Price: $69.99–$149.99/mo. (plus tax)
Channels: 75–150+
Cloud DVR storage: 20 hrs.
Streams: 3–unlimited
DIRECTV STREAM is a good live TV streaming service, but it’s pricier than most of the others we’ve reviewed at CableTV.com. Still, if you like the fat channel lineups of satellite TV and don’t mind an equally fat monthly bill, DIRECTV STREAM could be the luxury live TV streamer for you.
DIRECTV STREAM is the latest in a long line of rebrands for AT&T/DIRECTV’s live TV streaming service, formerly known as AT&T TV, AT&T TV NOW, DIRECTV NOW, AT&T Watch TV, AT&T U-verse, and probably some others we missed over a lunch break. It’s been a long streaming journey.
As with its previous makeovers, DIRECTV STREAM is less of an improvement on its live TV streaming service than a continuation with a new skin. It still delivers some of the highest channel counts in streaming, but it also costs about the same as satellite TV service—which kind of skirts the unspoken “streaming is cheaper than traditional TV” rule.
DIRECTV STREAM usually offers a decent amount of sign-up deals and promotions. Here are its most vibrant deals:
| Plan | Price | Channels | Streams | Cloud DVR | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIRECTV STREAM ENTERTAINMENT | $69.99/mo. (plus tax) | 75+ | 3 (unlimited inside home network) | 20 hrs. (Unlimited, $10.00/mo.) | View plans |
| DIRECTV STREAM CHOICE | $79.99/mo. (plus tax) | 105+ | 3 (unlimited inside home network) | 20 hrs. (Unlimited, $10.00/mo.) | View plans |
| DIRECTV STREAM ULTIMATE | $94.99/mo. (plus tax) | 140+ | 3 (unlimited inside home network) | 20 hrs. (Unlimited, $10.00/mo.) | View plans |
| DIRECTV STREAM PREMIER | $149.99/mo. (plus tax) | 150+ | 3 (unlimited inside home network) | 20 hrs. (Unlimited, $10.00/mo.) | View plans |
| DIRECTV STREAM ÓPTIMO MÁS™ | $74.99/mo. (plus tax) | 100+ | 3 (unlimited inside home network) | 20 hrs. (Unlimited, $10.00/mo.) | View plans |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
DIRECTV STREAM’s plans mostly mirror those of DIRECTV satellite—the difference being that DIRECTV Stream requires no annual contracts or extra equipment (like a receiver box or roof dish). It does offer the option of renting a branded streaming box (a leftover from the AT&T TV era) for an additional $5 a month, but we’d recommend using or buying your own streaming device.
| Service | Price | Editorial rating | Channels | Multiple streams | Cloud DVR | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIRECTV STREAM | $69.99–$149.99/mo. | 3.5/5 | 65–140+ | *3–unlimited | 20 hrs. | View plans |
| YouTube TV | $64.99/mo. | 4.5/5 | 100+ | 3 | Unlimited (9 mos.) |
View plans Read YouTube TV Review |
| Hulu + Live TV | $69.99–$82.99/mo. | 4.3/5 | 75+ | 2 | 50 hrs. |
View plans Read Hulu + Live TV Review |
| Philo | $25.00/mo. | 3.7/5 | 70+ | 3 | Unlimited (1 yr.) |
View plans Read Philo Review |
| fuboTV | $69.99–$99.99/mo. | 4.0/5 | 130–240+ | 10 | 1,000 hrs. |
View plans Read fuboTV Review |
| Sling TV | $40.00–$55.00/mo. | 4.0/5 | 30–50+ | 1–4 | 50 hrs. |
View plans Read Sling TV Review |
| Vidgo | $59.95–$99.95/mo. | 3.8/5 | 110–168+ | 3 | 20 hrs. |
View plans Read Vidgo Review |
*Unlimited in-home streams; limited to 3 concurrent out-of-home streams. Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Apart from high channel counts, there’s not much that elevates DIRECTV STREAM over the rest of the live TV streaming pack. The closest comparison would be fuboTV, which features similarly loaded channel lineups and pricey plans—but at least fuboTV includes a decent amount of cloud DVR space. Only 20 hours, DIRECTV STREAM? Not cool.
As we’ve said, DIRECTV STREAM features a lot of channels—but the majority of the channels you’ll probably want reside in the higher-priced plans. On the upside, DIRECTV STREAM’s add-on package choices are strong.
| Channel | ENTERTAINMENT | CHOICE | ULTIMATE | PREMIER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local channels* | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| A Wealth of Entertainment | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| A&E | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ACC Network | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| AccuWeather | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| AMC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| American Heroes Channel | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Animal Planet | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| aspireTV | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| AXS TV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| BabyFirst HD | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| BBC America | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| BBC World News | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| BET | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| BET Her | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Big Ten Network | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Bloomberg TV | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Boomerang | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Bravo | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cartoon Network HD | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| CBS Sports Network | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cheddar News | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| CINEMAX® | $11.00/mo. | $11.00/mo. | $11.00/mo. | ✔ |
| CMT | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| CNBC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| CNBC World | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| CNN | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| CNN en Español | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Comedy Central | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Comedy.tv | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cooking Channel | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| C-SPAN | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| C-SPAN2 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Destination America | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Discovery | ✔ | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Discovery Family | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Discovery Life | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Disney Channel | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Disney Junior | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Disney XD | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| E! | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| EPIX® | $6.00/mo. | $6.00/mo. | $6.00/mo. | ✔ |
| ESPN | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ESPN2 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ESPNEWS | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ESPNU | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Food Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Fox Business Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Fox News | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FS1 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FS2 | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Fox Regional Sports Networks | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Freeform | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Fuse | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FX | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FXM | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| FXX | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FYI | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Galavisión | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Game Show Network | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Golf Channel | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Hallmark Channel | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Hallmark Movies & Mysteries | ✔ | — | — | ✔ |
| HBO MaxTM | $15.99/mo. | $15.99/mo. | $15.99/mo. | ✔ |
| HGTV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| HISTORY | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| HLN | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Home Shopping Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| IFC | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Investigation Discovery (ID) | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Justice Central | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Lifetime | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| LMN | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| LOGO HD | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Magnolia Network | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| MLB Network | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| MOTOR TREND | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| MSNBC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| MTV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| MTV2 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| MTV Classic | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| National Geographic Channel | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Nat Geo WILD | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| NBA TV | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| NHL Network | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| NewsNation | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Nickelodeon | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Nick Jr. | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Nicktoons | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| One America News | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Ovation | ✔ | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| OWN | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Oxygen | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Paramount Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Pop | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| QVC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| QVC2 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| REELZ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Revolt | ✔ | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| RFD-TV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Science | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| SEC Network | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| SHOWTIME® | $11.00/mo. | $11.00/mo. | $11.00/mo. | ✔ |
| Smithsonian Channel | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| STARZ® | $11.00/mo. | $11.00/mo. | $11.00/mo. | ✔ |
| SundanceTV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Syfy | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TBS | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TCM | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TeenNick | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Tennis Channel HD | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TLC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TNT | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Travel Channel | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| truTV | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TV Land | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TV One | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| TVG | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| UniMás | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Universal Kids | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Univision | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| USA Network | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| VH1 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| VICE | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| WE tv | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Weather Channel | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
*Availability varies by area. Data effective as of post date.
YouTube TV can give you more live TV channels for less (about $5 a month) than DIRECTV STREAM’s cheapest plan, ENTERTAINMENT. But, if you’re looking to splurge, DIRECTV STREAM’s PREMIER gets you over 140 channels and even includes HBO, CINEMAX, SHOWTIME, and STARZ.
| Channel | ENTERTAINMENT | CHOICE | ULTIMATE | PREMIER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACC Network | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Bally Sports | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Big Ten Network | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| CBS Sports Network | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| ESPN | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ESPN2 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ESPNEWS | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| ESPNU | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FS1 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FS2 | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Golf Channel | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| MLB Network | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| MOTOR TREND | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| NBA TV | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| NHL Network | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Pac-12 Network | — | — | — | — |
| SEC Network | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Sportsman Channel | — | — | ✔ | ✔ |
| Tennis Channel HD | — | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Data effective as of post date.
If you’re a serious sports fan, DIRECTV STREAM’S ENTERTAINMENT plan probably isn’t going to cut it—you’ll want CHOICE or above. Also, DIRECTV STREAM carries more RSNs (regional sports networks) than most live TV streaming services, something to consider if you’re all about the home team(s). (Note: your billing location determines which RSNs you receive.)
The one sports bummer here: NFL SUNDAY TICKET is still exclusive to DIRECTV and not available through DIRECTV STREAM.
| Channel* | ENTERTAINMENT | CHOICE | ULTIMATE | PREMIER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| CBS | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| FOX | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| NBC | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| The CW | — | — | — | — |
| PBS | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Telemundo | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
*Availability varies by area. Data effective as of post date.
| Premium channel | ENTERTAINMENT | CHOICE | ULTIMATE | PREMIER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HBO Max | $14.99/mo. | $14.99/mo. | $14.99/mo. | Included |
| CINEMAX | $11.00/mo. | $11.00/mo. | $11.00/mo. | Included |
| SHOWTIME | $11.00/mo. | $11.00/mo. | $11.00/mo. | Included |
| STARZ | $11.00/mo. | $11.00/mo. | $11.00/mo. | Included |
| EPIX | $6.00/mo. | $6.00/mo. | $6.00/mo. | Included |
Data effective as of post date.
DIRECTV STREAM offers the big five premium add-on channels: HBO Max, CINEMAX, SHOWTIME, STARZ, and EPIX. YouTube TV is the only live TV streaming service to offer all five of these add-ons.
| Service | Included hours | Upgrades |
|---|---|---|
| DIRECTV STREAM | 20 hrs. | Unlimited ($10.00/mo.) |
Again, we’re underwhelmed with DIRECTV STREAM’s 20 hours of included cloud DVR storage—why offer so many channels and yet so little recording space? We suspect it’s a ploy to nudge you to upgrade to the unlimited DVR. Well, “unlimited” in that it keeps your shows for only three months before auto-deletion of the oldest recordings first—consider that before spending the extra $10.
| Service | Simultaneous streams | Within home network |
|---|---|---|
| DIRECTV STREAM | 3 | Unlimited |
DIRECTV STREAM allows for three simultaneous streams outside of your home network, and unlimited within it. If you somehow have dozens of TV watchers in your house, we strongly suggest upgrading your internet service—DIRECTV STREAM says you’ll need at least 8 Mbps of speed to stream smoothly, but we suggest at least 25 Mbps.
| Device | DIRECTV STREAM |
|---|---|
| Amazon Fire Cube, Stick, TV | ✔ |
| Android phones, tablets | ✔ |
| Android TV | ✔ |
| Apple TV (4th gen.) | ✔ |
| Apple TV 4K | ✔ |
| Chromecast, Chromecast with Google TV | ✔ |
| Echo Show | — |
| iPhone, iPad | ✔ |
| LG TVs (select models) | — |
| Nintendo Switch | — |
| NVIDIA SHIELD Pro TV | — |
| PC, Mac web browsers | ✔ |
| PlayStation 3, 4, 5 | — |
| Roku Ultra, Express, Premiere, Stick, TV | ✔ |
| Samsung TVs (select models) | ✔ |
| TiVo Stream | — |
| Wii | — |
| Xbox One | — |
Data effective as of post date.
Like AT&T TV before it, DIRECTV STREAM doesn’t require a provider-supplied streaming box—but it’ll gladly rent it to you for an extra $5 a month. We recommend using the DIRECTV STREAM app with your own streaming device instead; rental fees add up over time.
DIRECTV STREAM, like other live TV streaming services, streams live at 720p HD, with on-demand content available in 1080p or Blu-ray quality. DIRECTV STREAM doesn’t support 4K Ultra HD, either live or on-demand.
DIRECTV STREAM’s audio feed is standard 2.0 stereo, with some available in Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound. Sorry, no Dolby Atmos here.
Like its AT&T predecessors, DIRECTV STREAM operates more like a standard satellite TV service than a live TV streaming service, in both performance and price—emphasis on price. All that’s missing is the roof dish and the two-year contract (good riddance).
We’d say DIRECTV STREAM isn’t worth it for experienced, budget-conscious cord-cutters, but more for streaming newbies who want to switch from satellite TV painlessly: DIRECTV STREAM looks and functions almost identically to DIRECTV, right down to the interface and channel selection.
DIRECTV STREAM is the new name of AT&T TV (previously AT&T TV NOW, and DIRECTV NOW before that). DIRECTV STREAM’s features, plans, and pricing are the same as AT&T TV’s were, for now.
DIRECTV STREAM offers four plans: ENTERTAINMENT at $69.99 a month (75+ channels), CHOICE at $79.99 a month (105+ channels), ULTIMATE at $94.99 a month (140+ channels), and PREMIER at $149.99 a month (150+ channels).
Yes, the DIRECTV STREAM app is compatible with 2017 and newer models of Samsung smart TVs. It’s also available on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, Android TV, and Chromecast with Google TV devices.
Content-wise, there’s not much that separates DIRECTV from DIRECTV STREAM. But DIRECTV is a satellite TV service with a two-year contract and dish installation, while DIRECTV STREAM is a live TV streaming service that requires no long-term commitments or bulky equipment. We explain these differences in more detail on our DIRECTV STREAM vs. DIRECTV page.
Our experts employed hours of hands-on testing and eyes-on viewing, rating DIRECTV STREAM on bang for your buck, reliability, features, and customer satisfaction. Then we matched it up against other live TV streaming services head to head to give a clearer picture of its strengths and weaknesses. For more information on our methodology, check out our How We Rank page.
Stay updated on the latest products and services anytime anywhere.
