Television is one of the largest recurring expenses in senior living after staffing and food service. Many facilities are locked into outdated contracts with consumer-grade cable providers charging per-room rates that add up fast.
The Per-Room Trap
Consumer cable providers charge $50–$80 per room per month. For a 150-room facility, that's $90,000–$144,000 per year — just for basic cable.
Senior-living-specific providers like Retirement Home TV use bulk programming models that dramatically reduce per-room costs while delivering more channels and better service.
No Set-Top Boxes = No Set-Top Box Costs
Every set-top box is a point of failure. They need power, HDMI connections, remote controls, and periodic replacement. In a 200-room facility, that's 200 boxes to maintain.
Headend distribution systems eliminate set-top boxes entirely. The signal is processed centrally and delivered via existing coaxial cable to every TV. Residents just turn on the TV and watch — nothing to plug in, nothing to break.
Savings from eliminating set-top boxes:
Smarter Contracts
Key contract terms to negotiate:
Real Numbers
A typical 150-room assisted living facility switching from consumer cable to Retirement Home TV sees:
| Before | After | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $9,750 | $5,250 |
| Annual cost | $117,000 | $63,000 |
| Annual savings | — | $54,000 |
| Service calls/month | 8–12 | 1–2 |
That's real money back in the operating budget — enough to fund activities programming, facility improvements, or staff bonuses.
The Bottom Line
You don't have to choose between cost and quality. Senior-living-specific TV providers are purpose-built for this market. They understand the infrastructure, the resident needs, and the budget pressures. If you haven't evaluated your TV costs in the last two years, you're likely overpaying.
