Why Was DIRECTV STREAM The Only Live TV Streaming Service to Gain Subscribers in Q1?
Pay-TV saw over 2 million customers cancel their subscriptions in the first quarter, but DIRECTV STREAM stood apart by adding viewers.
No matter which angle the issue is examined from, cable TV is in trouble. MoffettNathanson has published a new report outlining the struggles cable has gone through in recent months, and the data makes it clear that even the most successful providers like are suffering. YouTube TV lost subscribers for the first time in the first quarter of 2024, and pay-TV as a whole shed millions of viewers in that time. But as Sportico reports, DIRECTV STREAM was the only live TV streaming service or linear cable channel distributor to add customers during the quarter; I’ll dig into why that might be, and what other services can do to catch up (if anything).
Key Details:
- DIRECTV STREAM’s ability to distribute MLB games may have given it a leg up in Q1.
- Fubo continues to drop channels, and YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV don’t carry regional sports networks, which likely helped DIRECTV STREAM.
- Unlimited at-home streams, Cloud DVR and a huge channel lineup are just a few reasons DIRECTV STREAM is one of our favorite services.
The start of baseball season could have been a big advantage for DIRECTV STREAM in the first quarter. The service has built a solid reputation as a good platform for watching baseball thanks to the wide array of regional and national sports channels available. DIRECTV STREAM carries a big number of regional sports networks (RSNs), including Bally Sports channels in its CHOICE package, and offers MLB partner networks like ESPN, FS1 and TBS in all of its plans.
That seems like a big reason for the success of DIRECTV STREAM in the first quarter of the year, while all other live TV streaming competitors shed viewers. Fubo is the only other live TV service to carry a large amount of RSNs, but customers have to pay a good deal extra for the privilege; Fubo charges an extra $11.99 per month for viewers with one RSN in their area, and $14.99 per month for customers that have two or more.
Fubo has also been ditching content left and right since 2024 began. First, the streamer cut loose 19 channels owned by Warner Bros. Discovery as a part of its ongoing fight against the Venu Sports joint venture streaming service, which WBD a member of. Fubo also failed to reach new carriage deals with SportsNet NY in April, as well as Monumental Sports Network just last week. That means Fubo customers can no longer watch New York Mets or Washington Mystics games, and come the fall they’ll be missing the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards too. Fans could well be forgiven for wondering why they’d opt for Fubo given the streamer is charging more and more for less content.
What Features Make DIRECTV STREAM So Popular?
It’s not just the wide availability of sports channels that makes DIRECTV STREAM a hot choice among cord cutters. The service has a bigger variety of high-demand cable channels available than any other service, from top news channels like CNN, Fox News and MSNBC to entertainment networks such as AMC, Bravo, FX and USA Network, as well as local affiliates of broadcast channels like ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC in the vast majority of markets in the United States.
DIRECTV STREAM also makes itself incredibly easy to watch, which sounds simple but isn’t all that easy to pull off in reality. The service offers a classic channel guide and easy-to-browse interface, and it allows for unlimited simultaneous streams inside the subscriber’s household, so families don’t have to worry about getting hitting their limit and not being able to watch a sports game or new TV episode because too many other people in the house are watching DIRECTV STREAM.
The satellite-free service also has unlimited Cloud DVR, so viewers can record as many shows, sports games or movies as they want and keep the recordings for up to 90 days. Previously, DIRECTV STREAM didn’t allow customers to record more than 30 episodes of a given program at a time, but that cap is currently being removed for new and existing customers of the service.
The flexibility of DIRECTV STREAM is also a big plus among viewers. The service has multiple add-on channel packs that let customers get even more entertainment, sports or news, and even lets viewers subscribe to premium streaming services on their same monthly bill. New DIRECTV STREAM viewers can get three months of services like Max, Cinemax, STARZ and others for free when they sign up!
DIRECTV STREAM likes to put the power of choice in your hands. Want a Gemini streaming player so you can access on-demand streaming apps like Netflix and Disney+ alongside your favorite cable channels? No problem! Need to upgrade your plan to get more channels? Easy enough, especially since DIRECTV STREAM doesn’t force viewers to sign up for long-term contracts. DIRECTV STREAM is one of our favorite live TV streaming services for all these reasons, and it appears that video customers by and large agreed with that sentiment in the first quarter of 2024.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM is a live TV streaming service, which is essentially the streaming version of the DIRECTV service. All packages include local channels and at least 31 of the top 35 cable channels. New subscribers can get a free Gemini streaming device from the company, in which case the service is called “DIRECTV via Internet.”