In this guide, we’ll go over the differences between DirecTV Stream and fuboTV. Not sure which one is right for you and your family? Read on, and get all the details you need. We’ll give you a brief overview of each one, discuss channels, DVR, simultaneous streams, and more. Let’s get into it.
Fact 1: fuboTV is Cheaper Than DirecTV Stream
Though DirecTV Stream and fuboTV are both cheap compared to cable, fuboTV offers the better overall deal. DirecTV Stream starts at $69.99/month for the “Entertainment” package, which has 75+ channels. In contrast, fuboTV starts at $64.99/month for the “Starter” package, which has 100+ channels. Here’s a closer look at both streaming services’ subscription plans.
fuboTV
fuboTV costs $64.99/month for its baseline plan. The pricier plans come with better features and extra channels. fubo Pro, for example, comes with a 1000-hour DVR and up to 10 simultaneous streams. The most expensive fubo Elite plan also includes 47 additional channels. It’s possible to add some “a la carte” channels for an additional fee, too. This includes premium channels like Showtime.
| Pro 7-day free trial $69.99/ month | 138 channels 10 simultaneous streams 1,000 hours of DVR space | TRY FREE |
| Elite 7-day free trial $79.99/ month | 202 channels 54 more channels with fubo Extra 12 more channels with fubo News Plus 10 simultaneous streams 1,000 hours of DVR space | TRY FREE |
| Latino Monthly $8 off for the first month $33/ month | 45 channels 2 simultaneous streams 250 hours of DVR space | SIGN UP |
| Ultimate 7-day free trial $99.99/ month | 240 channels 54 more channels with fubo Extra 12 more channels with fubo News Plus Showtime Live and On Demand Sports Plus with NFL Redzone 10 simultaneous streams 1,000 hours of DVR space | TRY FREE |
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream offers 4 primary channel packages, as follows:
- Entertainment – $69.99/month, 75+ channels
- Choice – $89.99/month, 90+ channels
- Ultimate – $99.99/month, 130+ channels
- Premier – $149.99/month, 140+ channels including Showtime, HBO Max
Unlike fuboTV, though, the features all stay the same no matter what plan you choose. You’ll always get 20 simultaneous streams, as well as a fairly limited 20-hour DVR unless you pay for an upgrade.
| Entertainment The Essentials $69.99/ month | 75+ channels Unlimited streams at home Unlimited cloud DVR space | SIGN UP |
| Choice Must-Have Sports $89.99/ month | 105+ channels Unlimited streams at home Unlimited cloud DVR space Regional sports networks | SIGN UP |
| Ultimate Sports, News, Movies $104.99/ month | 140+ channels Unlimited streams at home Unlimited cloud DVR space Regional sports networks | SIGN UP |
| Premier Maximum TV $149.99/ month | 150+ channels All you can watch Regional sports networks HBO Max, Showtime and Starz Included | SIGN UP |
Fact 2: DirecTV Stream Has More Channels
When it comes to total available channels, DirecTV Stream is the winner. Its most expensive plan gives you more than 140 channels, including premiums like Showtime, as well as a free HBO Max subscription. While fuboTV isn’t far behind, it doesn’t offer quite as many channels.
Here are some of the channels you can get with fuboTV and its add-on packages:
- Fox Soccer Plus, ChelseaTV, GolTV English, GolTV Spanish and TyC Sports
- 6 regional Pac-12 channels, NFL RedZone, 3 Fox College Sports channels, GolTV English, GolTV Spanish, TyC Sports, FNTSY Sports Network and Fight Network
- 9 different Showtime movie channels
- GolTV Spanish, BTV, RTP International
- GolTV Spanish, TyC Sports, Cine Sony, Fox Life, Nat Geo Mundo
- GolTV Spanish, TyC Sports, BabyTV HD, Cine Sony, Fox Life, Nat Geo Mundo
- fubo Cycling
- BabyTV HD
DirecTV Stream only has a few different channel add-on packs. That means that you don’t have as many options as far as picking and choosing the channels you want to add. Still, you get a good lineup of channels.
DirecTV Stream also has the edge when it comes to premium channels, as well. Premium channels that you can get through DirecTV Stream include HBO, Showtime and various STARZ movie channels. fuboTV has several Showtime movie channels, but lacks HBO and STARZ.
Fact 3: fuboTV Has More Sports Channels, But Lacks Some RSNS
Although DirecTV Stream comes close, no other internet TV service rivals fuboTV for sports channels. fuboTV’s recent addition of ESPN makes it an even better choice for sports fans. Here’s a small taste of some of the sports channels you can stream:
- NBC Sports Network
- NFL Network
- Pac 12 Networks
- Big 10 Network
- CBS Sports Network
- NBA TV
- Fox Sports 1
- Fox Sports 2
- Big 10 Network
- NBC Golf
- Fox Deportes
- Eleven Sports
- Olympic Channel
- Fox Soccer Plus
- 10 different BeIN sports channels
If you’re willing to pay a bit more, you can add these channels:
- NFL RedZone
- 6 Pac 12 channels
- 3 Fox College Sports channels
- GolTV (English and Spanish)
- TyC Sports
- FNTSY Sports Network
- Fight Network.
DirecTV Stream has a small but solid selection of sports channels– and ESPN is on the menu. Sports channels that come with DirecTV Stream include:
- NBC Sports Network
- CBS Sports Network
- ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS and ESPNU
- Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2
- Golf Channel
- MLB Network
- NBA TV
- NHL Network
- Olympic Channel
- Sportsman Channel
- SEC Network.
However, one wrinkle is that DirecTV Stream has a huge lineup of regional sports networks (RSNs). These channels are not all available on fuboTV, so this may be something to keep in mind if you watch a lot of sports like MLB baseball and NHL hockey, which are usually broadcast by RSNs rather than nationwide networks like FS1 and ESPN.
Fact 4: fuboTV Has Better Looking Streams
DirecTV Stream only offers HD streams at 1080p. fuboTV goes beyond this with support for 4K streams. These offer four times the visual resolution of 1080p, and incredible picture quality on 4K TVs, which are becoming much more common.
While 4K is not available for every show or sporting event, fuboTV is working to add even more 4K content, and broadcasts more than 130 4K events every year. It’s a great option if you have a 4K TV and a beefy internet connection.
Fact 5: DirecTV Stream Unlocks More Cable TV Apps
If you’ve ever visited a cable TV website or opened a cable TV app, you may have run into a screen that prompts you to enter TV Everywhere credentials.
Without full TVE access, you’re usually limited to short clips and bonus content. With compatible TVE credentials, however, you can watch full episodes of shows and sometimes even access live TV streams.
DirecTV Stream lets you unlock many TVE websites/apps, including but not limited to:
- Broadcast networks: ABC, Fox Now, NBC.
- News: CNBC, BBC America, MSNBC Now, Viceland.
- Movies: IFC, SundanceTV.
- For kids: DisneyNOW, Nick, Nick Jr.
- Sports: WatchESPN, BTN2GO, NBC Bay Area, NBC California, NBC Chicago, NBC Mid-Atlantic, NBC New England, CBS Sports, Fox Sports Go, MLB.com At Bat, MLB Network, FOX Sports Go, NBC Golf, The Olympic Channel, NBC Sports,
- Arts and education: Nat Geo TV, FYI, History.
- Lifestyle: Lifetime, A&E, BET, CMT, LOGO MAX GO, MTV, WEtv, VH1.
- Entertainment: Freeform, Comedy Central, AMC, FX Now, Oxygen Now, SYFY Now, TV Land, Sprout Now, Bravo Now, HBO GO, Showtime Anytime, USA NOW, Paramount Network.
- Spanish: Telemundo Now, UNIVERSO NOW.
Note: Some of the apps listed above won’t work with DirecTV Stream unless you buy the appropriate add-on. For example, you can’t unlock the HBO or Showtime apps unless you pay extra to add them to your plan.
fuboTV is not that far behind DirecTV Stream when it comes to TVE compatibility. fuboTV can unlock the following TVE websites/apps, among others:
- Broadcast networks: CBS, NBC, CBSN, Fox Now.
- News: CNBC, Viceland, MSNBC.
- Movies: None.
- For kids: None.
- Sports: beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, BTN2Go, Olympic Channel, Fox Sports Go, MSG Go, Pac-12, NBC Sports.
- Arts and education: Nat Geo TV, FYI, History.
- Lifestyle: A&E, E! Now, Esquire TV Now, Lifetime.
- Entertainment: Hallmark Channel Everywhere, FXNOW, UDN, Oxygen Now, Syfy Now, Sprout Now, Bravo Now, USA Now.
- Spanish: Galavision, Universo Now, UniMas, Univision.
Note: You can’t unlock the MSG Go app unless you get the MSG (Madison Square Garden) channel through FuboTV. Currently, only New Yorkers can get MSG. The same principle applies to fuboTV’s other apps as well. If you don’t have the channel, you can’t unlock the app.
Both DirecTV Stream and fuboTV are always adding support for new TVE apps. These are handy because they let you extend the amount of simultaneous streams you can access. Streams opened through TVE apps don’t count against your limit when you use the main DirecTV Stream / fuboTV apps. Check both services’ websites to get an updated list of what kind of TVE apps are available.
Fact 6: fuboTV Has Better Recording Features Than DirecTV Stream
Cloud DVRs let you record your favorite shows, movies, and sporting events for later viewing, and are a key feature of internet TV services like fuboTV and DirecTV Stream. And, if you ask us, fuboTV has the better DVR.
That’s because you get 250 hours of DVR space, even with fuboTV’s cheapest $64.99/month package. You can upgrade to a higher-tier package or pay $16.99/month to get 1,000 hours of storage. There are no content expiration limits or restrictions, so you can keep your recordings as long as you want.
DirecTV Stream falls a bit short. By default, you can only get 20 hours of storage. You can pay $10/month for “unlimited” storage. Unlimited is in quotes, because you can only store your recordings for up to 90 days. You’re also limited to recording up to 30 episodes of a given TV show.
Technically, DirecTV Stream gives you more space when you upgrade. But fuboTV offers 250 hours of storage by default, compared to just 20, and lacks these annoying content restrictions. So, if you ask us, it’s a better choice if you like recording content to watch later.
Fact 7: Both Services Have Great Account Sharing Features, But DirecTV Stream Is Better
fuboTV lets you stream on up to 3 devices at once with its cheapest package. You can pay $9.99/month or upgrade to a higher-tier package to watch on up to 10 devices at once. That’s not bad.
But DirecTV Stream blows this out of the water. For no added fee, all subscriptions can stream on up to 20 devices at once on your home network. That makes it the better option if you have a really large household and watch lots of TV.
Fact 8: DirecTV Stream Has a Much Bigger On-demand Library
Generally speaking, we’ve found that DirecTV Stream has a larger on-demand library than fuboTV, so this is something to keep in mind. Some tiers of the service also come with HBO Max for free, which gives you access to a ton of shows, movies, and even HBO Max originals.
Fact 9: fuboTV Has Slightly Better Platform Support Than DirecTV Stream
Both services have support for most modern streaming device and platforms. However, fuboTV has support for a few more platforms, like the Xbox family of gaming consoles and a larger variety of smart TVs.
DirecTV Stream supports:
- Living room devices: Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and Roku.
- Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: Some Roku smart TVs and Samsung smart TVs. Mobile devices and tablets: Android and iOS.
- Game consoles: None.
- Desktop browsers: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Safari.
fuboTV supports:
- Living room devices: Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Chromecast and Roku.
- Smart TVs and Blu-ray players: Hisense, LG TV, Roku, Samsung, and Vizio smart TVs.
- Mobile devices and tablets: Android and iOS.
- Game consoles: Xbox One and higher
- Desktop browsers: Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox
Fact 10: DirecTV Stream Doesn’t Have A Free Trial Anymore
DirecTV Stream no longer offers a free trial of its streaming TV service. However, you can can still try it out with no commitment, since you can cancel at any time without paying additional fees.
fuboTV still has a free trial, though, so it may be a better option if you’re not sure whether or not internet TV is right for you. You’ll have to enter your credit card details to unlock your trial, and you’ll be charged after 7 days if you don’t cancel.
DirecTV Stream vs. fuboTV: Which Is Better?
The answer depends on how much you like sports, how picky you are about picture quality– and how much you trust DirecTV Stream to keep its prices the same, and to deliver good service after it’s been sold off by AT&T.
If you’ve been reluctant to cut the cord because you don’t want to miss out on sports action, fuboTV could be the streaming service you’ve been waiting for. But if you need RSNs, a wide channel selection, and a larger range of premium channels, DirecTV Stream may be a good choice.
Alex Munkachy is a freelance writer, game developer and hobby robotics enthusiast. You can find his blog about robotics news and reviews at robotfanatics.com.
Great article. I ended up giving fuboTV a try as I wanted to watch RSNs (Regional Sports Networks) and that comes standard with the base package on fuboTV but not with DirecTV Now. I would have needed to buy the higher priced plan..$70.
It’s really hard to decide! Me and my family have been using AT&T TV a lot longer but with the constant price increases we can no longer afford it! Which is really upsetting and very disappointing. We are now on the 7 day free trial with FUBO TV and have noticed a lot of differences between the two. Cheaper with lesser channels/more sports vs always increasing prices and more channels with my Epix or HBO movie channels??? With the pandemic not leaving any time soon…looks like FUBO TV is the winner! Just give us more channels and better movie channels with those AWESOME prices FUBO and me and my family will be with you for life!!
@John S. Craig — I’m in the same boat. I was an AT&T adopter from launch day, I suffered through the first 2-3 months of it being horrible (buggy, slow, etc.) and have since held on to the biggest package they were offering (but have since stopped offering) because it was cheap, and had a lot of channels…. I got another email today that it’s going to $70/month..at this point the only thing i really want is MSG and a couple others, which i can get on fubo for less, use a better app (running multiple channels at a time is pretty awesome) I think im going to be done with AT&T now. They always blame programming cost increases.
Well, I posted on March 2 that it was going to 70/month and i was on the fence. I just got another price increase email, going to 80/month. That was the last straw. They cited the usual “programming cost increases, inflation, our CEO that makes 20,000,000/year needs a raise, etc.” as their reasoning. FuboTV App is miles ahead of DirecTV Stream, so with the price instability it doesn’t really matter to me to keep my “Go Big” grandfathered plan if the price is now the same or more than Fubo (or even FiosTV for that matter) – see ya DTV. it’s been..something.