If you are a cord-cutter who is into sports, you’re going to want to get to know Fubo and DIRECTV STREAM. Both live TV streaming services are loaded with more sports channels than the rest of the competition, but keep in mind, both are priced accordingly. They’re not cheap, but sports fans can count on getting their money’s worth. Fubo features nearly 300 channels, many of which are dedicated to international futbol (or soccer for the Yanks). But it’s also missing several staple entertainment channels, including TNT, TBS, CNN, A&E, History, Lifetime, and AMC. It’s not a complete replacement for traditional cable or satellite TV, but Fubo still carries an impressive selection of channels.

DIRECTV STREAM, on the other hand, is DIRECTV satellite TV service in streaming form. It carries almost the exact same channels (up to 200) as its satellite counterpart but without the two-year contracts and requisite gear (like a roof dish and receiver box). It’s also essentially priced the same as the DIRECTV satellite service, so it’s not any more of a budget streamer than Fubo is.

Fubo vs. DIRECTV STREAM: Which is right for you?

The Essentials

Price

Fubo offers three separate monthly plans: Essential (212 channels for $85 per month), Pro (212 channels for $85 per month), and Elite (293 channels for $95 per month), with several add-on channel packs available. In addition to different channel offerings, the difference amongst these three plans is that the latter two also require a regional sports fee. Depending on how many regional sports networks (RSNs) that you have in your market, this could cost you up to $17 more per month. However, the Essential package doesn’t carry any RSNs, so there is no additional cost involved beyond the $85 per month.

DIRECTV STREAM features four tiers to choose from: Entertainment ($87 per month), Choice ($115 per month), Ultimate ($130 per month), and Premier ($170 per month). Channel completist alert: The Premier plan is a deluxe viewing package with 200 channels, including premium channels HBO, Cinemax, Paramount+ with Showtime, and Starz. DIRECTV has also introduced slimmed-down genre-specific packages. These range from $35 to $40 per month, and while they do provide some of the most in-demand channels, these packages are designed less for someone looking for a complete cable replacement, and more for consumers focused specifically on a more narrow type of content streaming.

Overall Channels

For the price, there are significant holes in Fubo’s channel lineups — you won’t find (channels TNT, TBS, CNN, A&E, History, Lifetime, AMC) here, just to name a few. However, find more sports channels than you’ve probably never heard of, including RSNs, college ball channels, and plenty of international soccer.

DIRECTV STREAM carries every popular channel you’d want in its Choice and above plans; the Entertainment tier isn’t worth much consideration due to its random channel holes. All of DIRECTV STREAM’s plans include multiple Music Choice audio-only channels to artificially inflate their numbers, FYI.

Popular Channels

Local Channels

Both Fubo and DIRECTV STREAM carry local affiliate stations for ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, and The CW in most areas, but only DTV STREAM carries PBS — something for “Miss Scarlet & The Duke” devotees to consider.

Sports Channels

Pro Sports Channels

Besides ESPN, FS1, and CBS Sports Network, Fubo also carries a full lineup of beIN Sports channels and regional sports networks (RSNs) that cover up to 98% of the United States. But, NBA and [NH]L fans should consider the absence of channels like TNT, TBS, and truTV, none carried by Fubo.

DIRECTV STREAM also gets you plenty of pro sports — especially when you add the $15 a month Sports Pack to your lineup. Again, the Entertainment tier doesn’t offer much in the way of sports, and if you’re looking for the longtime DIRECTV staple NFL Sunday Ticket, it’s now only available on YouTube TV (change comes for us all).

College Sports Channels

Fubo carries a handful of college sports channels, including the ACC Network, Big Ten Network, and SEC Network. To watch ESPNU and ACC Network, though, you’d need Fubo’s Sports Plus add-on channel pack.

On the college sports tip, DIRECTV STREAM carries ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, ESPNU, SEC Network, and more, none of which are relegated to the Sports Pack add-on.

Pro and College Sports Channels

Regional Sports Channels

Fubo has a deep bench of RSNs, including FanDuel Sports Networks (formerly Bally Sports RSNs), NBC Sports Boston, NESN, Chicago Sports Network, Marquee Sports Network, SportsNet Pittsburgh, and Space City Home Network. AT&T SportsNet and Spectrum Sports RSNs aren’t streaming on Fubo.

DIRECTV STREAM’s RSN lineup features over 30 channels, including FanDuel Sports Networks, ROOT Sports Northwest, Monumental Sports Network, NBC Sports Bay Area, NBC Sports Boston, and NBC Sports California — but only in its Choice, Ultimate, and Premier plans.

Included Features

On-Demand Library

Both Fubo and DIRECTV STREAM let you watch TV shows and movies that you may have forgotten to DVR as on-demand selections, usually accompanied by the inconvenience of unskippable ads. DIRECTV also allows you to rent or buy movies, as you can with Prime Video; Fubo doesn’t.

Add-On Channel Packages

Fubo offers six sports add-on channel packs, including International Sports Plus (international soccer and more for $7 a month), Sports Plus with NFL RedZone (RedZone and NCAA games for $11 a month), and Adventure Plus (racing and extreme sports for $5 a month). You can also subscribe to NBA League Pass and MLB.TV through Fubo.

Besides Sports Plus, Fubo’s add-on channel packs include Fubo Extra and News Plus (both included with Fubo’s Elite plan), as well as Fubo Select (movies and documentaries) and five Spanish- and Portuguese-language packages. You can also add Paramount+ with Showtime, Starz, and MGM+ individually or as a discounted bundle for $20 monthly. Fox Nation, Hallmark+, TV5MONDE (French sports and entertainment), and RAI Italia (Italian sports and entertainment) add-ons are also available.

In addition to the Sports Pack, DIRECTV STREAM offers a handful of channel packs and optional add-on premium channels, including Max, Cinemax, MGM+, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, STARZ, AMC+, and discovery+.

DVR

Fubo and DIRECTV STREAM both feature unlimited cloud DVR storage that keeps your recorded TV shows and movies for up to nine months.

Simultaneous Streams and 4K

Fubo gives you 10 simultaneous streams within a home network for TVs, smartphones, tablets, and laptops. That seems generous until you learn that DIRECTV STREAM lets you stream on unlimited devices in your home network.

Fubo offers 4K high-def streaming for select if your streaming device and TV support it. Similarly, DIRECTV STREAM features three 4K channels dedicated to movies, TV shows, and sports events

Device Compatibility

Fubo vs. DIRECTV STREAM: Which Is Right for You?

Simply put, Fubo is missing too many basic entertainment channels to justify the price tag to keep an entire household happy, especially since TNT and TBS are so important for sports fans. Unless your household is made up entirely of soccer hooligans — if your futbol knowledge begins and ends with that Wrexham club owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney — Fubo might not be for you.

DIRECTV STREAM may be expensive, but it offers everything you’d want in a replacement for satellite or cable TV service (as long as you go with the Choice, Ultimate, or Premier plans). It covers sports, entertainment, news, kids, and local content equally well with no missing channels, and it now offers you the ability to be hyper focused on specific genres if your entertainment needs narrow.