CenturyLink TV Review
Whether you love old movies, follow trending shows, or cheer on your favorite sports teams, CenturyLink TV may have a plan that’s just right for you. Through its partnerships with DISH and DIRECTV and streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, and DIRECTV STREAM, CenturyLink TV offers something for everyone. Plus, thanks to its partnerships, CenturyLink offers TV throughout the United States, although service availability may vary by region.
Does CenturyLink have a TV plan that meets your needs? We’ve done the research to help you decide.
- Who is CenturyLink TV for?
- Key considerations
- What others say about CenturyLink TV
- How does CenturyLink TV compare to other providers?
Who is CenturyLink TV for?
CenturyLink TV offers a wide range of pricing and package options, with its lower-cost packages being a good fit for individuals and small families. If you like NFL SUNDAY TICKET, hit movies, critically acclaimed original series, or shows on-demand, you can opt for a higher tier package.
Not sure what you need? CenturyLink has a recommendation tool to help you choose the TV service that best fits you. You simply pick your favorite channels, and the tool will suggest options based on your choices.
CenturyLink and DIRECTV
You can select from three plans: Entertainment All, Choice All, and ULTIMATE All. The least expensive Entertainment All at $64.99 per month for 160+ channels is a good fit for many households. The next tier, Choice All, starts at $69.99/month for 185+ channels, with the ULTIMATE All offering 250+ channels for $84.99. Movie buffs, sports fans, and people who have broad viewing interests may prefer the higher-tier packages.
CenturyLink and DISH
Every DISH package comes with local networks, Disney Channel, ESPN, HGTV, and Food Network, so everyone in your family will find something to watch. If you enjoy channels like Hallmark, DIY, Disney Junior, or the Sportsman channel, you’ll probably want to consider a higher-tier DISH plan.
CenturyLink and DISH plans start at $69.99/month for 190 channels over 24 months. You get access to 80k+ movies and shows on-demand, along with a voice remote with Google Assistant and a smart digital video recorder (DVR). The most expensive package has a base price of $104.99 for 290 channels.
CenturyLink and DIRECTV STREAM
With DIRECTV STREAM, you get HBO Max, Netflix, Prime Video, and more on Google Play, so it’s a good choice if you enjoy premium, on-demand content. You can stream on 20 devices at once in your home, including TVs, tablets, and smartphones. Packages include the $69.99 Entertainment plan, the $89.99 Choice plan, and the $104.99/month Ultimate plan.
Key considerations
What else do you need to know about CenturyLink TV?
Billing
In most cases, you’ll receive a bill directly from the TV service provider, not CenturyLink, but DIRECTV is an exception. CenturyLink has partnered with DIRECTV to bill the service on your CenturyLink bill so that you only need to make one payment.
Digital video recording (DVR)
CenturyLink TV offers a free cloud DVR to record multiple shows at once, with up to 50 hours of Cloud storage. That way, you can watch programming whenever you want, without paying any extra fees. DISH offers a Hopper Duo Smart DVR for 1 TV with up to 125 HD hours of storage, and DIRECTV offers one Genie HD DVR with up to 200 HD hours of storage.
Installation
Depending on the package you choose, you may need to pay installation fees to one of CenturyLink TV’s partners. For DISH, the standard installation fee is $199, but the company does offer special free installation promotions on occasion. DIRECTV packages come with professional installation at no extra cost.
While DIRECTV STREAM doesn’t have an installation fee, it does have a $19.95 activation fee. Plus, if you want a DIRECTV STREAM device, DIRECTV STREAM will charge you $5/month for 24 months or a one-time charge of $120. You can avoid this equipment fee by using a compatible device, like Amazon Fire TV and Roku, or a web browser, like Chrome or Safari.
Regional sports network (RSN) fee
DISH no longer carries any regional sports networks, so you don’t have to pay an RSN fee. DIRECTV STREAM doesn’t have regional sports channel fees. Depending on the DIRECTV package you choose, you may pay no RSN fee or have a monthly RSN charge of $3.80 to $11.99.
What others say about CenturyLink TV
CenturyLink’s customer service scores are above average, with a score of 6.7 out of 10 from CNET and 3.6 out of 5 from U.S. News & World Report.
If you sign up for CenturyLink TV, you’ll be receiving services from one of its partners, so it’s wise to look at their ratings as well. Among subscription TV providers DIRECTV and DISH tie for 3rd, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI). DIRECTV STREAM earned 3.5 out of 5 stars from U.S. News & World Report, ranking #5 for live TV streaming services and #6 for sports streaming.
How does CenturyLink TV compare to other providers?
Shopping around for TV providers? In addition to CenturyLink TV, you may want to consider Xfinity TV and Spectrum TV.
Comcast’s Xfinity is the largest cable TV provider in the nation, available to more than a third of U.S. households. It offers both basic cable and streaming TV, with prices ranging from $20/month to $99.99/month but prices and plans vary across Xfinity’s Central, Northeast and West regions. Also a cable provider, Spectrum TV offers three packages in 41 states at a monthly cost of $49.99/month to $94.99/month.
*Pricing varies by location and availability. Speeds may vary. All prices subject to change; for current pricing and availability visit our TV service page. Prices as of 2/8/22.
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Disclosure | Updater articles are based on our own data and research, independent from partner relationships. We are not compensated by partners for information and opinions presented here. Our Editorial Terms of Service can be found here.
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