DirecTV Stream Review: Who’s it Best for in 2024?

The mass migration from cable and satellite TV to live TV streaming services continues. If you haven’t already made the jump, the thought has likely crossed your mind around the time you get your cable bill.

If you’re already a satellite subscriber, you’ve likely heard of DirecTV. But did you know they’ve got a streaming option as well? And there’s no long-term commitment or hardware required. It’s the most expensive streaming service on earth. And as of November 2023, it requires a 2-year contract, equipment rental, and $15 to $30 mandatory fees on top of the “base” price.

It’s almost not worth writing about, but our DirecTV Stream review looks at all the prices, key features, and most sought-after channels to help you decide if you’re the mark they’re looking for. Read on to see who DirecTV Stream is best for in 2024.

What is DirecTV Stream?

As mentioned above, DirecTV Stream is basically the online streaming version of the long-running satellite service, DirecTV. It used to be cheaper, but it now costs the same as the satellite version.

Launched in 2020 as AT&T TV, DirecTV Stream offers 8 plans (4 English and 4 Spanish) to choose from and is the most expensive streaming service on the market. But with regional sports networks (RSNs) not found on other streamers, a dedicated streaming device, and other features, it’s positioned as an ultra-premium service.

How much does DirecTV Stream cost in 2024?

Some streaming services keep things simple with a single plan. Some have 2 plans, while a choice between 3 plans is perhaps the most common. Setting itself apart from the crowd, DirecTV Stream has 4 English plans and 4 Spanish plans. Pricing starts at expensive, then goes up from there.

And if they weren’t already expensive enough after price hikes in January 2023, DirecTV Stream hiked up prices again.

But DirecTV frames this as a good thing!

“With a 2-year price guarantee, stop worrying about your TV bill and start watching.”

Mark Etingenius, DirecTV Stream

Entertainment: $84.99/month

• The essential channels for local TV, sports, news, and entertainment
• 60,000+ on-demand titles
• Number of TV channels: 90+
• Local TV: Big 4 networks, PBS, and more
• Ads (on-demand library): Yes
• User profiles: 1
• Cloud DVR: Unlimited
• Simultaneous screens: Unlimited at home, 3 on the go
• Quality: Up to 4K (but most up to 1080p HD)
• Annual Plan: None
• REQUIRES 2-year contract

Choice: $115.98/month

• Adds regional sports networks (RSNs) to the above
• 70,000+ on-demand titles
• Number of TV channels: 125+
• Local TV: Big 4 networks, PBS, and more
• Ads (on-demand library): Yes
• User profiles: 1
• Cloud DVR: Unlimited
• Simultaneous screens: Unlimited at home, 3 on the go
• Quality: Up to 4K (but most up to 1080p HD)
• Annual Plan: None
• REQUIRES 2-year contract

Ultimate: $145.98/month

• Adds more channels to the above
• 80,000+ on-demand titles
• Number of TV channels: 160+
• Local TV: Big 4 networks, PBS, and more
• Ads (on-demand library): Yes
• User profiles: 1
• Cloud DVR: Unlimited
• Simultaneous screens: Unlimited at home, 3 on the go
• Quality: Up to 4K (but most up to 1080p HD)
• Annual Plan: None
• REQUIRES 2-year contract

Premier: $190.98/month

• Adds Max, Showtime, STARZ, and Cinemax to the above
• 90,000+ titles on-demand
• Number of TV channels: 185+
• Local TV: Big 4 networks, PBS, and more
• Ads (on-demand library): Yes
• User profiles: 1
• Cloud DVR: Unlimited
• Simultaneous screens: Unlimited at home, 3 on the go
• Quality: Up to 4K (but most up to 1080p HD)
• Annual Plan: None
• REQUIRES 2-year contract

Óptimo Más: $105.98/month

• 80+ channels en Español and 125+ English channels
• Includes 1 Gemini device
• Around 1,000 title on-demand
• Number of TV channels: 100+ (55+ Spanish, 40+ English)
• Local TV: Big 4 networks, PBS, Telemundo, Univision, and more
• Ads (on-demand library): Yes
• User profiles: 1
• Cloud DVR: Unlimited
• Simultaneous screens: Unlimited at home, 3 on the go
• Quality: Up to 4K (but most up to 1080p HD)
• Annual Plan: None
• REQUIRES 2-year contract

On the DirecTV Stream website you’ll have the option to choose between using a satellite dish or your internet line. Until November 2023, the internet version was (a lot) cheaper than the satellite version. But of course, with cable TV in its DNA, DirecTV put an end to that.

It also killed the “no contracts” position that it boasted about until the fall of 2023. To get the lower (but still very high) monthly price, you need to sign up for a TWO YEAR CONTRACT.

Furthermore, you can be billed up to $480 for cancelling early.

In 2023 DirecTV Stream’s website boldly promised on its website: No contracts. No hidden fees. That was a lie then and the only reason it’s not a lie now is because those words are no longer on the website. Everything about DirecTV Stream is the antithesis of streaming.

There are now 4 overpriced Spanish plans. They all require a 24-month contract that comes with a steep penalty for cancelling early.

DirecTV Stream vs. the alternatives

We’ve already established that DirecTV Stream is the most expensive streaming option out there, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not for you. Here’s how it stacks up against other live TV streaming services.

For more details about any of the other services, check our in-depth reviews for each. If you’re a household with kids, we recommend checking out our Hulu + Live TV review.

What channels does DirecTV Stream have?

Local channels on DirecTV Stream

By “local channels” we mean the local affiliates of national broadcast television networks as well as independent television stations. Most people expect the Big 4 Networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX) from their live TV, although PBS, The CW, and Spanish-language networks are also popular.

DirecTV Stream more than delivers when it comes to local channels. (It and YouTube TV are currently the only streamers with PBS.)

• ABC
• CBS
• FOX
• NBC
• The CW
• PBS
• Telemundo
• Univision
• Independent stations in select markets

News channels on DirecTV Stream

Some of the most popular news channels currently available on DirecTV Stream are:

• CNBC, CNBC World
• CNN, CNN en Español, CNNi
• FOX Business, FOX News, FOX Weather
• MSNBC
• BBC News, C-SPAN, Cheddar News, The F1rst, Newsmax

Sports channels on DirecTV Stream

Some of the most popular (or hard to get) sports channels currently available on DirecTV Stream are:

• ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, ESPN Deportes
• FS1, FS2, FOX Deportes
• ACCN, BTN, SECN
• Select markets: NBC Sports RSN, MSG, YES Network, SNY
• CBS Sports Network, Golf Channel, Tennis Channel, TUDN
• MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network

Specialty channels on DirecTV Stream

Specialty channels do just that – specialize in a certain genre or type of programming. These include everything from food to history to comedy and more. We’ve grouped some popular channels together according to their type of specialty.

• A&E, Discovery, Food Network, History, HGTV
• CMT, MTV, VH1
• Comedy Central, Paramount Network, Syfy, Sundance TV
• National Geographic, Smithsonian Channel, TLC
• Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, PBS Kids

Generalist channels on DirecTV Stream

Generalist cable channels offer a range of programming, from movies to news to sports to TV shows. Just think of your typical basic cable channel. Here are some of the most popular generalist channels on DirecTV Stream:

• FreeForm
• FX
• TBS
• TNT
• USA

DirecTV Stream’s on-demand library

Like almost everything else with DirecTV Stream, the selection of movies and shows you can watch on-demand depends on your plan. The more you pay, the more you see. It’s not a streaming model that we like, but most people probably aren’t getting DirecTV Stream for the on-demand library.

The on-demand library is split into TV Shows and Movies, which are then categorized by genre. However, within the genres, titles are not in alphabetical order, so scrolling through them is truly just randomly browsing. It’s much better to know what you want to watch, then use the search function.

How big is DirecTV Stream’s on-demand library?

The on-demand library claims to start starts at 60,000+ titles with the Entertainment plan, then increases incrementally throughout the tiers until reaching 90,000 movies and shows. The Spanish plans only have around 1,000 titles on demand.

Take those numbers with grain of salt. Maybe even a handful of salt. The Premier plan had a lot of titles, but it didn’t seem like there were over 65,000 titles. And many of the titles were paywalled behind subscription add-ons.

Does DirecTV Stream’s on-demand library have ads?

We need to mention that DirecTV Stream’s on-demand library has unskippable ads. Regardless of which plan you have. Even if you’re coughing up $200/month for the Premier plan. You can’t skip past the ads and, unlike most streaming services, you can’t pay a little extra to get rid of them.

And there can be A LOT OF ADS. During the 49-minute premiere episode of The Walking Dead: Dead City, we counted 6 commercial breaks, ranging from 1 to 3 minutes in length for a total of 12 minutes and 45 seconds. That’s about 4 minutes of entertainment for every 1 minute of advertising. We also got 9 minutes of ads during a single episode of Law & Order: Organized Crime. Those came in 5 breaks of 30, 135, 120, 120, and 120 seconds.

BUT the number of ads all depends on where the show is coming from. Because DirecTV Stream doesn’t really have an on-demand library of its own. It simply acts as an intermediary between you and the libraries of other services, from TBS and USA Network to HBO, STARZ and beyond.

(Did we mention it’s owned by a cable company?)

Movies on demand

Some of the best and most popular movies on DirecTV Stream right now are:

• Aftersun
• Avatar: The Way of Water
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• Bodies Bodies Bodies
• Evil Dead Rise
• Everything Everywhere All at Once
• The Fabelmans
• Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
• Pearl
• Reality
• Three Thousand Years of Longing

TV shows on demand

DirecTV Stream excels at having past seasons of TV series you won’t find streaming anywhere else, such as Season 1 of the original Law & Order. Some of the most popular TV shows on DirecTV Stream right now are:

• 1883
• 1923
• Blue Bloods (13 seasons)
• From
• Outlander
• The Walking Dead: Dead City
• Tulsa King
• Yellowjackets
• Yellowstone (5 seasons)

Add-on channels and packages

Most live TV streaming services offer a lot more add-ons than on-demand streamers. These often include premium channels or channel bundles, as well as features like more simultaneous screens or increased cloud DVR space.

However, as all DirecTV Stream packages already include unlimited screens, DVR space, and (available) 4K content, the add-ons offered are all about channels. These make an already-expensive streaming service even more expensive, but there are some international channel bundles that you won’t find anywhere else.

Here are the current DirecTV Stream add-on channels, bundles, and prices as of Summer 2023.

Premium Channels

DirecTV Stream has a wide range of premium channels you can add à la carte to your subscription. Most of them are free for the first 3 months. They are priced as follows:

• ALLBLK: $5.99/month
• AMC+: $7.99/month (plus $2 oof your bill)
• Discovery+: $4.99/month
• Fox Nation: $5.99/month
• Max: $14.99/month
• Cinemax: $11/month
• Showtime: $11/month
• Starz: $11/month
• MGM+: $6/month

Movies Extra Pack​: $5/month

The DirecTV Stream Movies Extra Pack includes 9 additional channels spanning a range of interests and genres.

• Crime & Investigation
• Hallmark Drama HD
• Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
• HDNet Movies
• INSP
• MTV Live
• ShortsTV HD
• Smithsonian Channel
• Sony Movies

DirecTV Sports Pack​: $14.99/month

The DirecTV Sports Pack gets you 40+ sports networks (regional and specialty), although the RSNs still require the Choice plan or above. Channels include:

• ACC, Big Ten, Longhorn, and SEC Networks
• CBS Sports Network
• ESPNews
• ESPNU
• FanDuel TV (formerly TVG)
• FS2
• Golf Channel
• MLB Network
• MLB Strike Zone
• NBA TV
• Next Level Sports
• NFL Network
• NFL RedZone from NFL Network
• NHL Network
• Outdoor Channel
• Sportsman Channel
• Tennis Channel
• TUDN
• Willow, Willow Xtra

Deportes: $5/month

The Deportes plan gets you 5 Spanish-language sports channels for a buck each, which makes it one of the best deals among the DirecTV Stream bundles.

• TUDN
• TyC Sports
• Fox Deportes
• ESPN Deportes
• GolTV

Español: $15/month

The Español bundle gets you 14+ Spanish-language channels for about a buck a pop, including the following:

• Cinelatino
• CNN en Español
• Discovery en Español
• ESPN Deportes
• Estrella TV
• FOX Deportes
• Mega TV
• Peru Magico
• Sony Cine
• TeleCentro
• Telemundo
• TUDN
• TVV
• Univision

Brazilian: $30/month

The Brazilian channel bundle is the most expensive DirecTV Stream add-on, in terms of both price and value. The 2 channels you get cost 15 bucks a pop.

• V Globo
• SporTV

Vietnamese: $20/month

The Vietnamese channel bundle has 9 channels as of May 2023.

• Film 24H
• HONVIETV
• SBTN
• S Channel
• Tviet Network
• VGN TV
• Vien Thao TV
• Vietface TV
• VIETV

Korean: $30/month

The Korean add-on bundle has 11 channels as of May 2023.

• Arirang TV
• CTS
• EBS
• KBS America
• LifeS
• MBC
• MBN
• SBS
• SBS Plus
• TAN TV
• YTN

​​​​Cloud DVR and offline viewing for DirecTV Stream

DirecTV Stream Cloud DVR

You can record unlimited movies, TV shows, and events on DirecTV Stream. Recordings automatically expire after 9 months.

However, even though you have unlimited space, you are only allowed to record up to 30 episodes of a single TV show. So if you plan on recording all 4 seasons of Westworld, you’re out of luck—as there are 6 episodes too many.

For TV shows, you can choose to record the current episode or the entire series. (This option is not available with all shows.) You can also choose whether to record All Episodes or New Episodes. Keep in mind that as soon as you hit the episode limit, the oldest recorded episode gets automatically deleted first to make room for the next.

For sports, you can choose to Record This Game or Record Team, which means you’ll never miss a game.

Even though you may find plenty of your shows in the on-demand library, use your cloud DVR as much as possible. You can skip the ads in DVR recordings but you can’t skip ads in on-demand titles. After recording a show, you will sometimes see a choice on how to view it—via your recording or on demand. Choose your recording in order to skip the ads.

One other thing to keep in mind is that if you DVR record a show that’s already in process, it will NOT record from the beginning of the show, like some streamers do. You’ll get from where you press Record.

DirecTV Stream downloads and offline viewing

DirecTV Stream does not let you download your DVR recordings or any titles from the on-demand library.

DirecTV Stream interface and usability

Navigation

When you log in to DirecTV Stream, much like a regular old TV, it takes you to the last channel you watched. Clicking down (on Roku, Fire TV, and other streaming devices) brings up the Home screen navigation in an overlay on top of what you’re watching. The menu consists of Guide, Watch Now, My Library, Sports, and On Demand.

Selecting Guide takes you to a standard channel guide as you get with satellite, TV, and most live TV streaming services. The left sidebar has another menu for quick access to content categories: All, Recent, Favorites, Sports, Movies, Kids, and TV Shows. There are also options to Jump to Day (ie: a specific date) and toggle tween sorting channel alphabetically or by channel number.

Holding down the OK button on a channel’s name in the guide adds it to your Favorites for easy access in the future. While watching a channel, clicking left and right allows you to channel surf just like on a traditional TV set. Clicking up shows an overlay of recent channels while clicking the back button returns you to the channel guide.

Navigating to the My Library page is a quick way to access your content, with categorized rows for your DVR Recordings, your Purchases and rentals, and Bookmarks.

Playback controls

You’ll find the controls to be similar to what you find with satellite or cable TV. But when you press the Play/Pause button on your remote, you’ll a menu bar along the bottom of the screen with more options. There are buttons to Seek (one for each direction), Skip (back 15 seconds or ahead 30 seconds), Record, toggle Closed Captioning, and change the Channel up or down.

The responsiveness and accuracy of rewinding and fast-forwarding is not great, but it’s not as bad as some other streaming services.

Language settings

You can select your preferred language in account settings. 

For Audio Description (AD), DirecTV Stream also supports the Descriptive Video Service (DVS) on select programs in Spanish, English, and other languages. 

DirecTV Stream account sharing and simultaneous screens

How many people can watch DirecTV Stream at once?

You can watch DirecTV Stream on an unlimited number of devices that are connected to your home network. You can also watch up to 3 devices on the go (ie: not on your home network). Most streamers limit these on-the-go screens to mobile devices, but DirecTV Streams allows 2 of your on-the-go screens to be living room devices (ie: something connected to a TV).

How many profiles can you make on DirecTV Stream?

DirecTV Stream doesn’t let you create profiles, so you essentially get one – your account. 

This is very user-unfriendly, especially in 2024. Nearly all streamers let you create multiple profiles so everyone in your household can have their own favorites and viewing history. Profiles also the foundation of Parental Controls. Profiles have become so common, they’re a standard feature, and not allowing them may be a deal-breaker for a lot of people.

DirecTV Stream supported devices

The range of DirecTV Stream compatible devices is rather weak, especially when considering what a subscription costs. There are no native apps for game consoles, smart home devices, cable boxes, or computer OSes. 

• Media players: DirecTV’s Gemini device, Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast
• Cable/Satellite STBs: None
• Phones & tablets: Android, iOS
• Smart TVs: Android TV, Samsung, Telly TV
• Smart home: None
• Game consoles: None
• Desktops & laptops: Major web browsers

DirecTV Stream streaming quality

Earlier this year DirecTV Stream began (slowly) rolling out 4K programming. It’s available on a few channels (104, 105, 106) to subscribers with select devices, like DirecTV’s Gemini device and select Roku devices.

However, most of the content you’ll be watching maxes out at 1080p HD. Granted, most live TV isn’t in 4K, so you’re not missing out on much yet. 4K is mostly still about a streamer’s on-demand library, which is not what you should be subscribing to DirecTV Stream for. All of the live TV and on-demand content we watched was top quality.

The audio depends on the channel you’re watching, but they are typically in or PCM 2.0 or Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound (DD5.1).

Is there a DirecTV Stream free trial?

The free trial comes and goes, and it’s usually a 5-day free trial and it applies to any of the packages. You can also try the following premium channels for free (which you get free for 3 months if you decide to stick around):

• Max
• Cinemax
• STARZ
• Showtime
• MGM+

Keep in mind that canceling your free trial with DirecTV Stream is not simply done with a click on your remote. You need to log in on your computer to do so. However, the good news is that you’re no longer forced to chat with a customer service rep to cancel your service, as was the case until last year.

As of April 2024, the DirecTV Stream free trial is on hiatus.

Verdict: Who is DirecTV Stream good for in 2024?

Before getting into who the streamer is best suited for, we feel we should reiterate and make clear that we really don’t like that DirecTV Stream can be so easily confused with DirecTV via Internet. It borders on is essentially deceptive sales and marketing. But putting that aside, we think DirecTV Stream can still be a good choice for some people out there.

If you’re looking for the same cable or satellite TV experience that you’ve grown accustomed to, it may be right for you. But you get all of that experience, including tons of ads and a high monthly fee.

DirecTV Stream is still a good choice for college sports fans and sports fans who need particular RSNs. It’s also fine for sports fans with money to burn. It’s still got more RSNs than any other streaming service – for now. However, its claim to being the only streamer with Bally Sports came to an end in February when Fubo added Bally Sports RSNs to its lineup. And we can only assume the streaming landscape will keep on changing the way it always does.

It might also appeal to bilingual or Spanish-speaking households as the Óptimo Más plan has more Spanish-language live-TV channels than competing streamers. However, it’s $75/month while YouTube TV and Vidgo have Spanish-language plans for $35 and $40/month, respectively. And ViX is free.

DirecTV Stream has a lot to offer. And it should, considering what it costs. If you’ve got money to burn and enjoy the cable company experience, it might very well be the streaming service for you.

The streamer is majority-owned by AT&T and it acts like it. Just picture a cable company in streaming land and that’s what you’re signing up for. When it comes down to it, we think there are better options out there to spend your money on.