My Optimum TV Review (2026): Why I’ve Hung In With Optimum for Over a Decade

Optimum TV requires internet bundling to purchase, but its packages range from budget-friendly to pricier options for sports and premium channel enthusiasts.

Optimum TV

4.7

Price: starts at $30/mo.
All packages include local channels and popular favorites
No annual contract required
The sports-focused Everything TV package includes live events and 200+ channels
Price increases are common and unpredictable
TV packages must be bundled with internet
Package availability varies from location to location

View Packages

By Corey Whelan

Feb 24, 2026

4 min read

Edited ByBrenna Elieson

I’ve had Optimum TV for so long, my first package included a landline. Despite occasional frustrations over the years, I’ve watched Optimum improve, particularly in the area of customer service. Originally an East Coast provider, Optimum is now available in 21 states, though packages vary by location, so you may not get the same deal your out-of-town bestie has.

All in all, Optimum TV offers good value to people who love old movies, local news, and sports. While outages are less common than they used to be, they aren’t unheard of. My biggest pet peeve is cost creep. Every now and then, without warning, my monthly bill jacks up a bit. Since Optimum requires internet bundling, I don’t always notice which service has increased.

Even so, I’ve stuck with Optimum. Read on to find out why I’ve been faithful all these years.

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TV screen showing the Optimum TV channel guide.

Optimum TV’s guide page lets you see what’s on in real time, so you can skip the scroll and get right to the show you’re looking for. Image by Corey Whelan

Our breakdown of this Optimum TV review

Our review of Optimum TV is based on three main criteria. We give a score for each, and then average them to give you an overall rating.

Plans and prices ↓
Reliability and experience ↓
Channel selection ↓
Overall quality ↓

Optimum TV plans and prices

5/5

Package	Price	No. of channels
Entertainment TV*	$30/mo.	75+
Basic TV	$53/mo.	50
Economy TV	$108/mo.	75+
Extra TV	$130/mo.	150+
Core TV	$150/mo.	125+
Value TV	$155/mo.	125+
Everything TV	$170/mo.	200+
Select TV	$170/mo.	200+
Premiere TV	$190/mo.	250+

* Optimum Stream device required

** Prices are rate card prices and do not reflect bundle discounts.

Compare All Optimum TV Packages

Optimum’s TV packages run the gamut from downright cheap to pricey. Its lowest-priced option is Entertainment TV, which is only available with Optimum Stream. Most options are “middle of the road” in cost, but offer a pretty good bang for the buck in channel variety. I have the Value TV package, and like most of Optimum’s packages, Value TV features hyper-local news, network shows, and enough old-school content to keep me entertained on a rainy night.

If you’re a sports enthusiast who wants tons of movie and cable channels in addition to live sports, the Everything TV package is a good value. And you can pay to add NFL Red Zone to your lineup. While pricey, the Premiere TV package is Optimum’s most expensive and comprehensive option, including premium networks like Paramount+, Showtime, Starz, and HBO Max. It also includes on-demand access to premium channel libraries.

Optimum TV deals

Free HBO Max for 12 months

Available with 1 Gig Fiber plan

Five-year price lock

Available with all Optimum internet plans

Three months of free internet

Available with 1 Gig Fiber plan, paid via Visa Prepaid Cards

Optimum TV reliability and experience

4/5

Optimum’s service is pretty reliable, especially compared to years ago, when outages happened almost monthly. When service issues do occur, they tend to affect large swaths of the neighborhood where I live. I’ve noticed that while it works 90% of the time, heavy rain or snow seems to be the most common cause for pixelation or a complete loss of sound and picture. I’ve found that service calls can be scheduled for next-day service, with relatively fast results.

While Optimum’s telephone tech support agents are friendly and always willing (or hoping) to help, there’s significant variation in their knowledge base. I’ve also had telephone technicians promise cost relief for missed days of service, without those promises materializing on my bill. On the other hand, the on-site support technicians are uniformly well-versed in the hardware and are usually able to help.

Optimum TV features

Multiple individual accounts	✔
Unlimited DVR space	𐄂
Simultaneous streams	✔
Extra Spanish networks	✔
Stream across devices	✔

Optimum TV channel selection

5/5

Optimum’s packages offer a solid selection of channels, including children’s programming, music stations, international channels, and sports. I like to watch old sitcoms and national news more than anything else. Thankfully, Optimum offers a good selection of 24/7 news channels, as well as access to hyper-local and network stations. There’s also a wide range of throwback TV channels to flip through. With the mid-tier plans, you’ll also find essentials like ESPN, MS Now (formerly MSNBC), CNN, HGTV, and Bravo.

More than 150 channels are available in HD, including movie, sports, and news channels.

Optimum has a dedicated 4K ultra-HD channel that broadcasts a comprehensive variety of live sports and events. If you have a 4K-enabled TV, you’re pretty much set year-round for everything from college basketball to the Westminster Dog Show.

Overall quality

4.7/5

As a longtime customer, I recommend Optimum TV to anyone moving into my neighborhood. Its prices are competitive, and service is relatively consistent. Most of Optimum’s packages include access to major local and cable stations, but there are significant differences in variety as you go up in price. With the viewing needs of your household in mind, take a look at the plans they have to offer.

How we came up with our rating

To come up with this Optimum TV review rating, I leaned heavily on my own years-long experience with Optimum TV. I also spoke to neighbors who use the service, to see if their experience mirrored my own (it did).

I reviewed and compared Optimum’s current channel selection and packages.
I contrasted Optimum’s TV package costs to those of comparable providers.
I took picture and sound quality into consideration, including HD/4K clarity, plus streaming capabilities.
I outlined my own customer experience, including technical support, outage frequency, and billing issues.

For more information on how we test, check out our methodology.

Optimum TV FAQ

Optimum Stream is an Android TV-based streaming service that plugs directly into your television’s HDMI port. You can use Optimum Stream to watch live TV, cloud DVR, and third-party streaming services. It’s a low-cost way to access Optimum TV channels, plus some of your favorite apps at no additional cost.

No, Optimum does not offer a discount to customers based on age. Since internet bundling is required for Optimum TV, seniors can, however, check out the Optimum Advantage Internet Program, which provides discounted internet to eligible seniors, veterans, and families.

As a promotion, new customers can get HBO Max for free for 12 months when they purchase 1 Gig internet or a TV/internet bundle.

Written by

Corey Whelan

Corey Whelan is a Brooklyn-based freelance writer with 10+ years of experience covering science, health, and consumer tech. She utilizes hands-on testing and data analysis to inform her work. Whelan shares her life with her two wonderful children, a silly little rescue dog, and an amazing extended family of arms-entwined cousins.