DirecTV Stream

Cable-replacement live TV streaming with local channels, RSNs and the widest premium channel tiers

As of 1 September 2026, DirecTV Stream starts at $89.99/month. The streaming continuation of DirecTV, aimed squarely at households replacing a full cable package rather than cutting down to something cheaper. Softwr lists it under Entertainment. DirecTV Stream is made by DirecTV, available on Web, iOS, Android, Roku.

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Overview

What DirecTV Stream does

DirecTV Stream delivers a full live TV channel lineup over the internet, structured in tiers from an Entertainment plan with roughly 90 channels up to an Ultimate plan with around 160, adding local affiliates, regional sports networks and premium movie channels as you move up. It includes a cloud DVR and multiple simultaneous streams, and it is the direct streaming successor to the DirecTV satellite service for customers who no longer want a dish. What distinguishes it against Philo and fuboTV is breadth at the top end: its highest tier carries more channels and more premium content than either competitor offers, aimed at replicating what a full cable or satellite package included rather than a curated subset. Its entry Entertainment tier already includes ESPN and local affiliates in most markets, which Philo excludes entirely and which the fuboTV base plan also includes but at a similar price point. Buyers are households actively replacing cable or DirecTV satellite service and wanting the least behavioural change, including full sports and premium movie access. The trade-off is price: its plans sit at or above fuboTV pricing, and its entry tier already costs close to three times the flat rate Philo charges, so it is not a budget option, and channel and RSN availability still vary by zip code the way it does for every competitor in this category.

What people use it for

A former DirecTV satellite customer moving to streaming without wanting to change channel habits
A household wanting the widest premium and sports channel selection among mainstream streaming bundles
A sports fan who wants regional sports networks priced into the plan rather than as a separate add-on
A family replacing full cable service that specifically does not want to trim down to a smaller entertainment-only bundle

Where it falls short

Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about DirecTV Stream.

It is priced at or above fuboTV across comparable tiers, and its entry tier alone costs close to three times what Philo charges for households that do not need sports.
Regional sports network and local channel availability still vary by zip code, so the exact channels and price a household gets cannot be confirmed until they enter their address.
Reaching the widest channel and premium movie selection requires the Ultimate tier, which pushes the monthly cost well past $120.
Historically frequent price increases across DirecTV streaming and satellite products mean the signup price is not a reliable guide to cost a year later.
The interface and channel guide have drawn more mixed reviews than some competitors, with slower app updates on certain streaming device platforms.

Cross-shopped

What people choose instead of DirecTV Stream

Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.

DirecTV Streamvs
fuboTV
fuboTV: If you want a comparable sports-first bundle and want to compare RSN and local channel pricing directly
DirecTV Streamvs
Philo
Philo: If you do not need sports or local channels and want the lowest-cost entertainment-only option
DirecTV Streamvs
The Roku Channel
The Roku Channel: If you want free ad-supported content and are willing to add only specific paid channels instead of a full bundle

Pricing

What DirecTV Stream costs

Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.

Entertainment

$89.99 /mo

90+ channels
Local affiliates in most markets
ESPN Unlimited included

Choice

$94.99 /mo

125+ channels
Adds regional sports networks and specialty sports channels

Ultimate

$124.99 /mo

160+ channels
Additional sports and movie channels

Capabilities

Features

Tiered channel plans
Entertainment, Choice and Ultimate tiers from around 90 to 160 channels
Local broadcast affiliates
ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC feeds included from the base tier in most markets
ESPN Unlimited
Sports coverage included from the entry Entertainment tier
Regional sports networks
Added from the Choice tier upward, priced into the plan rather than as a separate add-on
Cloud DVR
Included recording storage across all tiers
Multiple simultaneous streams
Several concurrent streams depending on plan level

Answered, with sources

Questions people ask

Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.

Is DirecTV Stream the same as satellite DirecTV?

No, it delivers the same brand and much of the same channel lineup over the internet instead of a satellite dish.

Does the entry tier include local channels and sports?

Yes, the Entertainment tier includes local affiliates in most markets and ESPN Unlimited, unlike Philo which excludes both entirely.

Are regional sports networks included or an add-on?

They are included starting at the Choice tier and priced into that plan, rather than sold separately the way fuboTV prices its RSNs.

Keep looking

Where to go from DirecTV Stream

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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for DirecTV Stream, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.

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