Cable TV Networks Starting with Letter S

Comprehensive directory of premium, sports, entertainment, news, and specialty channels available nationwide

35+

Total Networks

8

Premium Channels

12+

Sports Networks

6

Regional News

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Featured Networks Starting with S

Premium Entertainment Networks

Showtime (Paramount+ with Showtime) Premium

Owner: Paramount Global | Launched: July 1, 1976

Premium cable network featuring original series (Homeland, Billions, Dexter), theatrical films, sports, and documentaries. Merged with Paramount+ streaming service in 2024. Subscription: $12.99/month as part of Paramount+ Premium.

Starz Premium

Owner: Lionsgate Entertainment | Launched: February 1, 1994

Premium network offering original series (Outlander, Power franchise, Spartacus), blockbuster movies, and 17 multiplex channels including Starz Encore, Starz Cinema, Starz Comedy, Starz Edge, and genre-specific channels.

Science & Documentary Networks

Syfy Science Fiction

Owner: NBCUniversal (Comcast) | Launched: September 24, 1992

Cable channel specializing in science fiction, horror, fantasy, and paranormal programming. Original series include Battlestar Galactica, Stargate SG-1, The Expanse, and Resident Alien. Available in 69 million households.

Smithsonian Channel Documentary

Owner: Paramount Global (MTV Entertainment) | Launched: 2007

Premium documentary channel inspired by Smithsonian Institution museums and research. Features Emmy-winning series including Aerial America, America in Color, Apollo's Moon Shot, and Air Disasters. Reaches 33.6 million households.

Science Channel Science

Owner: Warner Bros. Discovery | Launched: October 1996

Cable network specializing in nonfiction programming focused on science, technology, engineering, space exploration, and archaeology. Available in 63 million homes nationwide.

Sports Networks

SEC Network College Sports

Owner: ESPN/Southeastern Conference (joint venture) | Launched: August 14, 2014

24/7 sports network dedicated to Southeastern Conference athletics. Broadcasts 45+ football games, 100+ men's basketball games, 60+ women's basketball games, 75+ baseball games, and 1,000+ total events annually. Features SEC Nation pregame show.

Stadium Sports

Owner: Silver Chalice (Sinclair Broadcast Group) | Launched: August 21, 2017

Digital sports network headquartered at United Center in Chicago. Features Minor League Baseball, Bare Knuckle FC, Professional Fighters League, college sports, and daily studio shows. Available via streaming and 86 broadcast markets.

SportsNet Regional Networks Regional Sports

Includes: SportsNet New York (SNY), SportsNet Pittsburgh, Spectrum SportsNet

Regional sports networks broadcasting local professional and college sports. SNY carries New York Mets games, SportsNet Pittsburgh covers Penguins and Pirates, Spectrum SportsNet features LA Lakers and LA Kings.

Regional News Networks

Spectrum News Regional News

Owner: Charter Communications | Networks: 17 regional channels

24-hour regional cable news channels in 14 states. Includes NY1 (New York), Bay News 9 (Tampa), News 13 (Orlando), and Spectrum News 1 channels in Southern California, North Carolina, Texas, and other markets. Covers local news, weather, and sports.

Drama & Entertainment Networks

Sundance TV Independent Film

Owner: AMC Networks | Launched: February 1, 1996

Cable channel featuring independent films, documentaries, world cinema, and original drama series. Emmy-winning programming includes Rectify, State of the Union, and international co-productions like Gomorrah. Available in 54 million households.

Start TV Classic Drama

Owner: Weigel Broadcasting/CBS (joint venture) | Launched: September 3, 2018

Free-to-air network featuring women-led classic TV dramas from 1980s-2010s. Programming includes The Closer, Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes, Elementary, Cold Case, Murder She Wrote, and Gilmore Girls. Reaches 85.3% of US households.

Religious & Family Networks

SonLife Broadcasting Network (SBN) Religious

Owner: Jimmy Swaggart Ministries | Broadcasting: 50+ years

Christian television and radio network broadcasting 24/7 worldwide. Features The Message of the Cross, Frances and Friends, and Jimmy Swaggart Classic Crusades. Available on DISH Channel 257 and streaming platforms.

Smile (formerly Smile of a Child) CLOSED 2025

Owner: Trinity Broadcasting Network | Operated: 2005-2025

Christian children's television network featuring VeggieTales, 3-2-1 Penguins, animated Bible stories, and family movies. Closed January 12, 2025, with programming moved to Yippee TV streaming platform.

Shopping & Music Networks

ShopHQ CLOSED 2025

Owner: iMedia Brands (acquired by IV Media 2023) | Launched: March 12, 1991

Home shopping network formerly known as ValueVision, ShopNBC, and Evine Live. Closed April 17, 2025, after 35 years of operation. Was headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

SiriusXM Music Channels Music

Service: Satellite Radio/Streaming | Channels: 150+ full-time

Ad-free music channels across all genres and decades, plus sports, news, talk, and comedy. Available in vehicles, mobile devices, smart speakers, and streaming platforms. Plans from $13.99-$23.99/month.

Spanish Language Networks

¡Sorpresa! Spanish Children

Owner: Olympusat Inc. (acquired 2009) | Launched: March 2003

Spanish-language children's television channel available on Charter Spectrum, Cox, Frontier, and other cable systems. Features educational and entertainment programming for young Spanish-speaking audiences.

Complete Network List (S)

  • Science Channel - Warner Bros. Discovery science and technology network
  • SEC Network - ESPN/Southeastern Conference college sports (launched 2014)
  • ShopHQ - Home shopping network (closed April 2025)
  • Showtime - Paramount Global premium entertainment network
  • SiriusXM Music Channels - Satellite radio music service
  • Smile - TBN Christian children's network (closed January 2025)
  • Smithsonian Channel - Documentary and educational programming
  • SonLife Broadcasting Network (SBN) - Jimmy Swaggart Ministries religious programming
  • ¡Sorpresa! - Spanish-language children's channel
  • Spectrum News (17 channels) - Charter Communications regional news networks
  • Spectrum SportsNet - LA Lakers and LA Kings regional sports network
  • SportsNet New York (SNY) - NY Mets regional sports network
  • SportsNet Pittsburgh - Penguins and Pirates regional sports network
  • Stadium - Silver Chalice digital sports network (launched 2017)
  • Start TV - Weigel/CBS classic women-led drama network (launched 2018)
  • Starz - Lionsgate premium movie and original series network
  • Starz Cinema - Starz multiplex channel
  • Starz Comedy - Starz multiplex channel
  • Starz Edge - Starz multiplex channel
  • Starz Encore - Starz classic movie channel (launched 1991)
  • Starz Encore Action - Action movie multiplex channel
  • Starz Encore Black - African American cinema multiplex channel
  • Starz Encore Classic - Classic movie multiplex channel
  • Starz Encore Español - Spanish-language movie multiplex channel
  • Starz Encore Family - Family movie multiplex channel
  • Starz Encore Suspense - Thriller and suspense multiplex channel
  • Starz Encore Westerns - Western movie multiplex channel
  • Starz In Black - Starz African American programming channel
  • Starz Kids & Family - Starz family programming channel
  • Sundance TV - AMC Networks independent film and drama channel
  • Syfy - NBCUniversal science fiction and fantasy network

Frequently Asked Questions

The two major premium networks are Showtime (now integrated with Paramount+ as Paramount+ Premium for $12.99/month) and Starz (owned by Lionsgate, featuring 17 multiplex channels including Starz Encore and genre-specific channels). Showtime offers original series like Homeland, Billions, and Dexter, while Starz features Outlander, the Power franchise, and theatrical films. Smithsonian Channel is also a premium documentary network available in 33.6 million households.

There are 12+ sports networks starting with S, including SEC Network (ESPN/SEC joint venture covering Southeastern Conference athletics), Stadium (digital sports network featuring Minor League Baseball and combat sports), and multiple regional SportsNet channels. Regional networks include SportsNet New York (SNY) for NY Mets games, SportsNet Pittsburgh for Penguins and Pirates, and Spectrum SportsNet for LA Lakers and Kings. SEC Network reached 91 million households at launch in 2014.

Showtime merged with Paramount+ in 2023, and the standalone Showtime app was discontinued on April 30, 2024. All Showtime content migrated to Paramount+, with the service rebranded as "Paramount+ with Showtime" and later renamed "Paramount+ Premium" in June 2025. The pricing remains $12.99/month or $119.99/year, providing access to 32,000 hours of ad-free content including Showtime originals, CBS live channels, and Paramount+ library. Paramount+ now has over 68 million subscribers.

Starz operates 17 channels collectively, including the flagship Starz channel, sibling network Starz Encore (launched 1991), and MoviePlex. The Starz multiplex includes six 24-hour linear channels: Starz Cinema, Starz Comedy, Starz Edge, Starz In Black, and Starz Kids & Family. Starz Encore has seven multiplex channels: Action, Black, Classic, Español, Family, Suspense, and Westerns. Starz was launched on February 1, 1994, and acquired by Lionsgate for $4.4 billion in December 2016.

Spectrum News is a brand of 17 regional 24-hour cable news channels owned by Charter Communications through its acquisition of Time Warner Cable in 2016. The networks operate in 14 states, covering local news, weather, and sports. Major markets include NY1 (New York), Bay News 9 (Tampa), News 13 (Orlando), Spectrum News 1 Southern California, Spectrum News 1 North Carolina, and regional channels in Buffalo, Austin, Albany, and Syracuse. Most channels are exclusive to Charter cable subscribers, though NY1 and select channels have expanded to Comcast Xfinity in certain markets.

Two major networks closed in 2025: Smile (formerly Smile of a Child), a TBN Christian children's network, closed January 12, 2025, after nearly 20 years of operation, with programming moved to Yippee TV streaming platform. ShopHQ, a home shopping network that operated for 35 years under names including ValueVision and ShopNBC, abruptly shut down April 17, 2025, following bankruptcy and loss of cable distribution. Scripps News converted to a FAST streaming channel on November 16, 2024, and Sports News Highlights shut down August 2, 2024.

Syfy, owned by NBCUniversal and launched September 24, 1992, specializes in science fiction, horror, fantasy, and paranormal programming. Successful original series include Battlestar Galactica, Stargate SG-1, Warehouse 13, Eureka, Defiance, The Expanse (later acquired by Amazon), and Resident Alien. The network rebranded from "Sci Fi Channel" to "Syfy" in March 2009 for trademark protection and marketing purposes. Currently available in approximately 69 million households (down from 99 million peak in 2011), Syfy faces cord-cutting challenges. In November 2024, Comcast announced plans to spin Syfy into a new company called "Versant" launching May 2025.

SEC Network is a 24/7 sports network operated as a joint venture between ESPN and the Southeastern Conference, launched August 14, 2014, as part of a 20-year agreement through 2034. The network broadcasts 1,000+ events annually including 45+ SEC football games, 100+ men's basketball games, 60+ women's basketball games, and 75+ baseball games across the conference's 21 sports. Studio programming includes SEC Nation (traveling pregame show hosted by Laura Rutledge), The Paul Finebaum Show, SEC Now, Marty & McGee, Out Of Pocket, and documentary series like TrueSouth and SEC Storied. The network reached 91 million households at launch.

Sundance TV (launched February 1, 1996) is an AMC Networks cable channel named after Robert Redford's Butch Cassidy character that operates independently of both the non-profit Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival. Originally focused on documentaries, independent films, and festival coverage, the network evolved to include original and acquired scripted programming. Notable series include Emmy-winning Rectify, Hap and Leonard, State of the Union, Gomorrah, and Top of the Lake: China Girl. The channel became fully ad-supported in 2013 and launched streaming service Sundance Now in 2014. Available in 54 million households (down from 71 million peak in 2017).

Start TV is a free-to-air television network launched September 3, 2018, as a joint venture between Weigel Broadcasting and CBS Television Stations. The network targets female audiences with classic television drama series from the 1980s through 2010s, focusing on women-led police procedurals and legal dramas. Programming includes The Closer, Rizzoli & Isles, Major Crimes, Elementary, Medium, Cold Case, In Plain Sight, Covert Affairs, Murder She Wrote, and Gilmore Girls. Distributed through 160+ broadcast affiliates on digital subchannels, Start TV reaches 85.3% of US households and launched on DirecTV channel 84 in September 2024. Sister network to Heroes & Icons (H&I), which targets male audiences.

Last updated on November 27, 2025