DirecTV Review (2026): Channels, Pricing, Pros & Cons

If you are searching for a new cable TV service, you will likely come across DirecTV, as it’s among the most popular cable TV providers in the US and offers a wide range of TV services. But is it good enough for you? 

As it turns out, DirecTV offers quality service but also a few glaring downsides, like high costs. Depending on your specific needs, preferences, and budget, the advantages might or might not outweigh the cons.

Read this DirecTV review until the end for a detailed analysis of its TV packages and decide if it’s right for you.

DirecTV At A Glance: Should You Go For It?

Overall, DirecTV is a promising TV service offering a diverse array of channels, decent offers, and premium add-ons. 

On the other hand, though, there are long-term contracts involved, along with hidden costs that can raise monthly bills.

Features/Parameters	Description
Pricing	$74.99 – $164.99/month
Number of Channels	Up to 340+
Type of TV Service	Satellite or Internet-based
Contracts	✔️ (2 years)
My Overall Rating	4/5

That said, I found DirecTV to be a fairly reliable cable TV provider. But you don’t have to rush. Read this review till the end to see if it’s really worth it for you.

DirecTV Pros And Cons

Before I break down DirecTV’s services for you, here’s a little roundup of what I like and don’t like about the TV provider.

DirecTV Pros

• Impressive channel lineups
• Smooth and stable streaming 
• Two-year price guarantee
• Regional sports networks are included with most plans
• Contract-free plans available

DirecTV Cons

• Costly plans
• High early termination fees
• High hidden charges

How Much Does It Cost To Sign Up For DirecTV?

DirecTV’s base plans start at $74.99/month and go up till $164.99/month. All plans come with 24-month contracts. 

So, while you can enjoy a fixed monthly price throughout the contract duration, you must pay hefty fees if you cancel the contract before these 24 months are over.

However, what makes their plans costly are not just these base prices but also other additional charges, mainly the ARS fees, RSN fees, and activation fees.

We will discuss these additional costs in a while. For now, let’s look at the four internet-based DirecTV packages:

Packages	Monthly Price	Number of Channels	Regional Sports Networks
Entertainment	$74.99	90+	❌
Choice	$89.99	125+	✔️
Ultimate	$119.99	160+	✔️
Premier	$164.99	185+	✔️

All plans come with 24-month contracts. So while you can rest assured that your prices won’t change for at least two years, opting out before this period ends may cost you a hefty early termination fee (more on this later).

Entertainment 

Feature	Details
Price	$74.99/month
Channels	90+
On-demand titles	70,000+
Key Inclusions	CNN, Fox News, Univision, HGTV, Hallmark,  ESPN, FS 1, MotorTrend, etc.
Best For	Casual Viewers

Entertainment TV is DirecTV’s cheapest TV plan, offering over 90 channels at a base price of $74.99/month. 

Besides getting local channels like ABC, CBS, and FOX, you will also get many national channels like CNN and BBC America and other popular networks like Discovery, Comedy Central, and Animal Planet. 

In short, there is a good diversity of channels to watch on this plan, which I find impressive, considering it’s the starter plan. 

If you are a casual viewer who likes stealing some time every day with your TV, the Entertainment TV plan might be a good option for you.

Choice 

Feature	Details
Price	$89.99/month
Channels	125+
On-demand titles	75,000+
Key Inclusions	Travel Channel, UniMas, Grit, MLB Network, NBA TV, etc.
Best For	Sports lovers

The Choice TV plan overlaps a lot with the Entertainment TV plan but certainly has a fair share of channels that aren’t available in the latter. These include popular networks like Cooking TV, Travel Channel, Comedy TV, Nick Jr., and Bounce TV.

However, my biggest reason for choosing this plan over Entertainment TV is the sports channels. In addition to leading channels like ESPN, MLB Network, and NBA TV, you also get regional sports networks for your location. 

If watching sports is your main reason for watching TV, DirecTV’s Choice TV plan is the most cost-effective option. 

Ultimate 

Feature	Details
Price	$119.99/month
Channels	160+
On-demand titles	85,000+
Key Inclusions	STARZ Encore channels, FYI, Smithsonian, NHL, CBS Sports, FS2, etc.
Best For	Movies and Sports

If you are looking for something beyond essential channels, news, and sports, the Ultimate TV plan might be your best bet. At $119.99/month, this plan offers everything in the Choice TV plan, plus Smithsonian, BBC News, and many more sports channels, including NHL, CBS Sports, and so on.

The plan also contains more movie and lifestyle channels, such as the FX Movie channel, FYI, Discovery Life, MTV Classic, and the premium STARZ Encore channels, too. 

The ultra-diverse channel lineup might suit you best if you are a serious viewer and expect a good mix of sports and entertainment from your TV.

Premier 

Feature	Details
Price	$164.99/month
Channels	185+
On-demand titles	100,000+
Key Inclusions	Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, Cinemax,
Best For	Content nerds

If you want to go beyond the normal cable TV experience, DirecTV’s Premier TV plan might be just what you are looking for. 

The plan gives you everything in the Ultimate TV plan and offers premium streaming subscriptions, such as Max, Cinemax, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, and STARZ.

At $164.99/month before fees and taxes, this plan seems a bit too costly. But it also eliminates the need for many streaming subscriptions, so I won’t consider it a very bad deal, either. 

So I’d just say that if you are okay with the price, the Premier TV plan can offer everything you might want to watch—and more. 

DirecTV Satellite Review: Packages And Prices

One of the best things about DirecTV is that it gives you the choice to choose between internet-based plans and satellite-based plans. 

So if you want to go for the satellite plans instead, you get the same four plans to choose from.

Packages	Monthly Price	Number of Channels	Regional Sports Networks
Entertainment	$74.99	165+	❌
Choice	$89.99	200+	✔️
Ultimate	$119.99	270+	✔️
Premier	$164.99	340+	✔️

The satellite plans have more channels than the corresponding internet plans.

Moreover, with a satellite plan, DirecTV also lets you save $12 every month if you remove local channels from your lineup, which is something I love since I rarely watch local channels. If you are like me, you will certainly like this option as much as I do.

Besides these differences, though, the satellite plans are very similar to the internet-based plans. You get similar channel lineups, the same regional sports networks, the same fees, and even similar offers as with the internet plans.

DIRECTV Genre Packages

Genre packs are just what they sound like—TV packs focused on specific genres. DirecTV introduced the first genre pack in January this year and three more in February. 

Let’s have a look:

Genre Packs	Monthly Price	Channel Count
MySports	$69.99	25+
MyNews	$39.99	10+
MyEntertainment	$34.99	40+
MiEspañol	$34.99	60+

These streaming packs don’t require any equipment and do away with two of DirecTV’s most significant caveats—high costs and annual contracts. 

Besides these four packs, there are also DIRECTV mini-packs that serve as add-ons to the genre packs.

While I already like DirecTV for its diverse channel lineups and offers, the new genre packs are a game changer. They not only save you money but also give you a way to pay for only the type of channels you watch. 

The best part? You can change or cancel the plans whenever you wish, as there are no contracts.

DirecTV Signature Packages

Signature packages are another new DirecTV Stream offering and are similar to the base packages. 

Like Genre packs, Signature packs come without contracts. But they offer a well-rounded mix of channels instead of genre-specific lineups.

Signature Pack	Monthly Price	Channel Count
Entertainment	$86.99	90+
Choice	$114.99	125+
Ultimate	$129.99	160+

If you want to avoid the hassle of 24-month contracts that accompany the traditional DirecTV packages, you can go for one of the Signature plans instead. But remember that the lack of contracts also means that prices can change anytime.

DirecTV Add-ons

Like any good TV provider, DirecTV offers a long list of add-ons that you can add to your base plans. 

The add-ons range from genre-specific packs like sports and movies to individual channels like Fox TV, Acorn TV, and so on.

Add-on Category	Add ons
Specials	Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax, and MGM+
Popular	Movies Extra Pack, AMC+, Discovery+, Fox Nation, Hallmark+, ALLBLK, A&E Crime Central, etc.
Sports	NHL Center Ice, MLS Season Pass, MLB Extra Innings, NBA League Pass, etc.
International	Language-based add-on packs across 7+ languages

Not every add-on is available with every plan, but these categories are what you will see during checkout while purchasing a plan.

DirecTV has an interesting offer on for the Specials add-ons. You get Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax, and MGM+ free of cost for the first 3 months when you purchase a DirecTV plan—be it a satellite, internet, Signature, or Genre pack.

Can You Stream Free On DirecTV?

Besides the paid plans, DirecTV also offers a free streaming service, MyFree DirecTV, which lets you stream over 90 channels across various genres. 

It comes with ads and doesn’t require anything except an internet connection, so you can download the app and start streaming.

The service is similar to other free streaming services, such as Pluto TV, Tubi, and Freevee. If you ask me, though, I’d rather choose Pluto TV or Tubi over MyFree DirecTV, as I think those fare better in terms of content diversity and interface.

DirecTV Hidden Charges And Fees

Besides the relatively subpar free service, DirecTV is quite expensive. And a big reason for the platform’s high costs are the hidden fees and charges that add up over the base plan prices. Here are some charges you must pay:

• Activation Fee: $19.95

It’s a one-time fee for starting a DirecTV connection, applicable only with a satellite plan.

• Advanced Receiver Service (ARS) Fee: Up to $25/month

This is the fee for using the TV equipment or Gemini device that comes with your plan—be it a satellite or internet plan.

• Regional Sports Networks (RSN) fee: Up to $15.99/month

This fee is applicable if you choose a plan that offers regional sports networks (Choice, Ultimate, and Premier). The fee varies by location. 

• Early Termination Fees: Up to $480

If you terminate your service before 24 months, DirecTV charges $20 per month based on how many months are left before your contract end date.

• Additional equipment lease fee: $7/month

While one TV box is included in your base plan, every additional box costs $7/month.

• Taxes: Vary by location

Taxes and surcharges cost up to a few dollars per month, depending on your location.

DirecTV Deals And Offers

While DirecTV charges high fees for activation, ARS and regional sports networks, it also offers some benefits and offers that can save you money. For example:

• Unlimited DVR storage is included with all streaming TV plans, as well as all Genre and Signature packs. 

• One Gemini receiver with free professional installation is included with each base plan. Equipment lease fees only apply for additional receivers.

• An autopay and paperless billing discount of $10/month applies on Choice, Ultimate, and Premier plans—both satellite and internet.

• Five premier networks—Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, MGM+, STARZ, and Cinemax—are included for free with all plans for three months. 

• Genre and Signature packs come with free 5-day trials, so you can try the plans and decide if they are worth the price.

• Choice and Ultimate Signature packs come with $25/month discount for the first 3 months, allowing you to save $75. 

A breakdown of charges and offers for the Choice (Streaming TV) plan (before taxes and other fees)

Let’s understand the charges and offers for my Los Angeles ZIP code: 90001. If I choose the satellite-based Choice TV package, DirecTV comes with the following charges:

• Plan fee: $89.99/month
• Activation fee: $19.95
• ARS fee: $15/month
• RSN fee: $17.99/month
• Autopay discount: $10
• Taxes and surcharges: $0.48/month

Besides the one-time activation fee, the monthly charges come down to $113.46—over $33.47 more than the base plan price.

DirecTV Reviews And Complaints

Let’s try to understand what other users think of DirecTV by looking at some first-hand customer reviews:

While users generally like DirecTV, they also complain of high prices and unnecessary channels. Well, I can’t help but agree. 

DirecTV Alternatives

Before you decide on whether or not to go for DirecTV, let’s take a quick look at three DirecTV competitors:

1. Dish

Dish offers only satellite plans that start at $91.99/month for 190 channels and go up till $121.99/month for over 290 channels. All plans come with 2-year contracts and include local channels.

2. Xfinity

Xfinity offers internet, TV, and mobile packages. The TV packages are contract-free and start at around $50/month for 10+ channels before taxes and other charges, though actual prices vary by location. 

The most premium plan costs around $130/month and offers over 185 channels.

3. Cox

Cox offers TV and internet plans across different price segments. The TV plans are contract-free and range from $71/month for 75+ channels to $162/month for 250+ channels.

Verdict: DirecTV Is Expensive But Offers A Lot Of Value

DirecTV stands out to me as one of the most expensive cable TV providers. However, the high costs seem to please customers because the offerings are commendably good. 

Even with the starter plan, you get many channels, multiple offers, free professional installation, and one lease-free TV device.

However, if you don’t want the 24-month contracts, I suggest you try the Signature or Genre packs for a month since they come without contracts. This will give you a better idea about whether to go for the base plans or continue without contracts.

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