TV providers in the United States:Which are most popular?
In September 2026, DIRECTV was the most searched TV provider in the United States, accounting for 61.7% of all searches among the six providers we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, DIRECTV, Spectrum, DISH and Xfinity were mentioned most often, in three of the five answers. Spectrum was recommended most often, coming first in two out of three responses that gave a list.
DIRECTVShare of searches 61.7%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
SpectrumShare of searches 18.6%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
DISHShare of searches 16.8%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
Verizon FiosShare of searches 1.3%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
XfinityShare of searches 1.1%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
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Top TV providers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, DIRECTV, Spectrum, DISH and Xfinity were mentioned most often, in three of the five answers. Spectrum was recommended most often, coming first in two out of three answers that gave a list. Xfinity was second, and DIRECTV was third.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- DIRECTV3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Spectrum3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- DISH3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Xfinity3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Verizon Fios2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Optimum1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about TV providers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which TV provider should I choose in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best cable and satellite TV providers in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the cheapest TV provider in the US with local channels?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cable tv”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“tv providers”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.
Which TV providers do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each TV provider by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six TV providers we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for DIRECTV, Spectrum, DISH. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | DIRECTV | Spectrum | DISH | Verizon Fios | Xfinity | Optimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 61.9% | 18.7% | 16.6% | 1.5% | 0.92% | 0.41% |
| Nov 2025 | 64% | 15.8% | 17.2% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 0.42% |
| Dec 2025 | 64% | 15.7% | 17.5% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.42% |
| Jan 2026 | 66.2% | 13.3% | 17.8% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 0.36% |
| Feb 2026 | 66% | 13.3% | 17.7% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 0.44% |
| Mar 2026 | 66.2% | 13.3% | 17.8% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 0.36% |
| Apr 2026 | 64.1% | 15.8% | 17.5% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.35% |
| May 2026 | 66.4% | 13.3% | 17.8% | 1.1% | 0.98% | 0.36% |
| Jun 2026 | 65.6% | 16.2% | 14.7% | 1.3% | 1.8% | 0.44% |
| Jul 2026 | 64.1% | 15.8% | 17.5% | 1.3% | 0.95% | 0.42% |
| Aug 2026 | 66.3% | 13.3% | 18.1% | 0.9% | 0.98% | 0.36% |
| Sep 2026 | 61.7% | 18.6% | 16.8% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.5% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 61.7% | 1M | 0% | -4.7 points | |
| 2, moved from 3rd to 2nd | 18.6% | 301K | +49.8% | +5.2 pointsmoved from 3rd to 2nd | |
| 3, moved from 2nd to 3rd | 16.8% | 273K | 0% | -1.3 pointsmoved from 2nd to 3rd | |
| 4, moved from 5th to 4th | 1.3% | 21.4K | +58.5% | +0.4 pointsmoved from 5th to 4th | |
| 5, moved from 4th to 5th | 1.1% | 18.1K | +22.3% | +0.1 pointsmoved from 4th to 5th | |
| 6, held 6th | 0.5% | 8.1K | +50% | +0.1 points |
1.
DIRECTV61.7%
Held 1st. 1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -4.7 points.
2.
Spectrum18.6%
Moved from 3rd to 2nd. 301K estimated branded searches, +49.8% vs prior month. Share +5.2 points.
3.
DISH16.8%
Moved from 2nd to 3rd. 273K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -1.3 points.
1.3%
Moved from 5th to 4th. 21.4K estimated branded searches, +58.5% vs prior month. Share +0.4 points.
5.
Xfinity1.1%
Moved from 4th to 5th. 18.1K estimated branded searches, +22.3% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
6.
Optimum0.5%
Held 6th. 8.1K estimated branded searches, +50% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
Which brand is most popular in search among TV providers in the United States?
6 brands
In September 2026, DIRECTV was the most searched among TV providers in the United States, with an estimated 1M branded searches, 61.7% of all searches for the six we track. Spectrum is in 2nd place, 43.1 percentage points behind at 18.6%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIRECTV | 61.9% → 61.7% | 66.4%May 2026 | 61.7%Sep 2026 | 1st |
| Spectrum | 18.7% → 18.6% | 18.7%Oct 2025 | 13.3%Feb 2026 | 2nd |
| DISH | 16.6% → 16.8% | 18.1%Aug 2026 | 14.7%Jun 2026 | 3rd |
| Verizon Fios | 1.5% → 1.3% | 1.5%Oct 2025 | 0.9%Aug 2026 | 4th |
| Xfinity | 0.92% → 1.1% | 1.8%Jun 2026 | 0.92%Oct 2025 | 5th |
| Optimum | 0.41% → 0.5% | 0.5%Sep 2026 | 0.35%Apr 2026 | 6th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DIRECTV’s share of searches among TV providers in the United States peaked at 66.4% in May 2026 and was lowest at 61.7% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Spectrum’s share of searches among TV providers in the United States peaked at 18.7% in October 2025 and was lowest at 13.3% in February 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DISH’s share of searches among TV providers in the United States peaked at 18.1% in August 2026 and was lowest at 14.7% in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DIRECTV, Spectrum, DISH, Verizon Fios, Xfinity and Optimum held steady: their share of searches among TV providers in the United States each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for United States TV providers in September 2026?
5 changes
In September 2026, Spectrum overtook DISH to rank 2nd among TV providers in the United States, with 18.6% of the searches.
In September 2026, DIRECTV lost share of searches among TV providers in the United States, from 66.3% to 61.7%.
In September 2026, DISH lost share of searches among TV providers in the United States, from 18.1% to 16.8%.
In September 2026, Verizon Fios rose from 5th to 4th among TV providers in the United States.
In September 2026, Xfinity fell from 4th to 5th among TV providers in the United States.
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