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When it comes to watching live TV, a pricey cable package isn’t your only option anymore. On top of setting up an antenna to catch local channels, a new crop of streaming services, like DirecTV Stream, Sling, and fuboTV, have made it less of a hassle to catch everything from live sports like the upcoming NBA Playoffs to your favorite reality shows after cutting the cord. All you need is a WiFi connection.
Last year, we named DirecTV Stream the best streaming service in our Rolling Stone Essentials — our annual awards that celebrate the ultimate products, tech, and beyond that we can’t get enough of. Not sure if DirecTV Stream is the right choice for your house? Read on for how to score the best deals — and how you can snag a free trial to test it out yourself.
Get Free Trial at DirecTV Stream
Best DirecTV Stream Deals & Offers
DirecTV Stream is one of the few streaming services that offers a free trial, but it’s also one of the only streamers that always seems to have a deal, discount, or promotion running on its site for new customers. Right now, DirecTV Stream has a few bundle package options, just in time for watching all-things-sports without a cable plan.
The DirecTV Stream Entertainment + Sports Pack is currently $30 off right now, and starts at $84.98 a month for your first three months. After that, the bundle plan costs $94.98/month. The streamer’s most popular package, though, is the DirecTV Stream Choice + Sports Pack which costs $98.99/month plus tax — a $44.99 total savings. The top-tiered Ultimate + Sports Pack also is discounted at press time, for $109.99 a month for your first month, then $134.99 a month after that.
Get Free Trial at DirecTV Stream
Does DirecTV Stream Have a Free Trial?
If you’re still on the fence about trying out DirecTV Stream, the good news is that you can currently score a DirecTV Stream free trial online. The streaming service offers a five-day free trial for its Entertainment, Choice, and Ultimate plans, meaning you can test it out before paying a monthly subscription fee — no strings attached.
Get Free Trial at DirecTV Stream
You’ll get asked to add your payment info, but the streamer won’t charge your card until after your trial ends. And as far as streaming goes, DirecTV Stream joins fuboTV as one of the only streaming services that offers a free trial with its subscriptions.
Get Free Trial at DirecTV Stream
How Much Does DirecTV Stream Cost Right Now?
The DirecTV Stream Entertainment plan starts at $79.99 a month, with the Choice package costing $108.99 a month. Finally, the Ultimate subscription runs $119.99 a month. You can currently add a Sports pack to each of the plans, which normally costs an extra $14.99 a month on top of the plans.
Which Channels Can You Watch on DirecTV Stream?
That depends on which package you sign up for, but the short answer is between 75 to 140 channels overall. Each of DirecTV Stream‘s packages come with a wide variety of channels, including local and national networks alike.
All of the DirecTV Stream packages include local broadcasts from stations like ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox, as well as national channels like HGTV and Bravo. The Entertainment + Sports package boasts 75+ channels, including ESPN, truTV, TBS, and TNT. In other words, it’s a great choice for livestreaming NBA games online.
A DirecTV Stream Choice package offers over 105 channels, from A&E to AMC. You’ll also get everything you do from the Entertainment subscription package, plus MLB Network, NBA TV, Bally Sports, ESPNU, ESPNews, the Travel Channel, and the Weather Channel. The Ultimate tier, meantime, comes with BBC News, Starz Encore, CBS Sports Network, the Magnolia Network, FS2, and 140 stations overall.
DirecTV Stream vs. Sling TV vs. fuboTV
If you’re still trying to decide if DirecTV Stream is worth it, we suggest looking at it against other streaming service options like Sling or fuboTV.
Free Trials: DirecTV Stream and fuboTV both offer free trials, while Sling currently doesn’t have one.
Channels, Price: DirecTV Stream’s base plan has 75+ channels in its lineup, with fuboTV boasting 195 channels for its starter plan — which also costs $79.99 post-trial. Sling, meanwhile, offers 42 channels in its Sling Blue package, which runs you $45 a month.
