Americans Now Pay Almost as Much for Cable as They Do for Electricity — a Difference of $4 a Month

doxo's analysis of actual bill payments sizes the U.S. cable and satellite market at $172 billion a year; breaks down the most expensive states and cities by spend

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--U.S. households pay a median $125 a month for cable and satellite service — $1,500 a year — according to the 2026 doxoINSIGHTS U.S. Cable & Satellite Report, released today by doxo. Built on actual bill payment activity spanning 97% of U.S. ZIP codes, the report finds that 74% of households carry the bill — a market worth $172 billion.

The cable bill now sits just $4 below the typical household's electric bill, a median $129 a month. And it is proving durable even as the pay-TV universe keeps shrinking: EchoStar ended the second quarter with 6.4 million DISH and Sling subscribers after losing 241,000, while Comcast fell to 10.7 million after losing 280,000, and Charter to 12.5 million after losing 21,000.

Key findings:

• Total market size: $172 billion
• Median monthly bill: $125
• Median annual cost per household: $1,500
• Percent of households: 74% pay a cable or satellite bill

“This is one of those bills that quietly became a big one. Nobody sits down and decides to spend $1,500 a year on television. It creeps up a few dollars at a time, and one day it’s sitting right next to the power bill,” said Steve Shivers, Co-founder and CEO at doxo. “The difference is you’re not going to opt out of electricity. This one is a choice — and most households haven't taken a hard look at it in years. That's why we publish this. Most people have never seen what the typical household actually pays, and you can't tell if your bill is out of line until you do.”

Top 5 States with the Highest Cable & Satellite Bills ¹

State	Median Annual Bill	Total Market Size
Vermont	$1,980	$388M
South Carolina	$1,962	$3.40B
Delaware	$1,912	$559M
Nebraska	$1,910	$1.17B
Rhode Island	$1,800	$505M

Top 5 Large U.S. Cities with the Highest Cable & Satellite Bills ¹

City	Median Annual Bill	Total Market Size
Louisville, KY	$2,439	$931M
Kansas City, MO	$2,270	$352M
Miami, FL	$2,244	$1.33B
Denver, CO	$2,137	$705M
Omaha, NE	$2,134	$405M

For more information, or to view the entire report, visit https://www.doxo.com/doxoinsights-2026-cable-satellite-report-2/

¹ Data is sourced from the doxoINSIGHTS 2026 U.S. Household Bill Pay Report. For the latest analysis of U.S. household bill expenses, visit www.doxo.com/u/insights and select a state to explore state, county, and city data.

About doxoINSIGHTS

doxoINSIGHTS provides direct insight into The Bill Pay Economy™ by leveraging consumer surveys and doxo’s unique aggregate bill pay data set, comprising actual bill payment activity to confirmed household service providers across the country. doxo data brings together the broadest available data set for analyzing actual household bill payment activity, pulling from over 10 million paying consumers across over 97% of U.S. zip codes. doxo’s payment network covers over 120,000 billers in 45 different service categories and enables payments using bank accounts, credit cards or debit cards. This uniquely broad statistical foundation powers doxoINSIGHTS reports – uncovering key trends for household financial health and bill payment behavior. Uncovering an even deeper level of insight into Americans’ cost of living, doxo’s proprietary Cost of Bills Index™ (COBI), a new feature of doxoINSIGHTS, provides a consistent basis of comparison at the state, county and city level.

About doxo

doxo delivers innovation that transforms the bill pay experience for consumers, billers and financial technology providers. For over 10M consumers, doxo’s all-in-one bill pay makes it simple to organize and pay any bill on any device through a secure checkout. For billers, doxo’s network-driven platform enables online and mobile payments with a ridiculously simple integration, radically lower costs, and game-changing features that are unavailable with legacy bill pay vendors. For fintech partners, doxo delivers financial innovations to consumers across 97% of US Zip Codes, paying from more than 8,000 financial institutions to over 120,000 billers in 45+ service categories. For employees, doxo is a creative, ever-learning team that is passionate about building fintech tools that dramatically improve the bill pay experience. For investors, doxo provides an extraordinary opportunity to invest alongside Jackson Square Ventures, MDV, and Bezos Expeditions to disrupt a market that accounts for over $5T of US Household spend. To learn more about America’s leading bill pay network, visit doxo.com.