Comparison

SpectrumU vs E!

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SpectrumU

Stream live TV and thousands of on-demand shows and movies on your mobile device. Access your Spectrum TV experience on campus by connecting to your university's WiFi. Discover new content and manage your viewing with personalized guides and watchlists.

Highlights
  • Stream live TV on campus WiFi
  • Thousands of On Demand shows and movies
  • Discover Spectrum Originals
  • Cast to compatible TVs
  • Search by title, network, actor, or team
  • Personalize watchlists and guides
Read full description

SPECTRUMU Download the SpectrumU App and get the most out of your Spectrum TV experience on campus. Stream live TV or thousands of On Demand shows and movies. SpectrumU is available at participating colleges and universities. Connect to your campus WiFi to access your available services. EXPERIENCE SPECTRUMU ON CAMPUS • Stream live TV anywhere on campus when connected to your campus WiFi. • Enjoy thousands of On Demand shows and movies. • Discover new shows from Spectrum Originals. • Cast from your phone or tablet to a compatible TV with Chromecast. FIND YOUR FAVORITE PROGRAMS • Search by title, network, actor or sports team. • Add new programs to your Watchlist. • Set your favorite channels and personalize the guide. WHAT YOU NEED TO USE THIS APP SpectrumU is available at participating colleges and universities. To get started, connect to your campus WiFi and visit watch.spectrum.net/domainsearch to check for availability. Contact your institution's help desk for more info. Please note: This app features Nielsen’s proprietary measurement software which contributes to market research, like Nielsen’s TV Ratings. Please see https://sites.nielsen.com/priv/browser/us/en/optout.html for more information.

About

E!

Stream full episodes of popular E! shows, watch live TV, and access on-demand content from a family of networks. Requires a TV provider sign-in. Content is available in the US and its territories.

Highlights
  • Watch latest episodes the day after TV air
  • Live stream TV 24/7
  • Access on-demand content from multiple networks
  • Stream sports like Premier League and WNBA
  • Filter shows by network and genre
  • Sign in with TV provider
Features
Read full description

Overview • The E! app is the best place to catch up on the most recent season of your favorite shows, watch live TV, and stream movies and past season content! • Get full episodes of E!’s must-know pop culture shows like Live from E!, Kimora: Back in the Fab Lane, Botched Presents: Plastic Surgery Rewind, Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour, AND MANY MORE! • Get started by signing in with your TV subscription (cable, satellite, or digital). The E! app supports most TV providers, including DirecTV, Spectrum, Xfinity, Dish, and AT&T. App Features Watch Your Way • Watch the latest episodes of new E! shows the day after they air on TV. • Live stream and schedule available 24/7 when signed in with your TV provider. Explore Versant Content • Access to on-demand content from across the Versant family of networks (including USA, SYFY, E!, Oxygen, MSNOW, CNBC, and Golf Channel). • Don't miss a second of the Premier League, the WNBA, A10 hoops, the PGA and LPGA Tours, and NASCAR! • Live stream your favorite Versant networks within the app. • Dedicated page for each network showcasing the hottest series. • Stream recent and throwback favorites, like Law & Order: SVU, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med. • Filter shows by network and genre while browsing. TV Provider Access • Sign in with your TV subscription to gain access to the entire catalog of VOD and Live content. Availability Notice • Versant's family of networks are only available to stream in the US and US territories. • Those outside the US will be unable to watch full episodes or live TV. • If you're traveling, you'll regain full access as soon as you return to the US. Comments or Questions • Please fill out our contact support form at https://help.versantmedia.com/s/contactsupport for assistance. • Please note: Use of the app is limited to the United States and its territories. Video is accessible via 3G, 4G, LTE, and Wi-Fi networks. Data charges may apply. • Privacy Policy: https://www.versantprivacy.com/privacy • Your Privacy Choices: https://www.versantprivacy.com/privacy/cookies • CA Notice: https://www.versantprivacy.com/privacy/california-consumer-privacy-act

Screenshots

SpectrumU4 screens
E!4 screens

Verdict

The call

SpectrumU and E! both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 30% of E!'s written reviews are positive against 10% of SpectrumU's. E! also leads on ratings volume (9.8K vs 315). SpectrumU's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for SpectrumU against 4.5 for E!. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: E! has 9.8K ratings behind it against 315, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 10% of SpectrumU's written reviews are positive against 30% of E!'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SpectrumU ships an update every 2 weeks, E! every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
SpectrumU versus E!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSpectrumUE!
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (315 ratings)4.5 (9.8K ratings) — better
Positive reviews10.3% of reviews30.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3159.8K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size75 MB240 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperCharter CommunicationsVersant Media LLC

Customer experience

SpectrumU

All ratings315 ratings
Positive83.8%
Neutral3.5%
Negative12.7%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive10.3%
Neutral6.9%
Negative82.8%

E!

All ratings9,837 ratings
Positive88.7%
Neutral2.9%
Negative8.4%
Written reviews80 reviews
Positive30.0%
Neutral8.8%
Negative61.3%

User reviews

SpectrumU

From 315 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Amazing features when working
  • 📺 Many sport channels available
  • 🌟 Great update for Chromecast support

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App frequently crashes
  • 🐛 Audio/video sync issues during ads
  • 🐛 Audio cuts out after ad breaks
  • 🐛 App freezes or won't load
  • 🐛 Login issues (404 errors, sign-in problems)

E!

From 9.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💕 Chriskardashians
  • 👍 Closed caption
  • ❤️ Best network ever!!!!
  • 🥰 Love, Love, Love it!!!
  • 🙌 Fun and doesn't disappoint

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frustrating!!
  • 🐛 Unstable app
  • 🔇 No volume
  • 💰 Paywall
  • 🐛 NONE OF THE NBC APPS WORK

Bugs and requests

SpectrumU

Reported bugs

20 issues
  • Audio/video sync issues during ads
  • Audio cuts out after ad breaks
  • App crashes every few minutes
  • Video doesn't pause during ads
  • Login page redirects to 404
Show 15 more
  • App closes automatically when trying to watch live TV
  • App crashes as soon as it opens
  • School domain never works
  • Constantly signs out
  • Broadcast freezes up
  • Says loading but won't load
  • Upper half of video cropped out in full screen
  • Cannot exit full screen easily
  • Says not connected to WiFi when it is
  • On demand icon is gone after update
  • App stopped working at UCLA
  • Doesn't work when connecting to a router
  • Freezes or crashes frequently
  • Cannot watch Live TV
  • Doesn't work off the 'Plate Of Wisconsin'

Requested features

12 requests
  • Fix ad break audio/video sync
  • Fix audio cutting out after ads
  • Fix app crashing
  • Fix login page redirects to 404
  • Fix live TV closing app
Show 7 more
  • Fix video not pausing during ads
  • Fix full screen cropping and exit issues
  • Fix WiFi connection detection
  • Restore on demand feature
  • Improve app stability for iPad Pro
  • Improve usability for finding content
  • Ensure app works off-campus

E!

Reported bugs

16 issues
  • Video playback won't load
  • Streaming and watching episodes doesn't really work
  • Play back not working restart app were?
  • Playback error
  • App isn't playing shows keeps saying video playback error occurred
Show 11 more
  • Connect fail
  • Episode won't play.
  • Issues
  • Please fix
  • Frustrating
  • Airplay & Smartcast Need Improvement
  • Streaming/casting
  • Doesn't even play shows
  • Annoying
  • Location?
  • the new version of the app is terrible shame on your developers

Requested features

3 requests
  • Wish I could just subscribe to the app
  • Dark mode option
  • Advanced analytics dashboard

In-app purchases

None

SpectrumU

No in-app purchases

None

E!

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SpectrumU free?
SpectrumU is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is E! free?
E! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SpectrumU or E!?
E! is rated higher. SpectrumU averages 4.4 out of 5 from 315 ratings, while E! averages 4.5 from 9.8K ratings.
Do SpectrumU or E! have ads?
Both SpectrumU and E! show ads.
Which is updated more often, SpectrumU or E!?
SpectrumU ships an update every 2 weeks, and E! every 5 weeks. Most recently, SpectrumU was updated on September 23, 2026 and E! on September 24, 2026.

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