Cable network is the most common colloquial term for a television channel available via cable television, particularly in the United States. Such channels are usually also available via satellite television, including direct broadcast satellite providers such as DirecTV, as well as thNT rough a variety of alternative means, although for simplicity the shorter term is usually used. Alternative terms include "cable channel", "non-broadcast network", or "programming service," the latter being mainly used in legal contexts. The term television channel generally refers to either a television station or its cable/satellite counterpart (both outlined below). ... Coaxial cable is often used to transmit cable television into the house. ... Satellite television is television delivered by way of communications satellites, as compared to conventional terrestrial television and cable television. ... Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) is a term used to refer to satellite television broadcasts intended for home reception, also referred to as direct-to-home signals. ... A standard DirecTV satellite dish with 1 LNB on a roof DirecTV (trademarked as DIRECTV) is a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) service based in El Segundo, California, USA, that transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America except for Mexico. ...

The term "cable network" is something of a misnomer. While usually national in scope, cable networks are not television networks in the defined sense (as are, for instance, CBS or NBC), since they provide a full national schedule and do not need to act through individual local stations in each media market. However, individual cable and satellite providers that carry them are sometimes called "affiliates", in recognition of the agreements required for these providers to carry each channel. A television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. ... This article is about the broadcast network. ... This article is about the television network. ...

Examples of cable networks include USA Network, ESPN, and Nickelodeon. HBO and Showtime are classified as premium television services, not cable networks, as they are commercial-free and not included in standard multichannel cable packages. USA Network is a popular American cable television network with about 89 million household subscribers as of 2005. ... ESPN, formerly an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting and producing sports-related programming 24 hours a day. ... This article is about the TV channel. ... For other uses, see HBO (disambiguation). ... This article is about the pay TV channel. ... Premium television (sometimes pay television in North America) generally refers to a class of commercial-free television services which are available for subscription through cable and satellite television for fees much higher than traditional, packaged cable networks or specialty services. ...