unlimited DVR. Most streaming services auto-record shows and make them available on-demand.
”My parents/grandparents won’t figure it out”
Modern streaming devices (Roku, Fire Stick) are genuinely simple. The interface is often easier than scrolling through 500 cable channels. Set it up for them and most seniors adapt within a week.
”What about internet outages?”
Fair point. If your internet goes down, you lose TV too. A cellular hotspot as backup ($0 extra if you have a phone with data) can keep a single stream going during outages.
The Math: Cable TV vs Streaming
| Cable TV Bundle | Cord-Cut Setup | |
|---|---|---|
| Internet | Included ($0 shown) | $49.99/mo |
| TV Service | $80/mo advertised | YouTube TV: $72.99 |
| Equipment fees | $25-45/mo | $0 (Roku: $40 one-time) |
| Broadcast fee | $21/mo | $0 |
| Regional sports fee | $15/mo | $0 |
| Real monthly total | $190-230/mo | $122.98/mo |
| Annual cost | $2,280-2,760 | $1,476 |
| Annual savings | $800-1,284/yr |
Get Started: Find Internet-Only Plans
The first step is getting a solid internet-only plan. Use our availability checker to compare internet-only pricing at your address, or browse providers in your area to find the best foundation for your cord-cutting setup.
Related guides: Cable TV Alternatives · Best Internet for Streaming · Best Internet Bundles
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