DIRECTV STREAM Review 2025: Fat Channel Lineups and Fatter Price Tags

Is DIRECTV STREAM any good?

DIRECTV STREAM plans and pricing: More channels, more money

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See full disclaimer for details.

DIRECTV STREAM prices and channel counts are slightly lower than those of DIRECTV satellite. The big difference? DIRECTV STREAM delivers your channels over the internet via the DIRECTV app or website, while DIRECTV uses a satellite dish and the Gemini receiver.

Although DIRECTV STREAM discloses tax and fee information in small print and in the checkout process, I’ll call it out here so you know actual plan costs before signing up:

The CHOICE and ULTIMATE plans include regional sports network (RSN) fees up to $17.99 monthly (depending on your location). Also, every plan has an Advanced Receiver Service fee of $15.00 monthly. You’ll also pay taxes on the total amount, so there’s more (about 30–41% more) to DIRECTV STREAM prices than the advertised plan cost.

For me, those fees are a dealbreaker. I’d go with YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV, two services with healthy channel lineups and none of these hidden charges (except taxes). But again, sports fans might think the high DIRECTV STREAM prices are worth it given its stellar sports content.

DIRECTV STREAM deals and promotions: bill credits, free premiums

DIRECTV STREAM typically offers a decent amount of sign-up deals and promotions. Here are its most vibrant deals happening now:

• Bill credit offer: For a limited time, when you sign up for the CHOICE, ULTIMATE, or PREMIER package, you will save $10/mo. off your monthly bill for two years.
• Free premium channels: New DIRECTV STREAM subscribers can get free premium channels, including Max^TM, SHOWTIME^®, STARZ^®, CINEMAX, and MGM+^TM, on select plans for three months.

DIRECTV STREAM vs. the competition

I compiled this table so you can compare at a glance key stats for DIRECTV STREAM and competing live TV streaming services. For a deeper dive into DIRECTV STREAM and its competitors, see my expert guide to the best live TV streaming services.

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See full disclaimer for details.

Watch 185+ live TV channels with DIRECTV STREAM

• ENTERTAINMENT ($84.99/mo., 90+ channels): A solid selection of popular entertainment, news, sports, and local channels—plus an extra 90+ FAST channels via MyFree DIRECTV. Best for people who watch TV, but not obsessively, and for folks on a budget.
• CHOICE^TM ($79.99/mo., 125+ channels): Everything in ENTERTAINMENT, plus specialty sports channels (ACCN, Big Ten Network, MLB Network, NBA TV, and more) and regional sports networks (fee applies). Best for average households with varied interests.
• ULTIMATE ($109.99/mo., 160+ channels): Everything in CHOICE, plus additional entertainment and sports channels (CBS Sports Network, Discovery Family, NHL Network, STARZ ENCORE, and more). Best for larger households and sports fanatics.
• PREMIER^TM ($154.99/mo., 185+ channels): Everything in ULTIMATE, including streaming services Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, STARZ, and Cinemax. Recommended for movie lovers and those who want—and can afford—the service’s top-tier experience.

DIRECTV STREAM channel lineup

I’ve compiled this very long DIRECTV STREAM channel lineup table so you can see which channels are in each package. Use the linked numbers and letters (or CTRL-F) to locate your favorite channels.

Note: Where you see “$,” the channel is available as a premium add-on.

Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. See full disclaimer for details.

DIRECTV STREAM has 65,000 on-demand movies and shows

In addition to live TV channels, DIRECTV STREAM plans include tens of thousands of on-demand movies and shows. These typically come from the networks included in your channel package, so some—but not all—have ads or are edited for broadcast. I was surprised—and disappointed—to encounter those. Fortunately, DIRECTV STREAM labels each title with its source, so it’s getting easier to recognize which titles are censored.

DIRECTV STREAM premium add-ons and channel packs

DIRECTV STREAM also has the following premium add-ons and streaming services. If any of these are part of a promotion (like three-months of free premiums), you won’t be charged until the promotional period ends.

Add-ons marked with an asterisk (*) reflect monthly bill credits of $2.00–$3.00/mo. I don’t see an expiration date for these offers, but if something changes, you can cancel these at any time.

DIRECTV STREAM specs and features: Load up that DVR

DIRECTV STREAM has several features equal to streaming industry favorites like YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV. Below, we’ll break down everything from DIRECTV STREAM’s cloud DVR storage to compatible devices.

Cloud DVR

DIRECTV STREAM now offers unlimited cloud DVR storage for nine months. Competitors like YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV also feature unlimited cloud DVR storage for nine months, so don’t let recording all your favorite shows tie you to DIRECTV STREAM. You’ve got options, dear reader.

Simultaneous streams

Is DIRECTV STREAM easy to use?

Yes. In my tests, the highly rated DIRECTV STREAM app (4.6 out of 5.0 on both Google Play and the Apple App Store) provided an easy, intuitive user experience across several platforms (testing details coming up shortly).

The DIRECTV app works with Android/iOS, Amazon, Apple, Chromecast, NVIDIA, Peloton, Roku, select smart TVs (Google/Android, Roku, and Samsung), and all major internet browsers. So, chances are, you already own a compatible device.

Unfortunately, there is no gaming console support—but the DIRECTV app works with the Apple Vision Pro virtual reality device and select Peloton models.

The DIRECTV device compatibility page has details like device model numbers and operating system requirements. But I’d be remiss not to mention DIRECTV STREAM’s new Gemini Air device

DIRECTV Gemini Air streaming device

Testing details

For the last month, I’ve tested DIRECTV STREAM on various streaming devices (Roku Ultra, NVIDIA SHIELD TV Pro, Apple TV 4K), mobile devices (Lenovo laptop, Samsung smartphone), smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Bolva), and internet connections (our office Wi-Fi and my home Google Fiber connection).

I encountered some buffering issues on my laptop and phone when using the office Wi-Fi, probably because of traffic on the network. Otherwise, only the Apple TV 4K gave me real trouble, freezing while loading. I plan to troubleshoot this more, but my hunch is that our older Apple TV 4K is no longer compatible with the DIRECTV app.

User interface

DIRECTV STREAM looks and functions almost identically to regular DIRECTV, right down to the interface and channel selection. But there are big visual and functional differences in browsers and on mobile compared to streaming devices.

In browsers and on mobile devices, the look is sterile and white. On the NVIDIA SHIELD TV Pro and Roku Ultra, it’s sleeker in dark blue and black. I much prefer the latter look.

As for features, the standout is the Sports Central menu, which collects all of DIRECTV STREAM’s sports content and lets you select up to 32 favorite teams for live game scores.

Video and audio quality

What do real customers think of DIRECTV STREAM?

In our 2025 customer satisfaction survey, DIRECTV STREAM customers gave the service the second-lowest overall satisfaction score (74%, for the second year in a row). Still, customers were enthused about certain aspects of the service:

• 85% of DIRECTV STREAM customers love the user experience.
• 81% are satisfied with its channel offerings.
• 79% plan to continue subscribing to DIRECTV STREAM.
• 77% would recommend the service to friends and family.
• 66% would pay even more for DIRECTV STREAM.

That said, DIRECTV STREAM’s high prices and aggravating cable/satellite TV business practices do appear to be worth it for a certain type of user, probably sports fans who enjoy the service’s sports channel lineup and sportsball-friendly features.

DIRECTV STREAM FAQ

Why you should trust our DIRECTV STREAM review

I’ve spent more than five years covering DIRECTV, DIRECTV STREAM, and competing TV providers and live TV streaming services. For this DIRECTV STREAM review, I drew on past experience and spent a week with the app, doing hands-on testing and rigorous research to ensure accuracy. I evaluated DIRECTV STREAM’s prices, sign-up process, channel lineup, features, and performance. All recommendations and insights come from my first-hand experience and testing, which I cross-referenced with CableTV.com’s existing live TV streaming service coverage.

Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.

Disclaimer

ENTERTAINMENT: for 24 months + taxes & fees ($89.99/mo. w/ req’d 15/mo. ARS fee) w/24-mo. agmt.
CHOICE™: for 24 months + taxes & fees ($104.98/mo. w/ req’d $15/mo. ARS fee & Regional Sports Fee of $9.99/mo.) w/24-mo. agmt. Price reflects $10 off for 24 mos.
ULTIMATE: for 24 months + taxes & fees ($134.98/mo. w/ req’d $15/mo. ARS fee & Regional Sports Fee of $9.99/mo.) w/24-mo. agmt. Price reflects $10 off for 24 mos.
PREMIER: for 24 months + taxes & fees ($179.98/mo. w/ req’d $15/mo. ARS fee & Regional Sports Fee of $9.99/mo.) w/24-mo. agmt. Price reflects $10 off for 24 mos.
ÓPTIMO MÁS™: for 24 mos. + taxes & fees ($94.99/mo. w/ req’d fees) w/ 24-mo. agmt. AutoPay and Paperless Bill req’d.