Sparklight
available in 
- TV streaming service you can access anywhere
- No required contracts
◊ Provider star ratings are based on user reviews and our independent customer satisfaction survey.
Data as of 2/6/2025. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.Best Sparklight TV packages
Feb 13, 2025 | Share
Sparklight offers two TV packages—one that gives you local channels and basic cable for $54 per month and one that gives you 100+ channels for $140 per month.
In most markets, the signal is streamed over your internet service rather than delivered directly over a coaxial cable, so you don’t need to worry about special cable boxes or remotes. However, you will need a smart TV or streaming device (you can rent one from Sparklight if you like), and you’ll have to pay an extra $10.95 per month for a cable modem if you don’t use Sparklight’s internet service.
Our top picks for Sparklight TV
Cheapest TV service
Economy Sparklight TV Plus
Price: $54.00/mo.*
Channels: 20+
Summary: Get local broadcast and basic channel programming for one low price.
Best channel selection
Standard Sparklight TV Plus
Price: $140.00/mo.*
Channels: 100+
Summary: Get every standard channel under the sun, no-holds-barred.
See disclaimer.
Whether you go for Sparklight’s Economy or Standard TV package, you’ll need decent internet service. Lucky for you, all its internet plans are fast enough to support streaming on multiple screens at a time.
Internet prices start as low as $29 per month for the first six months but can jump quite a bit once introductory promotional pricing ends. Your exact plans and prices depend on where you live. Learn more in our expert Sparklight internet review.
To get the best possible pricing, you’ll need to call Sparklight. There’s no way to order TV service (or any bundled services) online.
How good is Sparklight TV service?
Sparklight TV service is hard to recommend because you don’t get a lot of channels for the price, and most customers won’t get a familiar cable TV experience with a set-top box and remote with big, numbered buttons.
In markets where Sparklight offers TV streaming, you’ll need your own streaming device or smart TV, but you can watch from just about anywhere. In the few markets where traditional cable is still offered, you’ll need the traditional streaming box.
Streaming over the internet puts Sparklight TV in league with other live TV streaming services such as Sling, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV Stream, and Fubo. Often, you can pay less and get more with these services than you would with Sparklight TV.
All that said, I can confidently recommend Sparklight TV’s economy plan if you care about local broadcast channels, really like your Sparklight internet service, and want to minimize your monthly bills.
Pros
- No Sparklight TV box required
- 200 hours of cloud DVR
- Compatible with streaming devices
Cons
- Expensive add-ons
- Low channel count
- Fees on top of high prices
Sparklight TV deals
Sparklight doesn’t regularly offer deals on TV service, but you can save $10.95 on a modem rental every month if you bundle with Sparklight internet service.
In other words, you’ll get charged $10.95 per month if you don’t bundle with internet service. And most customers will still need a fast internet connection to use the service.
Sparklight TV packages
Sparklight offers two TV service plans. The cheapest is Economy Sparklight TV Plus, which gives you local channels and some cable standbys. The other is Standard Sparklight TV Plus, which quintuples the channel count but costs a lot more.
Both plans come with 200 hours of cloud DVR that you can access through the Sparklight app. You can download that app on your smartphone or laptop or on various streaming devices, such as an Apple TV, Fire TV Stick, NVIDIA SHIELD, or Google Chromecast. You can also rent a streaming box from Sparklight if you prefer.
Channel lineup varies based on where you live, but you can check the listing for your area by entering your zip code into the Sparklight channel lineup tool.
Sparklight TV package tiers
| Plan | Starting Price | Channel Lineup |
|---|---|---|
| Economy Sparklight TV Plus | $54.00/mo.* | 20+ |
| Standard Sparklight TV Plus | $140.00/mo.* | 100+ |
Data as of 2/11/2025. Availability and speed may vary by location, and prices are subject to change. See disclaimers.
Sparklight TV in Spanish
Sparklight offers a Hispanic add-on for a few dollars per month. The rate varies based on where you live.
A typical package includes the following (but may vary by region):
- CNN en Español
- ESPN Deportes
- Fox Deportes
- (NBC) UNIVERSO
- Tele N
- Disney XD (SAP)
- Boomerang (SAP)
- Cine Mexicano
- Juarez de Canal 44
Other Sparklight TV add-ons
You can get premium channels from Sparklight TV, but they’re expensive. Most folks would be better off buying streaming services separately. Below are standard prices, but yours may be a little different based on where you live:
- Max: $19.00/mo.
- HBO Standalone: $19.00/mo.
- CINEMAX®: $19.00/mo.
- STARZ®/Encore: $19.00/mo.
- SHOWTIME®/TMC: $10.99/mo.
- Add SHOWTIME/TMC to another service: $10.99/mo.
- Any 2 Premium: $32.00/mo.
- Any 3 Premium: $42.00/mo.
- Hispanic Tier: $6.00/mo.
- Digital Value Pack: $16.00/mo.
Sparklight TV tech
The majority of Sparklight TV customers don’t need their set-top boxes, so I recommend using your own smart TV or streaming device. The following types are supported:
- Amazon Fire TV Stick
- NVIDIA SHIELD
- Android phone/tablet
- Apple TV
- Apple iPhone/iPad
- Sony and Sharp TVs with Amazon Fire TV built-in
- PC or Mac, using Chrome, Edge/IE, Firefox, or Safari
The Sparklight TV app is available on the App Store, the Google Play store, and the Amazon Appstore.
Picture quality
Your picture quality with Sparklight TV depends on your cable or internet connection, your streaming device, and the quality offered by channel owners.
But there’s good news! All Sparklight internet plans are fast enough to stream on a few devices at a time, so you won’t need to worry about long buffering waits or poor picture quality due to bandwidth limitations.
It’s also good to know that you’ll get the best available picture quality based on what the channel offers. It’s hard to find info about this online, but I reached out to Sparklight’s VP of Communication Strategy Trish Niemann and she told me the following:
“When 4K programming has been made available to us, we are able to deliver this to our customers through the Sparklight TV app. For example, NBCU offered a 4K feed of the USA Network and the associated hub channels for the 2024 Olympics and these 4K signals were made available to Sparklight TV customers.”
Of course, you’ll need a 4K-compatible screen and streaming device to get any true 4K content.
DVR
Both Sparklight TV plans come with up to 200 hours of cloud DVR storage. That means that rather than saving shows and games on your local device, you save them in the Sparklight app.
You’ll use the same app login on every device, so you can access your saved stuff from anywhere you have an internet connection. That includes your mobile phones, even if you only have a cellular connection.
If you ask me, DVR-from-anywhere is a nice upgrade.
Unfortunately, there’s no way to get more than 200 hours of cloud DVR. Competing streaming providers offer unlimited DVR for a certain amount of time or let you pay extra for more storage.
Remotes and cable boxes
Sparklight sends out cable boxes and remotes to a few customers, but most will be happier with their own streaming devices or smart TVs (and the remotes they come with). You might miss the big, friendly buttons, but it’s not all bad.
Most streaming devices let you use your smartphone as a remote, so your days of replacing AAA batteries and reaching between the couch cushions for the clicker are in the past.
There are cost savings to think about too. You might not need an extra device if you have a smart TV. But if you do, you can get a decent one for around $30.
Sparklight TV fees
No doubt about it: High costs and extra fees are the worst things about Sparklight TV. In addition to your monthly subscription cost, you’ll pay the following mandatory fees:
Sports Surcharge: $9.20/mo.
Administrative recovery fee: $5.62/mo.
Broadcast TV Fee: $14.44–$30.54/mo. (varies by area)
Franchise fees: Varies
Sparklight TV installation
Sparklight TV installation isn’t separate from internet installation since the TV service runs over the internet. However, you may see a $30 activation fee. If you decide to get Sparklight TV without Sparklight internet, you’ll also be charged a $10.95 TV modem fee.
There’s no way to order online—you have to call in. We highly recommend asking your rep if they can waive the activation fee.
Our verdict
Sparklight TV isn’t an excellent buy. The cheapest offering rings in at $54 per month (before fees), and you get only 20 channels. Plus, you must buy your own streaming device or pay extra to rent one. The more expensive plan comes with over 100 channels, and you’ll pay even more if you want premium add-ons.
Most people will be happier turning to streaming services like Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, or Sling. You’ll get more content for the price, better customization, and better tech. You also won’t have to pay pesky broadcast and sports fees like with Sparklight TV.
Sparklight TV FAQ
How much is Sparklight TV per month?
Does Sparklight still offer cable TV?
Disclaimers
Sparklight TV packages
*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.
