The argument about how cable TV is cheaper than cord cutting so we decided to do some digging into the true cost of Spectrum TV when it comes to the fees.
One of the most annoying things about cable TV is the advertised price is nowhere near the price you will really pay. So let us take a look at the real costs of the Spectrum that you will pay on top of the $59.99 a month for their Select package or $71.99 a month for the TV Select and Entertainment package.
Thanks to some readers who sent us copies of their 2023 Spectrum TV bills, plus we used CableTV.com breakdown of their fees to take a look at what customers will really be paying for cable TV once you add in all of the fees.
In total, when we break down the fees like the Broadcast TV fee, DVR service fees (yes, there is more than one DVR fee now), and the cost of the boxes needed for each TV, it adds up to $74.16 a month in fees.
In this case, these fees add up to more than the cost of the TV plans, more than doubling the advertised rates for cable TV.
Here is how those fees come to be:
- $22.20 for Broadcast TV Channels (ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, to name a few.)
- $12.00 for DVR Service
- $9.99 Cloud DVR Plus Record Up to 100 Shows
- $9.99 x3 For Each Spectrum Receiver (You need a Spectrum Receiver for each TV you want to watch TV on.)
Total: $74.16 a month in fees.
*Plus a one-time installation fee that is $24.99 for self-installation and activation or $59.99 for professional installation. There is also a $8.95 late payment fee and a $4.99 reconnection fee.
These fees can add up to $889.92 a year!
This practice of using fees to advertise low-cost TV plans but costing more when you get the bill is not new. The long used * for fees, taxes, etc, has now become standard practice for many industries, including cable TV.
What we are seeing is more fees being crammed onto Spectrum TV bills. Some of the new ones include a Cloud DVR fee if you want to watch your DVR on the go. Also, the Broadcast TV fee for locals has gone up again. In many areas, it is still $21 a month, but we have Spectrum bills from customers showing in some areas, it is now $22.20 a month.
Even if you would go down to just two TVs needing a receiver on top of the DVR in the living room, that still makes the fees listed above more expensive than the Select package.
With pricing like this, you can understand why cable TV subscribers are becoming cord cutters at record numbers.