Are you a DirecTV or DIRECTV STREAM customer who is frustrated at the moment?
It’s understandable.
The long-standing satellite television provider is mired in a major carriage dispute with Disney that leaves customers without access to ABC, ESPN and other popular Disney-backed channels.
This outage, which began on Sept. 1, 2024, left many paying customers unable to watch major college football games, their local news and their favorite television shows.
DirecTV is offering compensation for channel disruptions to select customers, and this dispute may ultimately be solved.
But this service interruption has rightfully upset customers. In fact, it has driven many of them to the point of searching for alternatives. If you fall into that category, I’m here to help.
I cover streaming TV for Clark.com and have some good news: You may be able to find a live TV streaming service that offers the channels you like AND lowers your bill from what you were paying DirecTV in the process.
Let’s take a look at some of your options for ditching DirecTV.
3 Live Streaming Options to Replace DirecTV
If you’re paying for one of DirecTV’s products in 2024, I’m going to assume that you’re pretty serious about watching live television.
This service, which has been around for many years, is one of the higher-end, expensive options for live TV. That high price tag typically brings you a large selection of channels that include live sports, top TV shows and movies.
So, for the purposes of this article, I'm going to skip talking about some of the cheapest live TV streaming options. Services like Sling, Philo and Frndly TV are great options for trimming your bills, but they come with channel limitations. (I highly recommend checking them out if you want streaming savings and aren't worried about replacing DirecTV completely.)
But, I’m assuming most of you are looking to replicate the experience you’ve had with DirecTV.
And, if that’s true, that probably means you want all of the Disney-backed channels available in one spot. To get that again, you are going to have to pay for a higher-priced live TV streaming service.
Here are three I suggest you consider:
YouTube TV
|
Monthly Price:
$72.99
Channels:
131 (Full list)
Free Trial:
Up to 21 Days (Sign up)
Cloud DVR Hours:
Unlimited
Simultaneous Streams:
3
Local Channels:
ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC
Regional Sports:
NBC Sports channels only
Supported Streaming Devices:
Amazon Fire, Chromecast, Apple TV and select smart TVs (Full list) |
This streaming service receives our nod as the “best overall experience” thanks to its user interface, unlimited DVR and channel selection. You’ll be happy to know that the ESPN and Disney family of channels come standard here, and you should receive all of your local channels (including ABC).
The one thing you may be missing here that you’re getting with DirecTV is your Regional Sports Network. Unfortunately, most of the RSNs are not available on YouTube TV. For example, that means Atlanta customers would miss out on the Braves.
Hulu + Live TV
|
Monthly Price:
$76.99
Channels:
105 (Full list)
Free Trial:
3 Days (Sign up)
Cloud DVR Hours:
Unlimited
Simultaneous Streams:
2
Local Channels:
ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC
Regional Sports:
NBC Sports channels only
Supported Streaming Devices:
Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast, Apple TV and select smart TVs (Full list) |
Hulu is owned by Disney, so you know you’re safe getting Disney-owned channels here. That means you’ll get your full complement of ESPN channels here, as well as your local ABC affiliate.
The price will increase on this service soon, so be aware of that.
Also, it’s worth noting that a subscription to Hulu + Live TV includes on-demand Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+.
There are not many RSNs on this service, though. So, like YouTube TV mentioned above, you’re most likely going to miss out on your local pro baseball, basketball or hockey telecasts via this service.
Fubo
|
Monthly Price:
$79.99
Channels:
133 (Full list)
Free Trial:
7 Days (Sign up)
Cloud DVR Hours:
1000
Simultaneous Streams:
10
Local Channels:
ABC, FOX and NBC in most markets. Limited CBS availability.
Regional Sports:
Bally Sports, AT&T SportsNet and NBC Sports channels
Supported Streaming Devices:
Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast, Apple TV and select smart TVs (Full list) |
Fubo is known for being a sports-friendly streaming service, but it will cost you.
It has the ESPN family of networks, so that’s a plus. But it had its own carriage dispute with Warner Bros. Discovery, which means key channels like TBS and TNT are not available on this service any longer.
However, you will have the opportunity to get Bally Sports RSNs with Fubo. This will cost many customers beyond the standard monthly price, though. Be prepared to pay upwards of $100 per month when all fees are included.
Are you an upset DirecTV customer? How do you plan to move forward? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the Clark.com community.
The post Best DirecTV Alternatives Amid Major Carriage Dispute appeared first on Clark Howard.
