Leaving Optimum in Tyler and Longview: TV Prices, Fees and Cheaper Ways to Watch

From Cox to Suddenlink to Optimum

Cox sold its East Texas cable systems to Suddenlink in 2007, and Suddenlink now operates under Altice USA's Optimum brand. If you still have a Suddenlink remote or an old account number, that's why.

Under Cox, the Tyler system kept KLTV on the air for cable viewers through a fiber link when the station's tower collapsed in February 2006. Antenna and satellite viewers lost the signal. Cable companies pay local stations to carry them, and Optimum passes part of that cost to customers as a monthly fee.

Not every East Texas home has the same cable choices. Xfinity lists Marshall and Waskom among its Texas service areas, but not Tyler or Longview. Check your address on the FCC National Broadband Map.

Optimum TV plans and prices in Tyler

Optimum's first-year TV offers start at $30 a month for Entertainment TV and reach $135 for Everything TV.

Plan	First-year offer	Rate card price	Notes
Entertainment TV	$30 a month for 6 months	Not listed	80+ channels, with Auto Pay and an Optimum Stream device
Basic TV	Not listed	$53 a month	Smallest package on the rate card
Extra TV	$80 a month for 1 year	$130 a month	125+ channels
Everything TV	$135 a month for 1 year	$170 a month	200+ channels
Premier TV	Not listed	$190 a month	Top tier on the rate card

First-year offers from reviews.org's Optimum TV review, September 2026. Rate card prices from Optimum's online rate card as summarized in 2026 guides; they apply after the offer ends. Optimum says lineups and prices vary by location, so get a quote for your address.

Fees for stations that broadcast free

Optimum's 2026 rate card lists a TV Broadcast Fee of $9.99 a month and a Regional Sports Network Fee of $10.47. Third-party guides have reported different figures, so check your own bill.

The broadcast fee covers stations like KLTV, KYTX, KETK and FOX 51, which also broadcast free. Over 12 months it comes to about $120. In Tyler, the towers stand 14 to 33 miles out, and a decent antenna, or two, gets them. Our Tyler-Longview TV stations guide shows which way to point, and our Texas antenna reception guide explains when two antennas beat one. Fees like these are why the national average cable bill runs $125 to $147 a month.

The first year, five ways

Hold the internet at $25 a month and change only the TV. An antenna setup lands near $350 for the year; Everything TV reaches $2,165.52.

Setup	Monthly	First year
Internet + Everything TV + fees	$25 + $135 + $20.46	$2,165.52
Internet + Extra TV + fees	$25 + $80 + $20.46	$1,505.52
Internet + YouTube TV	$25 + $82.99	$1,295.88
Internet + IPTVZ, 12 months	$25 + $74.99 once	$374.99
Internet + antenna	$25 + about $50 once	About $350

Internet price from The Senior List, April 2026, which includes a $5 Auto Pay and paperless discount. All before boxes and taxes. The antenna is cheapest, but it covers only the four locals and Telemundo; IPTVZ adds the cable channels, sports and Shreveport stations.

What you keep after cancelling

The East Texas stations keep broadcasting after the TV service ends.

• With an antenna: ABC 7, CBS 19, NBC 56 and FOX 51, plus Telemundo 7.3 and, near Lufkin, ABC 9 and FOX 30.
• On IPTVZ: our October 16, 2026 catalogue lists KLTV, KYTX, KETK and KFXK, the Shreveport stations, and PBS and Univision feeds.
• Gone: the cable box and its recordings. IPTVZ's catch-up covers 1 to 3 days on 485 US channels.

Our IPTV in East Texas guide covers the lineup in detail.

Keeping Optimum internet

For most East Texas households, dropping Optimum TV but keeping Optimum internet is the simplest switch. The Senior List reports a five-year price lock on Optimum's current internet plans. With Auto Pay and paperless billing, 300 Mbps is $25 a month, 500 Mbps $35 and 1 Gbps $45.

It also reports no equipment charge for the first year. IPTV needs about 15 Mbps per HD screen, so the 300 Mbps plan is more than enough for a busy household. Ask Optimum what your internet-only price would be before you change anything.

When Optimum TV still makes sense

• You rely on the cable DVR to keep shows for weeks or months.
• Your bundle is cheaper than the numbers above, for example through a promotion you've already locked.
• Your internet is unsteady, and you'd rather not stream live TV.
• You want one company and a technician for everything.

How to drop TV and keep internet

1. Don't call Optimum yet. First get KLTV and the others playing another way, through the IPTVZ trial or a VHF-capable antenna.
2. Check your current offer end date and what you'd pay afterwards.
3. Call or chat with Optimum to remove TV only, and confirm your internet-only price in writing.
4. Return the TV equipment and keep the receipt.
5. Read the next bill for leftover TV, broadcast or sports fees.

For the national picture, see our guide to IPTV vs cable.

Optimum East Texas FAQ

Is Suddenlink now Optimum in Tyler?

Yes. Suddenlink bought Cox's East Texas systems in 2007 and now operates under Altice USA's Optimum brand.

How much is Optimum TV in Tyler?

First-year offers reported in September 2026 were $80 a month for Extra TV and $135 for Everything TV, plus about $20 in rate-card fees.

Can I cancel Optimum TV and keep internet?

Yes. Ask for TV to be removed and confirm the internet-only price. The Senior List lists 300 Mbps from $25 a month with Auto Pay.

Is Xfinity available in Tyler or Longview?

Neither city is on Xfinity's list of Texas service areas. Marshall and Waskom are.

What's cheaper than Optimum TV in Longview?

An antenna for the local stations, or IPTVZ at $74.99 for 12 months for locals plus cable channels.

The short version

• East Texas cable went from Cox to Suddenlink in 2007 and now carries the Optimum name.
• Optimum TV offers run $80 to $135 a month in year one, plus about $20.46 in fees.
• Internet at $25 plus IPTVZ comes to about $374.99 for the first year.
• The broadcast fee pays for locals that an antenna gets free.
• Set up the replacement first, then remove TV only.

For most East Texas homes, Optimum's internet is the part worth keeping. The free trial shows whether the TV can ride on it. Our guide to what cable TV costs in Texas compares Optimum with Spectrum and DIRECTV, and our Longview TV guide covers the free channels next door.