Charter Finalizes $49.5 Million Purchase of Bardstown Connect

April 7, 2025 – Charter Communications has officially acquired Bardstown Connect, the city-owned broadband and cable utility, for $49.5 million, ending nearly four decades of municipal ownership.

The sale, which closed March 31, was confirmed by Bardstown City Administrator Aaron Boles following local reports. Charter purchased the system through its subsidiary Spectrum Mid-America LLC, with the city announcing the closure in a Facebook post.

Bardstown began negotiating the sale last year as rising costs and shrinking subscriber numbers made continued public ownership untenable. Bardstown Connect had roughly 9,500 broadband and 5,000 cable TV customers at the time.

“We don’t see cable and Internet service as being a viable option for a municipality of our size,” Boles said in 2024. “We’re a little fish in a big pond, and we’re getting eaten up by the big fish.” Bardstown has about 14,000 residents.

Competition from providers such as AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Starlink had eroded the utility’s market share. The city said the sale would provide financial flexibility and help fund $80 million in water and sewer infrastructure projects without adding debt.

Under the transition agreement, the city will continue managing customer service and billing until Charter assumes full control. Spectrum plans to upgrade the network to gigabit speeds as part of the handover.