| Package | Price for the first year | Channel Count | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for premiums PREMIER™ All Included |
$124.99/mo. | 330+ | View Plan |
| Best for entertainment ENTERTAINMENT All Included |
$54.99/mo. | 160+ | View Plan |
DIRECTV is good if you need total NFL coverage or a quality DVR included with your TV package.
In general, DIRECTV service is consistently above average. Most of its plans include the Genie DVR to record your favorite shows, a season of NFL SUNDAY TICKET, and three months of HBO®, CINEMAX®, SHOWTIME®, and STARZ®.
But if you go with DIRECTV, keep in mind that you’ll have to sign a two-year contract and the prices go up in the second year. And DIRECTV’s NFL SUNDAY TICKET and premium channels autorenew after the free trial period, so forgetting to cancel could ram you in the pocketbook.
| Package | Price for the first year* | Price for mos. 13-24** | Channel Count | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for premiums PREMIER™ All Included |
$124.99/mo.* | 197/mo. | 330+ | View Plan |
| Best for entertainment ENTERTAINMENT All Included |
$54.99/mo. | 136.99/mo. | 160+ | View Plan |
*for 12 mos plus taxes. Autopay & Paperless bill req’d. Prices higher in 2nd year.
** for 12 mos plus taxes. Autopay & Paperless bill req’d. Prices higher in 2nd year. Regional Sports Fee up to $9.99/mo. is extra & applies.
With four packages to choose from, it can be hard to nail down your best option. We recommend ENTERTAINMENT All Included for its excellent for basic channels and PREMIER™ All Included because it lavishes you in premium channels. The latter package basically makes you TV-watching royalty.
| Package | Price for mos. 1-12* | Price for mos. 13-24* | Channel Count | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENTERTAINMENT All Included | $54.99/mo.* | $97.00/mo. | 160+ | View Plan |
| CHOICE™ All Included | $59.99/mo.** | $115.00/mo. | 185+ | View Plan |
| ULTIMATE All Included | $74.99/mo.** | $142.00/mo. | 250+ | View Plan |
| PREMIER™ All Included | $124.99/mo.** | $197.00/mo. | 330+ | View Plan |
*for 12 mos plus taxes. Autopay & Paperless bill req’d. Prices higher in 2nd year.
** for 12 mos plus taxes. Autopay & Paperless bill req’d. Prices higher in 2nd year. Regional Sports Fee up to $9.99/mo. is extra & applies.
With DIRECTV, as your monthly price increases, so does your channel count. That’s pretty standard as far as TV packages go. What you’ll want to consider, however, is that a lot of the channels included with the more expensive DIRECTV packages include a lot of filler channels that you might not need.
Like we said before, ENTERTAINMENT gives you tons of popular channels for a decent price. Check out the full channel lineups of each DIRECTV package before going for broke.
And, when you’re checking out the prices above, remember that every DIRECTV plan requires a two-year contract. That’s rude, and it probably has something to do with the ugly satellite dish it’ll put up on your south-facing roof. But even worse, DIRECTV raises its prices in the second year, which is a hassle to budget.
DISH, the other prominent satellite TV provider, maintains the same prices for its full two-year contract, so that might be a better option if DIRECTV’s change makes you uneasy.
| Package | Price for mos. 1-12* | Price for mos. 13-24* | Channel Count | Download Speed up to | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIRECTV ENTERTAINMENT + AT&T Internet | $94.98/mo. | $136.99 | 160+ | 10–100 Mbps | View Plan |
| DIRECTV CHOICE™ + AT&T Internet | $99.98/mo. | $154.99 | 185+ | 10–100 Mbps | View Plan |
| DIRECTV ULTIMATE + AT&T Internet | $114.98/mo. | $181.99 | 250+ | 10–100 Mbps | View Plan |
| DIRECTV PREMIER™ + AT&T Internet | $164.98/mo. | $236.99 | 330+ | 10–100 Mbps | View Plan |
Data as of 6/28/20. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
*for 12 mos plus taxes.
†for 12 mos plus taxes and RSN fee
Is Xfinity TV and internet in my area?
Unlike many TV services, DIRECTV won’t charge you more for a DVR receiver or set-top box. Instead, without spending another penny, you can save up to 200 hours of HD TV—that’s more than enough space for all eight seasons of The Vampire Diaries.
DIRECTV’s DVR is called the Genie. (Very magic, much wow, insert something about making your wishes come true here.) Presumptive name aside, it’s a solid piece of equipment that gets the job done.
The Genie comes in both wired and wireless versions, and you can hook up more TVs for $7 more per TV per month. That’s a lot of pers, we know, but if you’re paying for service already, it just makes sense to be able to watch DIRECTV everywhere in your house.
