In this guide, we’ll go over the differences between DirecTV Stream and Fubo. 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: Fubo and DirecTV Stream’s intro packages cost the same
DirecTV Stream and Fubo are both cheap compared to cable. Here's a closer look at both streaming services' subscription plans.
Fubo
Fubo Pro
Try 7 days free
- 1000 hours of cloud DVR
- Stream on ten screens
- 180+ channels
$74.99/month
Fubo Elite
Try 7 days free
- Stream on ten screens
- 1000 hours of cloud DVR
- 250+ channels
- HD and 4K video quality
$84.99/month
Fubo Premier
Try 7 days free
- Stream on ten screens
- 250+ channels
- HD and 4K video quality
- 1000 hours of cloud DVR
- Showtime included
$94.99/month
Though the cheapest package is still a great deal, Fubo’s 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 250+ channels. It's possible to add some "a la carte" channels for an additional fee, too. This includes premium channels like Showtime.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream offers 4 primary channel packages, as follows:
DirecTV Stream Entertainment
Pay $49.99 for the first 2 months
- 75+ channels
- Stream on unlimited devices at home
- Unlimited DVR space
- Three months of Max free
$79.99/month
DirecTV Stream Optimo Mas
- 100+ live TV channels
- Spanish and English programming
- Three months of Max free
- Unlimited DVR space
$79.99/month
DirecTV Stream Choice
Pay $49.99 for the first 2 months
- 105+ live channels
- Unlimited DVR space
- Includes regional sports networks
- Three months of Max free
$108.99/month
DirecTV Stream Ultimate
Pay $49.99 for the first 2 months
- 140+ live channels
- Unlimited DVR space
- Includes regional sports networks
- Three months of Max free
$119.99/month
DirecTV Stream Premier
- Unlimited DVR space
- 150+ channels
- Includes Max Cinemax SHOWTIME and STARZ
- Includes regional sports networks
$154.99/month
Unlike Fubo, though, the features all stay the same no matter what plan you choose. You'll always get unlimited simultaneous streams on your home network, as well as a fairly limited 20-hour DVR unless you pay for an upgrade.
Fact 2: Fubo has more channels
When it comes to total available channels, Fubo is the winner. Its most expensive plan gives you more than 250 channels, including premiums like Showtime. While DirecTV Stream isn't far behind, it doesn't offer quite as many channels.
Here are some of the channels you can get with Fubo 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 has the edge when it comes to premium channels though. Premium channels that you can get through DirecTV Stream include HBO, Showtime and various STARZ movie channels. Fubo has several Showtime movie channels, but lacks HBO and STARZ.
Fact 3: Fubo has more sports channels, but lacks some RSNS
Although DirecTV Stream comes close, no other internet TV service rivals Fubo for sports channels. Fubo'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: Fubo has better looking streams
DirecTV Stream only offers HD streams at 1080p, though they’re hoping to change that soon. Fubo 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, Fubo 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.
Fubo is not that far behind DirecTV Stream when it comes to TVE compatibility. Fubo 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 Fubo. Currently, only New Yorkers can get MSG. The same principle applies to Fubo’s other apps as well. If you don’t have the channel, you can’t unlock the app.
Both DirecTV Stream and Fubo 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: Fubo 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 Fubo and DirecTV Stream. And, if you ask us, Fubo has the better DVR.
That's because you get 250 hours of DVR space, even with Fubo's cheapest 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
Fubo 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 unlimited devices 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 Fubo, so this is something to keep in mind. Some tiers of the service also come with Max for free, which gives you access to a ton of shows, movies, and even HBO originals.
Fact 9: Fubo has slightly better platform support than DirecTV Stream
Both services have support for most modern streaming device and platforms. However, fubo 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.
Fubo 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: Fubo has a longer free trial period
Both Fubo and DirecTV Stream offer a free trial, but Fubo still wins out. With DirecTV Stream you’re given 5 days to see if the service is a good fit for you while Fubo offers the lengthier 7 day free trial option.
So, if you’re looking to try out a service for as long as possible before paying, Fubo is your best choice.
DirecTV Stream vs. Fubo: Which is better?
The answer depends on how much you like sports, how picky you are about picture quality, and how much you trust these services to keep their prices the same.
If you’ve been reluctant to cut the cord because you don’t want to miss out on sports action, Fubo could be the streaming service you’ve been waiting for. But if you need RSNs, a wide on-demand library, and a larger range of premium channels, DirecTV Stream may be a good choice.
Alex Munkachy • Author
Alex Munkachy is a freelance writer, game developer and hobby robotics enthusiast.
Lisa Holden • Editor
Lisa Holden is an editor and creative based in Houston, TX. Lisa holds a BA in African-American Studies from Temple University and has spent her career working in news publications and magazines, even founding a magazine herself. She began working as an editor for Flixed in 2023. When she’s not editing or working on one of her many creative endeavors (whenever that is), she enjoys traveling to new places and biking on sunny days.
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