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In this article, we'll go over DIRECTV STREAM and dive into the types of channels in its packages. It's one of the most comprehensive live streaming providers available.
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DIRECTV STREAM is an over-the-top (OTT) streaming service that offers both live programming and video on demand. It is very similar to the satellite TV service that DIRECTV is primarily known for, but without the satellite because this is a streaming service that doesn't require any specific hardware and is likely to work on at least some devices you already own.
There are four DIRECTV STREAM packages to choose from, with channels ranging from 65 to more than 140, and rates from $80/mo. to $165/mo. Each package comes with a cloud DVR with unlimited storage. Recorded shows are available in the cloud for up to nine months and you can record shows on up to three channels at the same time. You can customize your plan by adding on premium channels and international programming.
You can use the DIRECTV STREAM app on most streaming devices, including Apple TV, Android TV, Google TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku, and Samsung.
You can also try out the service at no charge with a five-day DIRECTV STREAM free trial, and the service is offering $10 off per month for the first three months for new users.
Entertainment | Choice | Ultimate | Premier | |
Monthly price | $80/mo. | $109/mo. | $120/mo. | $155/mo. |
Number of channels | 75+ | 105+ | 140+ | 150+ |
Access to on-demand titles | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
DIRECTV STREAM channels span the spectrum across the entertainment, family and kids, news and information, sports, and movie categories.
The entire DIRECTV STREAM channel lineup by package includes:
Entertainment | Choice | Ultimate | Premier | |
A&E | X | X | X | X |
ACC Network | X | X | X | |
AccuWeather | X | X | X | X |
ActionMax | X | |||
AMC | X | X | X | X |
American Heroes | X | X | ||
Animal Planet | X | X | X | X |
Aspire | X | X | ||
Axs TV | X | X | X | X |
BabyFirst | X | X | X | X |
BBC America | X | X | X | X |
BBC World News | X | X | ||
BET | X | X | X | X |
BET Her | X | X | ||
Big Ten Network | X | X | X | |
Bloomberg TV | X | X | X | X |
Boomerang | X | X | X | X |
Bravo | X | X | X | X |
Bounce | x | x | x | |
Cartoon Network | X | X | X | X |
CBS Sports | X | X | ||
Cheddar News | X | X | X | |
Cinemax | X | |||
Cleo TV | X | X | X | X |
CMT | X | X | X | X |
CNBC | X | X | X | X |
CNBC World | X | X | X | |
CNN | X | X | X | X |
CNN en Espanol | X | X | X | X |
CNNi | X | X | X | X |
Comedy Central | X | X | X | X |
Comedy TV | X | X | X | |
Cooking Channel | X | X | X | |
Cozi TV | X | X | X | |
C-Span | X | X | X | X |
C-Span2 | X | X | X | X |
Daystar HD | X | X | X | |
Destination America | X | X | ||
Discovery | X | X | X | X |
Discovery Family | X | X | ||
Discovery Life | X | X | ||
Disney | X | X | X | X |
Disney Junior | X | X | X | X |
Disney XD | X | X | X | X |
E! | X | X | X | X |
Earthx TV | X | X | X | X |
ESPN | X | X | X | X |
ESPN2 | X | X | X | X |
ESPNews | X | X | X | |
ESPNU | X | X | X | |
FanDuel TV | X | X | X | |
FMC | X | X | X | X |
Food Network | X | X | X | X |
Fox Business | X | X | X | X |
Fox News | X | X | X | X |
FS1 | X | X | X | X |
FS2 | X | X | ||
Fox Weather | X | X | X | X |
Freeform | X | X | X | X |
Fuse | X | X | X | |
Fuse Music | X | X | ||
FX | X | X | X | X |
FX Movie | X | X | ||
FXX | X | X | X | X |
FYI | X | X | ||
GAC Family | X | X | X | |
Galavision | X | X | X | X |
Game Show | X | X | X | |
Get TV | X | X | X | |
Golf Channel | X | X | X | |
Great American Family | X | X | X | |
GRIT | X | X | X | |
Hallmark | X | X | X | X |
Hallmark Movies & Mysteries | X | X | ||
HBO | X | |||
HBO 2 | X | |||
HBO Family | X | |||
HBO Latino | X | |||
Heroes & Icons | X | X | X | |
HGTV | X | X | X | X |
HLN | X | X | X | X |
HSN | X | X | X | X |
IFC | X | X | X | X |
ID | X | X | X | X |
ION | X | X | X | X |
Jewelry Television | X | X | X | X |
Jewish Life TV | X | X | X | X |
Justice Central | X | X | X | |
Lifetime | X | X | X | X |
LMN | X | X | ||
Logo | X | X | ||
Magnolia | X | X | ||
Me TV | X | X | X | |
MLB Network | X | X | X | |
MotorTrend | X | X | X | X |
MSNBC | X | X | X | X |
MTV | X | X | X | X |
MTV Classic | X | X | ||
MTV 2 | X | X | X | X |
Nat Geo Wild | X | X | ||
National Geographic | X | X | X | X |
NBA TV | X | X | X | |
Newsmax | X | X | X | X |
NFL Network | X | X | X | |
NHL Network | X | X | ||
Nick Jr. | X | X | X | |
Nickelodeon | X | X | X | X |
Nicktoons | X | X | X | |
Ovation | X | X | X | |
OWN | X | X | X | |
Oxygen | X | X | ||
Paramount | X | X | X | X |
PBS Kids | X | X | X | X |
Pop TV | X | X | X | |
QVC | X | X | X | X |
QVC 2 | X | X | X | X |
QVC 3 | X | X | X | X |
Reelz | X | X | X | X |
Revolt | X | X | X | |
RFD TV | X | X | X | X |
Science | X | X | X | |
SEC Network | X | X | X | |
Shop LC | X | X | X | X |
Shorts TV | X | X | X | |
Showtime | X | |||
Showtime 2 | X | |||
Showtime Extreme | X | |||
Smithsonian | X | X | ||
Sportsman | X | X | ||
Starz | X | |||
Starz Encore Action | X | X | ||
Starz Encore Black | X | X | ||
Starz Encore Classic | X | X | ||
Starz Encore East | X | X | ||
Starz Encore Family | X | X | ||
Starz Encore Suspense | X | X | ||
Starz Encore West | X | X | ||
Starz Encore Westerns | X | X | ||
Starz Kids & Family | X | |||
Sundance TV | X | X | X | X |
SyFy | X | X | X | X |
Tastemade | X | X | X | |
TBS | X | X | X | X |
TCM | X | X | X | X |
TeenNick | X | X | X | X |
Tennis Channel | X | X | X | |
The First | X | X | X | X |
The History Channel | X | X | X | X |
The Weather Channel | X | X | X | |
TLC | X | X | X | X |
TNT | X | X | X | X |
Travel Channel | X | X | X | |
Tru TV | X | X | X | X |
TUDN | X | X | ||
TV Land | X | X | X | X |
TV One | X | X | X | X |
TVG | X | X | X | |
UniMas | X | X | X | |
Universal Kids | X | X | ||
Universo | X | X | ||
Univision | X | X | X | X |
Up TV | X | X | X | |
USA | X | X | X | X |
VH1 | X | X | X | X |
Vice | X | X | X | X |
We TV | X | X | X | X |
The number of sports channels you receive depends on the package you choose. If you select the Entertainment package, you only receive four sports channels -- ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, and MotorTrend.
However, fans will find plenty of sports channels in the Choice (14 channels), Ultimate (20 channels), and Premier (20 channels) packages. These three packages also include regional sports networks, so you can watch your favorite local sports teams. Depending on your location, this includes Altitude Sports, AT&T SportsNet, Bally Sports, Longhorn Network, Marquee Sports Network, MASN, MASN 2, MSG, MSG Plus, NBC Sports, NESN, Root Sports, SNY, Spectrum SportsNet, or YES Network.
Depending on your location, you'll have access to your local channels. This could include ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, MyTV, and PBS. To find out what channels are available in your area, simply enter your zip code.
There are several live TV streaming options available. A few of the most popular are fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, and Sling TV. fuboTV's basic plan and Hulu + Live TV's single plan both match DIRECTV STREAM's $80/mo. for the Entertainment package, while Sling TV offers the most affordable plan at $40/mo.
However, depending on the DIRECTV STREAM package you choose, you could have more channels than these other options. fuboTV comes with more than 120 channels, Hulu + Live TV with more than 75 channels, and Sling TV with more than 30 channels.
More than half of the channels in DIRECTV STREAM's Entertainment package are in the entertainment category. This includes some of the most popular channels such as A&E, AMC, Animal Planet, Comedy Central, Lifetime, Paramount, TBS, TNT, USA, and more.
Although the Entertainment package doesn't offer many sports channels, sports fans have plenty of options with the channels in the other three packages, which also include the regional sports networks--DIRECTV STREAM is one of the only streaming-only TV services to offer Bally Sports channels, for example.
DIRECTV STREAM has a wide selection of news channels, accounting for almost a quarter of the channels in the Entertainment package. Among these are CNBC, CNN, Fox News, HLN, MSNBC, and more.
DIRECTV STREAM offers all the top kids' channels in the Entertainment package, including the Cartoon Network, Disney, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Nickelodeon, PBS Kids, and Teen Nick.
The pricing for DIRECTV STREAM's Entertainment package is right on par with fuboTV and Hulu + Live TV. However, the prices for DIRECTV STREAM's other three packages exceed the rates of its competition. But while the top tier of DIRECTV STREAM is certainly pricey, it includes almost every premium network it offers--like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax and Starz, which would run you about $50 if you were to subscribe to them separately.
With the wide variety of channels available from DIRECTV STREAM's four packages, there are plenty of options for all customers, making it one of the most popular live streaming packages. And, it's one of the only services where sports fans can have access to regional sports networks, namely Bally Sports.