DIRECTV Pulls A&E, Lifetime, History and Vice from Entertainment Plan; Where to Stream These Channels Now

DIRECTV STREAM’s Entertainment plan is getting a bit less entertaining. As reflected by the DIRECTV STREAM website, several channels have disappeared from the Entertainment plan’s channel lineup, including A&E, History, Lifetime and Vice TV. Now, DIRECTV STREAM customers will have to subscribe to the streamer’s Choice plan if they want to watch those channels.

• DIRECTV STREAM customers now have to pay $29 per month more to get the four channels removed from the Entertainment plan.
• All four channels removed from the Entertainment plan are owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Disney and Hearst Television.
• Philo and Sling TV both carry all four channels for less than $50 per month, but viewers have several total options for watching.

The price difference between DIRECTV STREAM’s two cheapest plans is somewhat extreme. The Entertainment plan offers around 65 channels for $79.99 per month, while the Choice plan (which includes regional sports networks and more) bumps the price up to $108.99 monthly. Viewers who are solely interested in watching these four channels with DIRECTV STREAM will have to pay $29 more every month to watch them.

There was no official announcement from DIRECTV as to why the channels were being moved to a more expensive plan. However, it’s almost certainly due to increased carriage fees for the channels in question. All four fall under the ownership of A&E Networks, which is a joint venture between Disney and Hearst Television. Disney has a history of aggressively pursuing higher carriage fees for its cable networks, and DIRECTV may well have decided that in order to justify paying higher costs to carry the channels it would have to reserve those channels for higher-paying customers.

For those who do decide to upgrade, DIRECTV STREAM's Choice plan carries all 35 of The Streamable’s top cable channels. It offers local affiliates like ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC in a vast majority of markets, regional sports channels, national sports selections like NFL Network, MLB Network and much more.

What’s the Cheapest Way to Watch A&E, History, Lifetime and Vice?

If you’re considering ditching DIRECTV STREAM because of the shifting of these four channels to a higher-priced tier, you have several alternatives. There are three live TV streaming services which carry A&E, History, Lifetime and Vice TV, and one of them costs less per month than upgrading DIRECTV STREAM plans in order to watch them.

Cheapest Option: Philo

Philo offers a slimmed-down bundle of channels. Its lineup does not include local channels or national sports networks, but it does offer A&E, History, Lifetime and Vice as part of its total of 18 top cable channels. Philo carries around 70 total networks, and costs just $25 per month after a seven-day free trial.

Sling TV is a great intermediary option for customers seeking A&E, History, Lifetime and Vice. It carries all four channels in both of its base plans, which normally start at $40 per month. Sling also carries sports networks like ESPN and TNT, though channels like ABC and Fox are only available in a small handful of areas with a Sling account. Nevertheless, its introductory offer of 50% off for a new customer’s first month of service takes Sling from a good value to a great one.

Finally, Hulu + Live TV is the most expensive monthly subscription price among the three alternatives to DIRECTV STREAM for watching A&E, History, Lifetime and Vice. It also comes with the most to watch, offering nearly 100 channels, including local affiliates in most markets. Hulu + Live TV also includes no-cost access to the Disney Bundle for customers who sign up at $76.99 per month and higher, helping you save on Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ as well.