I’ve tried nearly every TV streaming service under the sun. I’ve known about DIRECTV STREAM for a long time, but I’ve never given it a spin until now. And as a first-time user, I have to say, I’m impressed. Here’s what I encountered in my first 24 hours.
A Strong Channel Lineup
DIRECTV STREAM puts its channels front and center for good reason. They offer more important channels than any other live TV streamer. Right now, they’re offering a ridiculous deal where you can get $30 or $39 off their monthly packages for your first three months.
The channel lineup is actually overwhelming. DIRECTV STREAM has all the channels I want, and several I don’t. I think it’s a mistake to bloat the lineup with widely-available free channels like Nosey, The Bob Ross Channel, and Love Nature.
Thankfully, you can “favorite” the important channels and DIRECTV STREAM lets you keep those in an easily-accessible menu section.
If you’re cutting the cord and abandoning cable for the first time, DIRECTV STREAM will feel familiar. You don’t have to sacrifice channels to save on price.
Unbeatable Sports Channels
I’m a football fan, so the lineup has my most important channels: ESPN and NFL Network. The Sports Pack with NFL RedZone is free to start, and that’s my favorite way to spend Sundays.
College fans will find a lot to love with ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, ESPNU, SEC Network, and truTV.
If you follow a baseball, basketball, or hockey team that airs on a regional sports network, DIRECTV STREAM checks that box as well. They have Altitude, SportsNet Pittsburgh, Bally Sports Detroit, Bally Sports Florida, Bally Sports Great Lakes, Bally Sports Indiana, Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports Midwest, Bally Sports New Orleans, Bally Sports North, Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports Oklahoma, Bally Sports SoCal, Bally Sports South, Bally Sports Southeast, Bally Sports Southwest, Bally Sports Sun, Bally Sports West, Bally Sports Wisconsin, Chicago Sports Network, Marquee Sports Network, MASN, MASN2, Monumental Sports Network, MSG, MSG Sportsnet, NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Boston, NBC Sports California, NBC Sports Chicago, NESN, Rockies.TV Channel, Root Sports Northwest, Space City Home Network, Spectrum SportsNet, Spectrum SportsNet LA, SportsNet NY, and YES Network.
Throw in Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, and NHL Network and you’ve got everything a sports fan needs. They even carry Willow TV for cricket fans.
A Favorable Free Trial
Because DIRECTV STREAM can be a pricey option, it’s great that they have a no-risk 5-day free trial. I’m able to play around with the service and get familiar with the pros and cons, then choose whether I want to proceed.
So Many Free Extras
When you sign up for DIRECTV STREAM, they throw so many bonuses your way. I’ve never seen another streamer work that hard to gain my business. It’s like when you try to leave your family’s house on Thanksgiving and they keep loading you up with leftovers.
I decided to grab the biggest channel package they have and all the freebies and here’s what I was looking at when I got to the checkout page.
They’re giving me free Cinemax, HBO, MGM+, Parmount+ with SHOWTIME, and Starz. That includes all the offshoot channels like HBO Comedy and Showtime Family Zone.
I also get the Sports Pack for free, which includes Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, Next Level Sports, FanDuel TV, Fox Sports 2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network, NFL RedZone, NHL Network, Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, Tennis Channel, and Willow TV.
Take note, other streaming services. This is how you wow a new customer.
The Smart, Fast Interface
I’ve been impressed with the DIRECTV STREAM menu system so far. It remembers the channels you visited most recently, and allows you to access them easily at multiple navigation points.
The “home” screen is nice because you can continue watching a show while browsing other options.
I’ve used some live streamers where it’s easy to get “lost” while trying to navigate. No matter which direction you go with your remote, DIRECTV seems to have anticipated the kind of behavior you might be trying to accomplish.
The menu interface allows you to sort content by Kids, Sports, Movies, and more.
If you’re the kind of person who wants channel numbers, DIRECTV supplies them. It’s a nice touch for older viewers who like that navigation ability.
The service is also very responsive to my remote. Some live streamers have a lag after a button click, leading to further rage-clicking. DIRECTV works incredibly well when navigating, rewinding, or fast-forwarding. I haven’t had it crash once since I started using it, unlike frequent crashers Sling TV and Fubo.
Tuning In Late? Start Over!
I cover streaming services for a living and I didn’t know DIRECTV STREAM had a restart feature. As you scroll the channel lineup, you’ll see a helpful little “back arrow” icon on any shows or movies that allow you to start watching from the beginning. (You probably won’t be able to fast-forward through commercials this way.)
Some other streamers do allow you to start shows from the beginning, but DIRECTV is the first I’ve seen that makes that option so highly visible. It’s a great touch.
Room for Improvement
I’m surprised how much I like DIRECTV STREAM. It’s not perfect, however. I wish we had the option for multiview like Fubo or YouTube TV.
The service has a couple of 4K channels, but those seem to be programmed with whatever DIRECTV chooses, so it’s not like other streamers that simply allow 4K viewing on NBC or FOX when available. The channel guide only says “To Be Announced” on the 4K live channels, so it’s unclear what will be available.
Because DIRECTV STREAM offers so many channels, I wish they offered the ability to remove a channel from the lineup. I don’t need The Scientology Channel clogging my channel guide.
DIRECTV STREAM vs. The Competition
| Feature | DIRECTV STREAM | YouTube TV | Hulu Live TV | Sling TV | Fubo | Philo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base Price | $79.99 | $72.99 | $76.99 | $40 | $94.99 | $28 |
| Base Channels | 202 | 114 | 106 | 49 | 178 | 75 |
| Max Channels | 265 | 166 | 143 | 143 | 206 | 85 |
| Local Channels | Yes | Yes | Yes | In select markets | Yes | No |
| Sports Channels | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Regional Sports Networks | 38 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| DVR | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 50 Hours (upgradable) | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| On-Demand Services | No | No | Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+ | No | No | No |
| Free channels | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free Trial | 5 Days | Yes | 3 Days | No | 7 Days | 7 Days |
DIRECTV STREAM vs. Hulu Live TV
Hulu Live TV offers 33 of the 35 top cable channels, though you’d lose AMC and WE tv.
While Hulu does offer Monumental Sports Network, NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Boston, NBC Sports California, NBC Sports Chicago, NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBC Sports Philadelphia+, and SportsNet NY, you should choose DIRECTV if you want the Bally Sports networks, Altitude, Marquee Sports Network, MASN, MASN2, MSG, MSG Sportsnet, NESN, Rockies.TV Channel, Root Sports Northwest, Space City Home Network, Spectrum SportsNet, Spectrum SportsNet LA, SportsNet Pittsburgh, and YES Network.
Hulu Live TV does give you free Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu, and that’s a fantastic bonus. It is raising its price in October.
Full Comparison: DIRECTV STREAM vs. Hulu Live TV ►
DIRECTV STREAM vs. YouTube TV
YouTube TV is the most popular live TV streamer because it does a lot of things very well. It’s probably the closest service to DIRECTV STREAM. However, it doesn’t carry AMC and WE tv.
For regional sports, you only get Monumental Sports Network, NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Boston, NBC Sports California, NBC Sports Chicago, NBC Sports Philadelphia, and NBC Sports Philadelphia+, so DIRECTV is a better choice.
There’s nothing wrong with YouTube TV, but it’s about the same price as DIRECTV STREAM, and it doesn’t have as many channels.
Full Comparison: DIRECTV STREAM vs. YouTube TV ►
DIRECTV STREAM vs. Sling TV
Sling TV is our go-to live streamer for viewers on a budget. It’s so flexible with multiple channel packages. If you just care about live TV, it’s a fine choice.
Unlike DIRECTV, Sling does not offer Disney Junior, FXX, Hallmark Channel, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, VH1, and WE tv.
Sling doesn’t offer CBS in any package, and the availability of NBC, FOX, and ABC depends on your location. It worked very well for me in Chicago, but I had access to all three of those channels. Not everyone does.
Full Comparison: DIRECTV STREAM vs. Sling TV ►
DIRECTV STREAM vs. Fubo
Fubo is the only other live streamer to offer the Bally Sports networks, and you get them on the base Fubo package (unlike DIRECTV). Our main complaint with Fubo is the price. Despite what’s advertised on their site, you’ll run into a hidden regional sports fee that makes it prohibitively expensive.
With Fubo, you also miss out on A&E, AMC, Cartoon Network, CNN, Discovery, Food Network, HGTV, History, Investigation Discovery, Lifetime, TBS, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, truTV, and WE tv.
I do love Fubo’s customizable multiview on Apple TV. It also crashes at least once an hour, which is frustrating.
Full Comparison: DIRECTV STREAM vs. Fubo ►
DIRECTV STREAM vs. Philo
Philo and DIRECTV STREAM really aren’t in the same league. Philo appeals to casual entertainment viewers who don’t need news, sports, or local channels. DIRECTV STREAM opens the floodgates to nearly every channel imaginable.
Still, Philo is a great deal if you’re looking for “background” TV, or if you already use an antenna for local and network content.
Final Thoughts
As a streaming expert, it’s easy to be jaded when sampling a new platform, but I’m genuinely impressed by DIRECTV STREAM’s offering. The channel lineup is great, the current intro offer is more generous than most packages I can remember, and it’s got an unlimited DVR and 20 simultaneous streams at home.
The picture is bright and beautiful.
Navigation is easy and fast. The service never crashed on me. It looks nice. It allows for some customization. It works well on mobile devices.
There’s no contract involved, so you can try it for yourself with a 5-day free trial.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM is The Streamable’s choice for the best live TV streaming service for users who want the most channels. With an unbeatable lineup of local, news, sports, and entertainment channels, four main channel packages, an unlimited DVR, and 20 simultaneous streams at home, DIRECTV STREAM is a great choice for any cord-cutter. Prices will be increasing October 6, 2024.