Rated 7+ IMDb · 70%+ RT Little-known finds Curated by humans
Rated 7+ IMDb · 70%+ RT Little-known finds Curated by humans
There are a lot of live TV streaming options out there, each with its own set of specialties, but perhaps no two are as similar as DirecTV Stream and Fubo. With very close price ranges and channel coverages, it can be tricky to determine which service performs better than the other.
It helps to see where exactly they differ. For example, while both DirecTV Stream and Fubo pride themselves on their impressive line-up of sports channels, only one of them covers the NFL Network. In this article, we take a closer look at details like this and more to see which service is the right choice for you.
| Feature | DIRECTV | FuboOur pick |
|---|---|---|
| Ideal for | image quality | most sports channels |
| Base price | $89.99/mo | $79.99/mo |
| Channels | 80+ | 108+ |
| Free trial | 5 days | 7 days |
| Subscribers | 0.8 million | 1.5 million |
| Try DIRECTV free for 5 days | Try Fubo free for 7 days |
If you just want the lowest possible bill, here is exactly what each service’s cheapest plan gets you.
| Feature | DIRECTV MyEntertainment Pack | Fubo Sports & News |
|---|---|---|
| Price / month | $34.99 | $55.99 |
| New User Deal | 15% off 1st month | 18% off 1st month |
| Streams at Home | Unlimited | 10 |
| Streams Outside Home | 3 | 3 |
| DVR Storage | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| DVR Keeps For | 9 months | 9 months |
| Profiles | 5 | 6 |
| Multiview Screens | 4 | 4 |
| Max Quality | 1080p | 720p |
| 4K Support | ✓ Yes | – |
| Audio | 5.1 audio | Standard stereo |
| Dolby Digital | ✓ Yes | – |
| Dolby Atmos | ✓ Yes | – |
| Min. Speed | 8 Mbps | 3 Mbps |
| Get MyEntertainment Pack → | Get Sports & News → |
| DIRECTV 1 plan | Fubo 3 plans | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest MyEntertainment Pack | Cheapest Sports & News | Pro | Elite | |
| Price / month | $34.99 | $55.99 | $79.99 | $89.99 |
| New User Deal | 15% off 1st month | 18% off 1st month | 35% off 1st month | 35% off 1st month |
| Streams at Home | Unlimited | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Streams Outside Home | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| DVR Storage | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| DVR Keeps For | 9 months | 9 months | 9 months | 9 months |
| Profiles | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Multiview Screens | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Max Quality | 1080p | 720p | 720p | 720p |
| 4K Support | ✓ Yes | – | – | Select events only |
| Audio | 5.1 audio | Standard stereo | Standard stereo | Standard stereo |
| Dolby Digital | ✓ Yes | – | – | – |
| Dolby Atmos | ✓ Yes | – | – | – |
| Min. Speed | 8 Mbps | 3 Mbps | 3 Mbps | 3 Mbps |
| Get plan → | Get plan → | Get plan → | Get plan → | |
Add 3 on-demand subscriptions for more content
35 channels are available on both services. DIRECTV has 103 exclusive channels not on Fubo. Fubo has 46 exclusive channels not on DIRECTV.
| Channel | DIRECTV | Fubo |
|---|---|---|
| ABC | ✓ | ✓ |
| ABC News Live | – | ✓ |
| ACC Digital Network | ✓ | – |
| ACC Network (in-market) | – | ✓ |
| AMC | ✓ | – |
| AXS TV | ✓ | – |
| AccuWeather | ✓ | ✓ |
| Alien Nation | ✓ | – |
| Anger Management | ✓ | – |
| Animal Planet | ✓ | – |
| Are We There Yet? | ✓ | – |
| Ax Men | ✓ | – |
| BABY FIRST | ✓ | – |
| BBC America | ✓ | – |
| BET | ✓ | – |
| BUZZR | ✓ | – |
| Bein Sports | – | ✓ |
| Big 12 | ✓ | – |
| Big Ten Network (BTN) | – | ✓ |
| Bloomberg TV | ✓ | – |
| Bob Ross | ✓ | – |
| Boomerang | ✓ | – |
| Bravo | ✓ | ✓ |
| C-SPAN | ✓ | – |
| C-SPAN2 | ✓ | – |
| CBS | ✓ | ✓ |
| CBS Sports Network | – | ✓ |
| CBS local channels | ✓ | ✓ |
| CBSN | – | ✓ |
| CMT | ✓ | ✓ |
| CNBC | ✓ | – |
| CNN | ✓ | – |
| CNN International | ✓ | – |
| CNN en Espanol | ✓ | – |
| CW | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cartoon Network | ✓ | – |
| Cheddar | – | ✓ |
| Cheddar News | ✓ | – |
| Cleo TV | ✓ | – |
| Comedy Central | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comedy Dynamics | ✓ | – |
| Comet | – | ✓ |
| Court TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cozi TV | – | ✓ |
| Crime 360 | ✓ | – |
| Curiosity Now | ✓ | – |
| Daystar HD | ✓ | – |
| Declassified | ✓ | – |
| Discovery Channel | ✓ | – |
| Disney Channel | – | ✓ |
| Disney Junior | – | ✓ |
| Disney XD | – | ✓ |
| Duck Dynasty | ✓ | – |
| E! Entertainment | ✓ | – |
| ESPN | ✓ | ✓ |
| ESPN 4K | – | ✓ |
| ESPN Deportes | ✓ | – |
| ESPN2 | ✓ | ✓ |
| ESPN3 | – | ✓ |
| ESPNU | ✓ | – |
| ESPNews | ✓ | – |
| EarthxTV | ✓ | – |
| Ebony TV | ✓ | – |
| El Rey Rebel | ✓ | – |
| Estrella TV | – | ✓ |
| FETV | – | ✓ |
| FMC | ✓ | ✓ |
| FOX | ✓ | ✓ |
| FOX SOUL | ✓ | ✓ |
| FUEL TV | ✓ | – |
| FX | ✓ | ✓ |
| FXX | ✓ | ✓ |
| Food Network | ✓ | – |
| Fox Business Network | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fox News Channel | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fox Sports 1 (FS1) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fox Sports 2 (FS2) | – | ✓ |
| Fox Weather | ✓ | – |
| Freeform | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fuse Music | ✓ | – |
| GRIT | – | ✓ |
| Galavision | ✓ | ✓ |
| GetTV | – | ✓ |
| HGTV | ✓ | – |
| HLN | ✓ | – |
| HSN | ✓ | – |
| Hallmark Channel | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hallmark Family | – | ✓ |
| Hallmark Mystery | ✓ | ✓ |
| HerSphere | ✓ | – |
| Home Shopping Network | ✓ | – |
| IFC | ✓ | ✓ |
| ION | ✓ | – |
| ION Television | ✓ | – |
| Intravel | – | ✓ |
| Investigation Discovery (ID) | ✓ | – |
| Jewelry Television | ✓ | – |
| Lifetime | ✓ | – |
| Lionsgate Collection | ✓ | – |
| Local Now | – | ✓ |
| MASN | – | ✓ |
| MSNBC | ✓ | – |
| MTV | ✓ | ✓ |
| MTV2 | ✓ | – |
| MeatEater TV | ✓ | – |
| MotorTrend | ✓ | – |
| MovieSphere | ✓ | – |
| NBA TV | ✓ | – |
| NBC | ✓ | ✓ |
| NBC local channels | ✓ | ✓ |
| NBCLX | – | ✓ |
| NBCSN | – | ✓ |
| NFL Network | – | ✓ |
| National Geographic | – | ✓ |
| News Nation | ✓ | – |
| Newsmax | ✓ | ✓ |
| Nick Jr. | ✓ | ✓ |
| Nickelodeon | ✓ | ✓ |
| Olympic Channel | – | ✓ |
| One America News | ✓ | – |
| Ovation | ✓ | – |
| Oxygen | – | ✓ |
| Oxygen True Crime | ✓ | – |
| PBS | ✓ | – |
| PBS Kids | ✓ | – |
| PBS local channels | ✓ | – |
| Paramount Network | ✓ | ✓ |
| Poker GO | ✓ | – |
| Pop | – | ✓ |
| Pursuit Channel | ✓ | – |
| QVC | ✓ | – |
| QVC2 | ✓ | – |
| QVC3 | ✓ | – |
| REELZ | ✓ | – |
| REVOLT | ✓ | – |
| RFD-TV | ✓ | – |
| RSNs | ✓ | ✓ |
| Racing America | ✓ | – |
| SEC Network | – | ✓ |
| SYFY | ✓ | – |
| Scientology Network | ✓ | – |
| Scripps News | ✓ | – |
| Shop LC | ✓ | – |
| Smithsonian Channel | – | ✓ |
| Somos Novelas | ✓ | – |
| SportsGrid | ✓ | – |
| Start TV | ✓ | – |
| SundanceTV | ✓ | – |
| TBS | ✓ | – |
| TCM | ✓ | – |
| TLC | ✓ | – |
| TNA | ✓ | – |
| TNT | ✓ | – |
| TUDN | – | ✓ |
| TUDNxtra | – | ✓ |
| TV Land | ✓ | ✓ |
| TV One | ✓ | – |
| TVG | – | ✓ |
| Tastemade | – | ✓ |
| Tastemade Home | ✓ | – |
| Tastemade Travel | ✓ | – |
| TeenNick | ✓ | – |
| Telemundo | – | ✓ |
| Telemundo local channels | ✓ | ✓ |
| The First | ✓ | – |
| The Weather Channel | – | ✓ |
| USA Network | ✓ | – |
| Unimas | – | ✓ |
| Unimas local channels | – | ✓ |
| Universal Kids | – | ✓ |
| Universo | – | ✓ |
| Univision | ✓ | – |
| Up TV | ✓ | – |
| VH1 | ✓ | ✓ |
| WE tv | ✓ | – |
| WGN America | – | ✓ |
| Waypoint TV | ✓ | – |
| Willow | – | ✓ |
| Women’s Sports Network | ✓ | – |
| YES Network | – | ✓ |
| Yahoo! Finance | ✓ | – |
| fubo Sports Network | – | ✓ |
| theGrio | ✓ | – |
| truTV | ✓ | – |
Both services support most major devices. Here’s a breakdown based on the device apps each service lists.
| Device / Platform | DIRECTV | Fubo |
|---|---|---|
| Airplay | Not listed | ✓ |
| Amazon Fire TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| Android TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Apple TV | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chromecast | Not listed | ✓ |
| Google TV Streamer | Not listed | ✓ |
| Roku | ✓ | ✓ |
| Samsung TV | ✓ | Not listed |
| Xfinity Flex | Not listed | ✓ |
| Xumo | Not listed | ✓ |
| iOS | ✓ | ✓ |
“Not listed” means the service doesn’t list an app for that device; it may still work via casting or a browser.
Fubo has 1.5 million subscribers compared to 0.8 million for DIRECTV. That makes Fubo 90% more popular by subscriber count.
Fubo starts at $79.99/month, while DIRECTV starts at $89.99/month. That’s $10.00 more per month for DIRECTV, or $120.00 more per year.
Before you pick either one, here is the drawback of each service, plainly stated.
DIRECTV is one of the priciest ways to stream live TV; you are paying for a cable-sized channel bundle even if you only watch a fraction of it.
Fubo is built for sports first: entertainment channel selection is thinner than rivals, and a regional sports fee raises the advertised price at checkout.
Is Fubo cheaper than DIRECTV?
Yes. Fubo starts at $79.99/month, while DIRECTV starts at $89.99/month. That's a difference of $10.00/month, or $120.00 per year.
Do DIRECTV or Fubo offer a free trial?
DIRECTV offers a 5-day free trial. Fubo offers a 7-day free trial.
Are DIRECTV and Fubo the same company?
No. DIRECTV is owned by DirecTV, while Fubo is owned by Fubo, majority-owned by Disney. They are separate, competing subscriptions.
Is DIRECTV included with Fubo?
No. Neither service includes the other: a Fubo subscription does not give you DIRECTV content, and vice versa. You need a separate subscription for each.
Which has more channels, DIRECTV or Fubo?
DIRECTV carries 138 channels, while Fubo carries 81. 35 channels are available on both services.
What channels does DIRECTV have that Fubo doesn't?
DIRECTV has 103 channels not available on Fubo, including: ACC Digital Network, Alien Nation, AMC, Anger Management, Animal Planet, and more.
What channels does Fubo have that DIRECTV doesn't?
Fubo has 46 channels not available on DIRECTV, including: ABC News Live, ACC Network (in-market), Bein Sports, Big Ten Network (BTN), CBS Sports Network, and more.
Which has better DVR, DIRECTV or Fubo?
DIRECTV's base plan includes Unlimited of DVR storage. Fubo's base plan includes Unlimited of DVR storage.
Can I cancel DIRECTV or Fubo anytime?
Yes. Both DIRECTV and Fubo are month-to-month subscriptions with no long-term contracts. You can cancel either service at any time.
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