Home » Satellite TV and Internet Bundles: Everything You Need To Know

Satellite TV and Internet Bundles: Everything You Need To Know

Satellite internet and satellite TV are a match made in the heavens. We’ve got all the best satellite TV and internet bundles here.

Hughesnet + DISH: America’s Top 120

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Viasat + DISH: America’s Top 200

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By Ben Gran

Jun 15, 2023

4 min read

When shopping for satellite internet service, you might want to combine your internet with satellite TV, or bundle them. Sometimes a satellite internet provider gives you a special deal or discount when you combine it with a satellite TV service, but that’s not always the case. Even if a satellite TV and internet bundle doesn’t save you money upfront, it can help you avoid extra costs in the long run.

Many people want to watch streaming video services like Netflix, Max, or Hulu. But that eats up a lot of your monthly internet data, which can lead to throttled internet speeds or additional data charges to stay connected. Since satellite TV doesn’t use your satellite internet data, watching it instead of streaming frees up bandwidth so you can fully enjoy your internet without losing your TV time.

That’s why bundling satellite internet and satellite TV can be a good deal, even if there’s not a specific discount offered for the bundle from the providers. By saving data from your satellite internet plan, you can indirectly save money.

Let’s look at the best service providers and plans for combining satellite internet with satellite TV.

Jump to:

Best Hughesnet internet and TV bundles
Best Viasat internet and TV bundles
Why you should choose DISH
Why you should choose DIRECTV
Does satellite internet work for streaming?
Starlink and streaming
Satellite internet and TV bundles FAQ

What are the best satellite TV and internet deals?

The two major satellite internet providers, Hughesnet and Viasat, are your best options to bundle with satellite TV. You might even get an introductory discount for the first few months if you time it right with a Hughesnet or Viasat deal. But keep in mind: Hughesnet and Viasat both bill separately from any satellite TV service that you might choose.

Satellite providers don't combine TV and internet. Unlike cable providers, which use the same infrastructure for both services, satellite companies focus on a primary service (internet or TV). But you can still sign up for both satellite internet and satellite TV. You just need to pay both companies separately and create your own satellite internet and TV combo. Fortunately, satellite internet companies often have good deals with satellite TV. You just need to choose your own plans.

Ready to see which satellite TV plans are available to go with your satellite internet service? We’ve researched a few satellite TV packages that could be the best fit for your budget and TV-viewing interests.

Best Hughesnet internet and TV bundle deals

HughesNet satellite internet can be bundled with DIRECTV or DISH satellite TV plans. Here are our picks for the best satellite TV deals and satellite internet plan for HughesNet customers:

Best satellite TV plans	Price*	Channels and features	Get it
DIRECTV—Entertainment	$64.99/mo.	● 75+ channels ● 2-year price guarantee ● First 3 mos. of premium networks free ((Max (formerly HBO Max™), Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®, STARZ®, and CINEMAX®))	View Plans
DISH: America’s Top 120	$84.99/mo.	● 190 channels ● 3-yr. price guarantee ● Premium network add-ons for $6–-$16/mo. ((Max (formerly HBO Max™), Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®, STARZ®, and CINEMAX®))	View Plans

Best Hughesnet satellite internet plan	Price	Features	Get it
Fusion	$109.99/mo.	● 100—200GB of high-speed data ● Up to 100Mbps download ● “Bonus Zone”: 50GB of additional data during off-peak hours (2–8 a.m.)	View Plans

* Note: Pricing listed here is accurate as of May 2023 and includes satellite TV service only; total price of the internet + TV bundle per month will depend on your satellite internet plan.

Even though Hughesnet doesn’t offer an official bundle, you can combine it with these satellite TV plans to create a bundle of your own. These are great options for satellite TV plans to pair with your Hughesnet high-speed satellite internet experience.

Best Viasat internet and TV bundle deals

Viasat partners with DISH satellite TV to provide packaged deals. Here are our picks for the best DISH TV plans for Viasat internet customers:

Best satellite TV plans	Price+	Channels and features	Get it
DISH: America’s Top 120	$84.99/mo.	● 190 channels ● 3-yr. price guarantee ● Premium networks such as Max (formerly HBO Max™), Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®, STARZ®, and CINEMAX® available as add-ons for $6–$16/mo.	View Plans
DISH: America’s Top 200	$104.99/mo.	● 240+ channels, including most sports and entertainment networks ● 3-yr. price guarantee ● Premium networks such as Max (formerly HBO Max™), Paramount+ with SHOWTIME ®, STARZ®, and CINEMAX® available as add-ons for $6–$16/mo.	View Plans

Best Viasat satellite internet plan*	Price	Features	Get it
Viasat Unleashed	$99.99/mo.	● Unlimited data (speeds may reduced after 850GB) ● No contract	View Plans

+Note: Pricing listed here is accurate as of May, 2023, and includes satellite TV service only; total price of the internet + TV bundle per month will depend on your satellite internet plan. *Plans and prices vary by area.

Call DISH to ask if they have any special deals or discounts for Viasat internet customers. We recommend the Choice 50 Viasat internet plan, because the speeds and data limits cover most internet activities but won’t obliterate your budget. If you want satellite TV and satellite internet, this Viasat internet plan can be a great fit.

Why you should choose DISH satellite TV

DISH TV offers unique benefits that make it a good choice for satellite TV service, especially for people in rural areas:

More channels: DISH offers plans with up to 290+ channels.
3-year price guarantee: You get an additional year of locked-in monthly prices over DIRECTV(and you avoid its price hike).
Reliability guarantee: If you have a satellite TV service outage due to weather or technical issues, DISH credits money back to your account for the duration of the outage.
Smart DVR: You can record up to 2,000 hours of your favorite shows and movies.
Content library: DISH gives you access to 80,000+ movies and shows on demand.

For more details, check out our DISH satellite TV review.

Why you should choose DIRECTV satellite TV

Does satellite internet work for streaming?

Here are a few reasons why DIRECTV might be the right choice for your TV needs:

More sports networks: DIRECTV has the most Regional Sports Networks of any provider, making it easy to follow your favorite teams.
Free premium networks for 3 months: You can try Max (formerly HBO Max^™), Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®, STARZ^®, Cinemax^® and MGM+^™for 3 months for free.
DVR: It’s included for free.
Reliability: DIRECTV offers 99% signal reliability, plus Signal Saver™ technology to keep the TV going in case of lost signal.

For more details, check out our DIRECTV satellite TV review.

Most people switch to streaming in the hopes of saving money, but is it possible for satellite internet users when satellite provider data can be so restricted? If you want to use satellite internet for video streaming, read the fine print and check your home internet data limits.

Satellite Internet Provider	Maximum Data Limits and Speeds	Pricing
Hughesnet	● 200GB high-speed data ● 100bps	$109.99/mo.
Viasat	● Unlimited high-speed data ● 150Mbps	$99.99/mo.
Starlink	● 2TB+ of priority data ● 220Mbps	$90.00–120.00/mo., plus $599 or $2,500 for hardware

Note: These maximum data limits are not available in all areas; exact plans and pricing depends on your location.

Satellite internet offers more data and faster speeds than ever before, but most satellite internet plans still aren’t the best fit for TV streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, or Max, especially if you crave 4K resolution. If you want the highest-quality viewing experience for your favorite shows, movies, and live sports, you should consider satellite TV.

Streaming Provider	Recommended internet speed	Estimated data usage per hour
Netflix	HD (720p): 3Mbps or higher Full HD (1080p): 5Mbps or higher Ultra high-def (4K): 15Mbps or higher	SD video: 1GB HD video: 3GB 4K Ultra HD: 7GB
Hulu	Streaming Library: 3Mbps Live Streams: 8Mbps 4K content: 16Mbps	250MB–1.8GB (depending on video quality and network status)
Max (formerly HBO Max)	HD: 5Mbps 4K: 50Mbps	HD: 2.25GB 4K: 22.5GB
Disney+	HD: 5Mbps 4K: 25Mbps	0.6–4.2GB (web browser) 0.7–7.7GB (smart TV) 0.6–2.5GB (mobile device)

Note: Exact data usage will depend on type of device, video quality, network status, and other factors.

Starlink and streaming: Is this better than satellite TV?

One satellite internet provider does offer enough data for heavy-duty streaming: Starlink. Starlink’s satellite internet service gets you the biggest data cap of any satellite internet provider: 1TB (1,024GB) of high-priority data per month. That should be more than enough data for even the biggest power users.

Starlink is not yet available in all areas of the U.S., but if you can get Starlink at your location, it’s our top recommendation for satellite internet for video streaming.

Satellite internet and TV bundle FAQ

HughesNet does not offer special discounts or bundled deals on satellite TV and internet. However, HughesNet customers are welcome to contact DISH and DIRECTV to ask about any special offers that might be available through the TV providers.

Hughesnet and DISH are owned by the same parent company Echo Star.

Viasat and DISH are different companies, but Viasat does encourage its customers to contact DISH for special offers on satellite TV service.

Viasat offers unlimited high-speed data. Customers may experience slower speeds after 850GB–but you don’t lose your internet access.

Starlink Residential satellite internet pricing ranges from $90–$120 per month, depending on whether you live in a high- or low-capacity area. High-capacity areas offer more bandwidth, faster speeds, and more consistent coverage, so service in those areas costs more than in places with less resource capacity. Starlink also requires customers to pay upfront for satellite equipment: $599 or $2,500 depending on which hardware you choose.

Starlink’s upper range of internet download speeds clocks in at 100Mbps, which meets the recommended speeds for all major streaming providers. We recommend Starlink as the best choice for customers who want to use satellite internet for full-time streaming or as a replacement for cable or satellite TV.

Written by

Ben Gran