Updated on March 13, 2026 • Written & edited by our Staff
Originally called AT&T TV, DirecTV Stream has a simple, familiar, and cable-like user experience with excellent sports coverage (including regional) that many competitors are not offering. You can use it like any other streaming service, but for a one-time payment of $120, you can also opt to get a custom DirecTV Stream remote control that's akin to other streaming sticks from Amazon and Roku.
However, while the streaming service was initially created for cord-cutters, many users think DirecTV Stream hews more to a traditional cable service given its overwhelming channel lineup and hefty pricing. Slower loading and longer lag times are also a problem, on top of broadcast delays in some networks. There are plenty of live TV services out there that offer more of the same but in leaner and cheaper ways, so if you're looking for other options, we've rounded up the best DirecTV Stream alternatives below for you.
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11 Best DirecTV Stream Alternatives Right Now in 2026
Devices supported by Fubo include: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, Roku, Xfinity Flex, and Xumo.
Pro
$73.99/mo
150+ channels
ESPN Unlimited included
Elite
$83.99/mo
250+ channels
4K sports
Extra sports
Sports & News
$55.99/mo
30 channels
ESPN Unlimited included
DirecTV Stream is known for their selection of regional sports networks, so it would be remiss of us not to include Fubo. Originally a soccer streamer, Fubo quickly became a great live TV alternative with its 100+ channels and on-demand content. They still have a wide selection of sports channels available, as well as a variety of lifestyle and entertainment channels. Disney has recently acquired Fubo, so it would further widen Fubo's channel line-up.
Best for: Your local ABC station comes included in many markets
Devices supported by Sling TV Blue include: AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, LG TV, Roku, Samsung TV, and Xbox.
Sling Blue
$49.99/mo
40+ news & entertainment channels
3 month prepay available starting at $114.99
Price is with 1 or 2 ABC/NBC/Fox channels
$5 more for all 3 ABC/NBC/Fox channels selected
Sling Blue with Extras
$55.99/mo
News Extra
Hollywood Extra
Kids Extra
Lifestyle Extra
Sling Blue with Total TV Deal
$70.99/mo
Everything you get with Blue
All the channels from all the Extras
Add Premium add-ons for more on-demand content
Sling Blue with Sports Extra
$60.99/mo
Everything you get with Sling Blue
10+ more sports channels
Blue is the second of Sling's plans. It's best for viewers who want to stay updated, since it's the bundle that holds more news and reality TV channels compared to Orange. If you want more channels, there's also the option of adding Sling's extra bundles and premium add-ons. Can't decide between the two? Sling offers both through Orange + Blue.
Devices supported by Sling TV Orange include: AirTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Cox, Google TV Streamer, iOS, LG TV, Mi Box, Roku, Samsung TV, TiVo, Vizio, Windows 10, Windows 11, Xbox, and Xbox One.
Sling Orange
$45.99/mo
30+ sports & family channels
Day passes available
3 month prepay available for $114.99
Sling Orange with Extras
$51.99/mo
News Extra
Hollywood Extra
Kids Extra
Lifestyle Extra
Sling Orange with Total TV Deal
$66.99/mo
Everything you get with Orange
All the channels from all the Extras
Add Premium add-ons for more on-demand content
Sling Orange 1-Day Pass
$4.99/mo
Lasts for 24 hours
All Sling Orange channels
Sling Orange 3-Day Pass
$9.99/mo
Lasts for 72 hours
All Sling Orange channels
Sling Orange 7-Day Pass
$14.99/mo
Lasts for 168 hours
All Sling Orange channels
Sling is one of the biggest names in live TV. The first ever live TV streamer is best known for their two plans: Orange and Blue. The first one, Orange, is best for all things Disney. That of course, includes kid friendly channels like Disney Channel, but it also includes sports channels like ESPN and Motortrend.
Other channels on Philo include: A&E, AccuWeather Network, AMC, AMC Plus, American Heroes Channel, Animal Planet, aspireTV, AXS TV, Baywatch, BBC America, BBC News, BET, BET Her, Catchy Comedy, Cheddar News, Cleo TV, CMT, Comedy Central, Cook’s Country, Cooking Channel, Crackle, Crime-Investigation, Dabl, Deck the Hallmark, Destination America, Discovery Channel, Discovery Family, Discovery Life, FETV, Food Network, FYI, Game Show Network, GetTV, Great American Family, Great American Living, Gusto TV, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Family, Hallmark Mystery, Heroes & Icons, HGTV, History, IFC, INSP, Investigation Discovery (ID), KIN, Law&Crime, Lifetime, LMN, Logo, Magnolia Network, MeTV, MeTV Toons, Motor Trend, MSG SportsZone, MTV, MTV Classic, MTV Live, MTV2, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Oprah Winfrey Network, Overtime, Paramount Network, Perform by LIFETIME, PlayersTV, pocket.watch, Pop TV, RetroCrush, REVOLT, Revry, Ryan and Friends, Scares by Shudder, Science Channel, Smithsonian Channel, Start TV, Story Television, Sundance TV, Tastemade, TeenNick, TLC, Travel Channel, TV Land, TV One, UPtv, Vevo 80s, Vevo 90s, Vevo Country, Vevo Hip-Hop, Vevo Holiday, Vevo Pop, VH1, Vice, WE tv, and Xtreme Outdoor by History.
Devices supported by Philo include: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, iPhone, LG Smart TV, Roku, and Samsung TV.
Bundle+
$33.00/mo
Everything you get from the Essential plan
AMC+
Ad-supported HBO Max and Discovery+
Essential
$25.00/mo
70+ channels
Ad-skippable DVR
If you just want entertainment channels, Philo might be the streaming service for you. That's because they offer 60 channels at less than half the price point of most live TV streamers. Admittedly, it won't be a great choice for sports fans and local news watchers, because Philo excludes them due to their programming fees. However, it's perfect for viewers who just want everything else.
Devices supported by Hulu with Live TV include: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, iPhone, LG TV, Nintendo Switch, Roku, Samsung TV, and Xbox.
Live TV (Ads)
$89.99/mo
95+ channels
Ad-supported versions of Disney+ and ESPN Select included
Unlimited DVR
Live TV (No Ads)
$99.99/mo
95+ channels
Ad-free Disney+ and ESPN Select included
Ad-free VOD
Hulu with Live TV Español
$29.99/mo
Ad-supported Hulu and Disney+ included
Access to Spanish-language channels
Live TV Only
$88.99/mo
Access to live TV channels only
Live TV Español Only
$28.99/mo
Access to Spanish-language channels only
If you want DirecTV Stream's wide channel line-up and unlimited cloud DVR, you might want to check out Hulu with Live TV. Hulu is better known for their on-demand content, but they have one of the widest live TV line-ups with 100+ channels being offered. If the line-up isn't enough, you can also add premium add-ons like HBO Max, Showtime, and Starz to your base plan. And of course, Hulu with Live TV comes with Hulu's entire on-demand library.
Other channels on Frndly TV include: A&E, ASPiRE TV, BabyFirst, Bounce, BYUtv, Catchy Comedy, Circle, Court TV, Cowboy Way Channel, Crime-Investigation, Dabl, Dove Channel, Dove Family Movies, Dove Kids, FETV, FMC, FYI, Game Show Network, GetTV, Great American Family, Great American Living, GRIT, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Family, Hallmark Movies Now, Hallmark Mystery, Heartland TV, Heroes & Icons, Holiday Scapes, INSP, ION, ION Mystery, JusticeCentral.TV, Laff, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, Local Now, MeTV, MeTV Toons, Military HISTORY, Movies!, Outdoor Channel, PixL, QVC, Recipe.TV, REELZ, Sportsman Channel, Start TV, StoryTV, The History Channel, The Weather Channel, TLC, UPtv, and VICE TV.
Devices supported by Frndly TV include: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Basic plan
$8.99/mo
50+ channels
72 hour lookback
Classic plan
$10.99/mo
50+ channels
72 hour lookback
Unlimited DVR
Premium plan
$12.99/mo
50+ channels
72 hour lookback
Unlimited DVR
Frndly TV won't have the widest line-up, but they offer the most budget-friendly plan out of all the subscription services listed here. That's because they exclude sports and local news channels, which usually come with programming fees. They also prioritize family friendly entertainment, so that means being able to watch with the whole family without breaking the bank. The streaming service has recently been acquired by Roku, so Frndly TV might be an easy way to add live TV if you already have a Roku device.
Other channels on Tubi include: 21 Jump Street, ABC Localish, ABC News, ACC Digital Network, AFV Family, All Real, Baywatch, Bein Sports XTRA, bein Sports Xtra en Espanol, Bloomberg, Bloomberg Quicktake, Bounce XL, Brat TV, BUZZR, Caught in Providence, CBC News, Cheddar, CINEVAULT: 80's, CINEVAULT: Classics, CINEVAULT: Westerns, Circle, Comedy Dynamics, Cosmos, Deal or No Deal, Dove Channel, El Rey, Estrella News, EuroNews English, Fear Factor, FilmRise Classic TV, FilmRise Westerns, Forensic Files, FOX, Fox Deportes, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports, Fox Weather, fubo Sports Network, Game Show Central, Gordon Ramsay, Heartland, ION, Johnny Carson TV, live now from Fox, LOL-Network, Lone Star, Masked Singer Channel, Maverick Black Cinema, MLB, Moviesphere Free, My Time Movie Network, Mystery Science Theater 3000, NASCAR Channel, Nash Bridges, NBC News Now, Newsy, NFL Channel, NHRA TV, Nosey, Pac-12 Insider, Pattrn, People TV, Real Madrid TV, REELZ, Revolt Mixtape, So Real, Sports Wire, Stadium, Supermarket Sweep, The Biggest Loser, The Bob Ross Channel, The Carol Burnett Show, The Conners, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Grio, The Looney Tunes Show, the NFL Channel, The Only Way is Essex, TMZ, TODAY All Day, Tubi Originals, Unsolved Mysteries, Vice, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Weather Nation, and Wipeout Xtra.
Devices supported by Tubi include: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Sony, TiVo, Vizio, and Xbox One.
Tubi
$0.00/mo
Ad-supported
Registration not required to watch
Accounts come with free synced watchlist and parental controls
Tubi is better known for free on-demand streaming, but you might not know that they also have free live TV. Everything's free on Tubi because instead of paid subscriptions, they earn through ad revenue. So if you have a bit of patience, you can enjoy a huge on-demand library and a line-up of 260 channels. Did I mention it's all for free?
Other channels on Pluto TV include: 60 minutes Pluto, AllBlk Gems, BBC Food, BBC Home, Bein Sports XTRA, Bloomberg Television, Bodas+, CBS Sports HQ, CBSN, Check with Pluto TV for the full channel lineup, Cheddar News, CNN Headlines, CNN Originals, Crimen, DAZN Ringside, ET Live, Family Feud, Food TV, Fox desportes, Fox Sports, Hallmark En Espanol, Hip Hop Family, Hip Hop Family VH1, Hit Sitcoms by WBtv, La Familia del Barrio, Love & Hip-Hop VH1, Major League Soccer, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, MLB, MotorTrend FAST TV, Mythbusters by WBtv, NBC News Now, Newsmax, NFL Channel, NFL Super Bowl Classics, No Reservations by WBtv, Nosey, People TV, PGA Tour, Pluto Channels, Queens of Reality, Real Disaster, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Sky News, Smithsonian Channel, Stories AMC, TBN, The Emeril Lagasse Channel, The Martha Stewart Channel, The Twilight Zone, Today, TuDiscovery, TuWarner, TV Land Drama, WeatherNation, WOW – Women Of Wrestling, and WPT.
Devices supported by Pluto TV include: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Roku, Virgin Media, Vizio SmartCast, webOS, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Free
$0.00/mo
Over 200 live TV channels
Ad-supported VOD
No registration required
Like Tubi, Pluto TV is another free streaming service. The whole service is free because they earn revenue from ads instead of subscriptions. The platform is better known for their on-demand content, but Pluto also happens to have live TV. That means cord-cutters don't need to pay a monthly subscription to enjoy around 250 channels available on the streamer.
Other channels on YouTube TV include: ABC, ABC (depending on zipcode), ACCN, Adult Swim, AMC, Animal Planet, BBC America, BBC World News, BET, BET Her, Big Ten Network, Bounce, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CBS, CBS local channels, CBS Sports Network, Charge!, Cheddar, Cheddar News, CMT, CNBC, CNBC World, CNN, Comedy Central, Comedy TV, Comet, Court TV, Cozi TV, Dabl, Discovery Channel, Disney, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Docurama, Dove Channel, E!, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, Food Network, FOX, Fox Business Network, Fox News, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports 1 (FS1), Fox Sports 2 (FS2), Fox Weather, Freeform, FX, FXM, FXX, Galavision, Game Show Network, Get TV, Golf Channel, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Family, Hallmark Mystery, HGTV, HLN, HSN, IFC, Investigation Discovery (ID), ION, Justice Central TV, LAFC Channel, Law & Crime, Live Now, Local Now, Localish, MotorTrend, MSNBC, MTV, MTV 2, MTV Classic, My TV, Nat Geo Wild, National Geographic, NBA TV, NBC, NBC local channels, NBC News Now, NBC Universo, NBCLX, NBCSN, NECN, Neon, News Nation, Newsmax, NFL Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Orlando City Channel, OWN, Oxygen, Oxygen True Crime, Paramount, PBS, PBS Kids, PBS local channels, PC Mag, Pop, QVC, Recipe.TV, Scripps News, SEC Network, Smithsonian Channel, SNY, Start TV, Sundance TV, SYFY, Tastemade, TBD, TBS, TCM (Turner Classic Movies), Teen Nick, TeleHit, Telemundo local channels, Tennis 2, The CW, The Great Courses, The Walking Dead Universe, The Weather Channel, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, Tru TV, Turner Classic Movies, TV Land, TYT, Unimas, Unimas local channels, Universal Kids, Univision, Univision local channels, USA Network, VH1, WE tv, Willow, YouTube Originals, and Zen channel.
Devices supported by YouTube TV include: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Google TV Streamer, iOS, LG TV, PlayStation, Roku, Samsung TV, Sharp, Vizio, and Xbox.
Base Plan
$82.99/mo
100+ channels
Unlimited DVR
Six accounts
Spanish Plan
$97.98/mo
30+ Spanish channels
No base required
Unlimited DVR
Sports Plan
$64.99/mo
FS1
NBC Sports Network
All of the ESPN networks
ESPN Unlimited coming this fall
Sports + News Plan
$71.99/mo
Everything in the Sports plan
National news networks like CNBC and CNN
Discount available for new users for the first 3 months
Entertainment Plan
$54.99/mo
Comedy Central
Bravo
Paramount
Food Network
News + Entertainment + Family Plan
$69.99/mo
Major news channels
Every channel in the entertainment plan
Kid-friendly channels
Discount available for new users for the first 3 months
DirecTV Stream's huge channel line-up is a big draw, but other players in live TV streaming now have line-ups that rival theirs. When it comes to line-up, their biggest competitor is YouTube TV. The platform is popular because of their line-up and familiar interface. Like DirecTV, YouTube TV also has plenty of sports channels, high definition streams, and customizable add-ons that provide a great streaming experience.
Other channels on Xumo Play include: ABC News Live, AccuWeather Now, Bloomberg, CBC News, CBSN, Cheddar News, Fox Sports, ION, NBC Comedy Vault, NBC News Now, NBCLX, PGA Tour, Today, and USA.
Devices supported by Xumo Play include: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Google TV Streamer, iOS, Panasonic, Roku, Samsung TV, Visio TV, webOS, and Xfinity Flex.
Xumo Play
$0.00/mo
350+ live TV channels and 15
000 on-demand content
Ad-supported
No account required
Compared to Tubi and Pluto TV, Xumo Play might be the least known for free ad-supported streaming. That's because for a while, the streaming service was only offered on a few smart TVs. However, they expanded since, offering the service through regular web browsers and rapidly gaining more channels over time. As of writing, Xumo Play has around 350+ channels in their line-up, making it the largest line-up out of all the streamers listed here.
Devices supported by Spectrum TV Choice include: Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Samsung TV, and Xbox.
Spectrum TV Choice
$53.19/mo
15+ live channels inc. local channels for $30
Cloud DVR available with an additional $5
Local surcharge of $23.20 depending on the area
You can change channel line-up after 30 days
Similar to DirecTV Stream, Spectrum TV Choice has its roots in cable. The streaming service is owned by Charter Communications, who wanted to deliver what they already broadcast on cable through online streaming. Unlike DirecTV, however, Spectrum also offers internet. If you're already paying for a Spectrum wi-fi plan, Spectrum TV Choice is the simplest way to add streaming.
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