Cord Cutting
Cutting the Cord in 2026: A Practical Checklist
A step-by-step checklist for dropping cable or satellite: audit what you watch, check your internet, pick devices, test a service and cancel cleanly.
Key takeaways
- Start with a list of the channels and shows your household watched last month. Everything else depends on it.
- Check your internet first: about 10 Mbps per HD screen and 25 Mbps per 4K screen, measured in the evening.
- Keep cable running for a few days after you start the new service, and check what happens to your internet price if it's bundled.
- Return every rented box and keep the cancellation number. Unreturned equipment is the charge people get surprised by.
Why the cable bill keeps creeping up
For many households the cable bill has grown in small steps: a box rental here, a regional sports fee there, a promotional price that quietly ends. Internet TV puts the same kind of live channels on devices you already own, usually without a contract. Whether you'd save depends on your current bill, so put your own numbers into the cable savings calculator before you decide anything.
The checklist
1. Write down what you watch
For a week, note every channel and show the household watches, live and recorded. Most families end up with a short list: a couple of news channels, their teams, the kids' channels and a few series. That's what you need to replace. The 300 channels on the bill mostly go unwatched.
2. Read your current bill line by line
Write down the base package, each receiver or DVR rental, broadcast and sports fees, taxes and the date any promotion ends. Check whether internet is bundled; cancelling TV can change the internet price.
3. Check your contract and early-termination fees
If you're still in a contract, find the early termination fee and the end date. We've seen plenty of cases where waiting six weeks costs less than the fee.
4. Test your internet in the evening
Add up 10 Mbps for each HD screen and 25 Mbps for each 4K screen that will play at the same time, plus headroom. Run the IPTV speed test at 8 p.m., not in the morning. Our speed guide explains the numbers.
5. Pick a device for each TV
Most smart TVs can run a player app directly. Older TVs need an inexpensive streaming device; the Fire TV Stick 4K and Android TV boxes are popular because every major player runs on them. Compare options on IPTV devices.
6. Choose and install a player app
The app shapes the whole experience. TiviMate gives a cable-style guide on Android TV devices; IPTV Smarters Pro is the easiest to start with on most platforms. See the best IPTV players compared.
7. Test a service during real viewing
Use a free trial during the kind of viewing you care about: a live game, the evening news, a kids' channel on a second TV. Check the TV guide, channel switching and picture quality on your own network.
8. Run both side by side
Subscribe to the new service before cancelling cable and live with both for a few days. That way nothing goes dark mid-season and the family has time to learn the new remote routine.
9. Cancel cable cleanly
- Ask for TV-only cancellation if you're keeping their internet, and confirm the new internet-only price.
- Return every receiver, DVR and remote; get a receipt or tracking number.
- Write down the cancellation confirmation number and the date.
- Check your next two statements for leftover charges.
10. Keep a free backup for local news
An indoor HD antenna picks up local broadcast channels for free in many areas, and it keeps working when the internet doesn't. We'd keep one in a drawer for storms and election nights.
What changes after you switch
| Cable or satellite | IPTV | |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Technician visit or dish | Install an app |
| Boxes | Rented per TV | Devices you own |
| Contract | Often 12–24 months | Month to month or prepaid terms |
| Extra TVs | Extra box and fee | Add screens to your plan |
| Depends on | The cable line | Your home internet |
The full comparison, including what cable still does better, is on IPTV vs cable.
Frequently asked questions
Not necessarily. Many local and network channels are available on IPTV services, and an indoor antenna picks up free over-the-air broadcasts in most US and Canadian cities.
No, any reliable broadband provider works. Just compare the internet-only price, since bundles often change when TV is removed.
At least one full week that includes the live events you care about most, such as a game day or a season premiere.
First published . Last reviewed by the IPTV Trends support team.