The 15 Largest Cable Companies in the United States

For many decades, cable TV has been the most popular method of relaxation for people around the world.

The largest cable company in the United States is Comcast, followed by Charter Communications, AT&T, Dish Network, and HULU + Live TV.

It was invented in the United States in 1948 and eventually became common in suburban households.

By 2020, there were almost 70 million total subscriptions in the country.

In the United States, there are 467 cable companies offering cable TV alone or in combination with other services such as telephone and internet.

In this article, we tackle the 15 largest cable companies based on the total number of subscriptions.

Table of Contents

The Largest Cable Companies in the United States

Number	Company	Number of Subscribers
1	Comcast (Xfinity)	19,355,000
2	Charter Communications (Spectrum)	16,062,000
3	AT&T (DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, AT&T U-verse)	15,885,000
4	Dish Network (Dish)	8,686,000
5	Hulu + Live TV	3,800,000
6	Verizon (Fios)	3,845,000
7	Cox Communications (Contour)	3,590,000
8	YouTube TV	3,000,000
9	Altice USA (Optimum, Suddenlink, Altice Business)	2,906,000
10	Dish Network (Sling TV)	2,374,000
11	Mediacom (Xtream)	626,000
12	FuboTV	590,430
13	Breezeline (Metrocast)	313,591
14	WOW! (WOW! TV and WOW! Ultra)	291,000
15	Block Communications (Buckeye Broadband & Maxx South Broadband)	284,000

1. Comcast (Xfinity) – 19,355,000

Comcast was founded in 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Owned by Brian Roberts, it is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate that was formerly known as American Cable Systems.

It is the largest cable company in the United States with a total of 19,355,000 subscribers. It has gained $103.56 billion in revenue and has about 190,000 employees.

In addition to cable TV, it also provides digital telephones, direct-broadcast satellite, HDTV, internet, and pay television. These services are available throughout Europe and the United States.

2. Charter Communications (Spectrum) – 16,062,000

With 16,062,000 subscribers in the United States, Charter Communications is the second-largest cable provider.

It is an American telecommunications and mass media company that provides digital cable, telephone, HDTV, broadband, and internet.

It is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, and is well-known for its brand Spectrum. Moreover, the company has gained $48.097 billion in revenue.

3. AT&T (DirecTV, DirecTV Stream, AT&T U-verse) – 15,885,000

Founded in 1983, AT&T is the largest telecommunications company and the third-largest cable company with 15,885,000 subscribers. It is also a technology, mass media, and entertainment company with $171.76 billion in revenue.

Aside from cable TV, AT&T also provides mobile telephones, internet, digital TV, home security, video games, streaming, and fixed-line telephone, among others.

It is headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, with approximately 230,000 employees.

4. Dish Network (Dish) – 8,686,000

Dish Network, or Digital Sky Highway, was founded in 1980 and is based in Englewood, Colorado.

It is a satellite TV and telecommunications company that provides pay television, pay-per-view, and over-the-top media services.

As of 2020, the company has 16,000 employees and has $15.493 billion in revenue. Some of its subsidiaries are Dish Wireless, Ting Mobile, Sling TV, and Sling Media.

5. Hulu + Live TV – 3,800,000

Hulu is a subsidiary company owned by the Walt Disney Company and Comcast. It has 3,800,000 subscribers and 43.8 million users.

The video streaming platform offers a wide selection of movies and TV series from various reputable networks, as well as Hulu’s own productions.

It was launched in 2007 and requires registration to use its services.

6. Verizon (Fios) – 3,845,000

Formerly known as Bell Atlantic Corporation, Verizon is the sixth-largest cable company in the United States with 3,845,000 subscribers.

It is a telecommunications and mass media company founded in 1983 and headquartered in New York.

Some of the services and products the company offers are landline, mobile phone, digital TV, digital media, and internet. It has a revenue of $128.29 billion and total assets of $316.48 billion.

7. Cox Communications (Contour) – 3,590,000

Established in 1962, Cox Communications is a telecommunications company that offers cable TV, internet, home security, and more. It has attracted 3,590,000 subscribers and accumulated $11 billion in revenue.

It is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Over 6 million customers use the company’s cable, internet, and telephone services.

8. YouTube TV – 3,000,000

YouTube was established in 2005 and created YouTube TV in 2017, where users can stream video on Demand (VOD), digital video recorder (DVR), and live TV.

It is a paid streaming television service offering a range of content from over 85 networks. Moreover, the service is only available for US-based customers.

9. Altice USA (Optimum, Suddenlink, Altice Business) – 2,906,000

With 2,906,000 subscribers across 21 US states, Altice USA is the ninth-largest cable company founded in 2016.

It is a telecommunications and mass media company offering cable TV, internet, and telephone services.

Among the brands it operates are Altic Business, News 12, Optimum, and Cheddar. The company originally hails from the Netherlands but now has its headquarters in Long Island, New York.

10. Dish Network (Sling TV) – 2,374,000

Sling TV is a subsidiary company of Dish Network founded in 2015. It is a streaming television company based in Meridian, Colorado.

As of 2021, it has 2,374,000 subscribers using its subscription VOD services.

Its services can be used across various devices and streamed from a plethora of networks, including HBO, AMC, and ESPN, to name a few.

11. Mediacom (Xtream) – 626,000

Mediacom is a private telecommunications company founded in 1995 by Rocco Commisso. It is the largest cable company in Iowa and is headquartered in Blooming Grove, New York with 4,500 employees.

The company has accumulated revenues of $2,031.2 million and 626,000 subscribers as of 2021. It offers various services in 22 US states, including cable TV, Internet, and cable telephony.

12. FuboTV – 590,430

The 12th largest cable company is FuboTV, founded in 2015 with 590,430 subscribers. It is a pay television company offering streaming services in the United States, Canada, and Spain.

In 2020, it accumulated $217.746 million revenue from a total of 1 million users. It was originally for sports streaming but eventually shifted into a virtual multichannel video programming distributor (vMVPD).

13. Breezeline (Metrocast) – 313,591

Breezeline is a subsidiary telecommunications company founded in 2004 and based in Quincy, Massachusetts. It has 313,591 subscribers and more than 700,00 broadband consumers.

The company offers its services to 12 US states, including Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and South Carolina.

Some of its products and services are broadband internet, cable TV, digital cable, digital telephone, internet security, and HDTV.

14. WOW! (WOW! TV and WOW! Ultra) – 291,000

Founded in 1996, WideOpenWest or WOW! is the 14th largest cable company with 291,000 subscribers.

It operates in 10 US states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

The 2020 revenue has reached $1,148.4 million with total assets of $2,487 million. WOW! offers various products including digital cable, digital telephone, cable TV, broadband, internet, and HDTV.