DIRECTV vs YouTube TV: Every Plan Compared
By The Spool Editors · Published June 16, 2026 · Updated June 16, 2026
DIRECTV and YouTube TV are the two heavyweight cable replacements, and they could not be built more differently. DIRECTV hands you a menu: cheap genre packs, four signature tiers, and a regional-sports fee that quietly reshapes the price. YouTube TV hands you one plan and a short list of add-ons. That difference is the whole story here, so instead of a generic feature table, we compared them plan by plan, then worked out who each one is actually for.
At a Glance
| DIRECTV | YouTube TV | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $59.99/mo | $82.99/mo |
| Most channels | 185+ | 100+ |
| Streams at once | 20 | 3 |
| Local channels | ✓ | ✓ |
| Regional sports free | ✗ | ✓ |
| Unlimited DVR | ✓ | ✓ |
| 4K available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cheap mini plans | ✓ | ✗ |
| One simple plan | ✗ | ✓ |
| Free trial | ✓ | ✓ |
Which One Is Right for You
The Plans That Actually Compete
DIRECTV sells tiers and genre packs; YouTube TV sells one base plan plus add-ons. Here is every plan on each side, with what it really costs.
DIRECTV
YouTube TV
Price Breakdown & Hike History
DIRECTV starts at $59.99/mo and YouTube TV at $82.99/mo, but the sticker price is the trap. With DIRECTV, the regional sports fee can add up to $19.99 on the Choice tier and up. With YouTube TV, the base price is flat but extras stack on top.
DIRECTV: DIRECTV is raising its genre packs on June 25, 2026, with MyEntertainment going from $35 to $43 a month.
YouTube TV: YouTube TV has climbed from $35 at launch in 2017 to $82.99 in 2026, more than doubling in under a decade.
Channel Lineups Head-to-Head
YouTube TV runs one lineup of 100+ channels with locals and RSNs folded in where they exist. DIRECTV scales from a 90+ channel base up to 185+ on Premier, so the channel count depends entirely on which tier you buy. For most households the question isn't the raw number, it's whether your specific channels are in the plan, which is what the next section is for.
Your Local Channels & Your Team's RSN
This is where the decision usually gets made. Both services carry local stations in most markets, but coverage and regional sports vary city by city and team by team.
- Check exactly which service carries your city's ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox with our local channels guide.
- See whether your team's games are on a regional sports network, and who carries it, in our sports streaming guides.
The Features That Decide It
| Feature | DIRECTV | YouTube TV |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $59.99/mo | $82.99/mo |
| Free trial | 5 days | Occasional (5 to 14 days) |
| Cloud DVR | Unlimited Cloud DVR | Unlimited (kept 9 months) |
| Simultaneous streams | 20 at home, 3 on the go | 3 (unlimited at home with 4K Plus) |
| Accounts / profiles | Multiple profiles | 6 household accounts |
| 4K | Limited 4K via Sports Pack add-on | 4K Plus add-on ($9.99) |
| Regional sports (RSNs) | Extra fee (up to $19.99) on Choice, Ultimate, Premier | Included where available, no extra fee |
| Local channels | Included where available | Included in most markets |
Add-Ons & Hidden Costs
DIRECTV add-ons: Max, Paramount+, STARZ, AMC+, Discovery+, Hallmark+, Peacock, NBA League Pass, DirecTV Sports Pack, and International packs. The big hidden cost is the RSN fee on Choice and up.
YouTube TV add-ons: HBO Max, Paramount+ with Showtime, STARZ, NFL Sunday Ticket, NBA League Pass, and Entertainment Plus bundle. The hidden cost here is that 4K, extra Spanish channels and more sports each cost extra on top of the base plan.
How to Try Each One Free
DIRECTV runs a 5 days free trial fairly consistently. YouTube TV offers one occasional (5 to 14 days). With either, the move is the same: start the trial, watch what you need, and cancel before the first charge. For one-off live events, that trial window is often all you need.
The Cheapest Way to Get What You Want
Work backward from your must-haves. If you only need entertainment and news, DIRECTV Entertainment at $59.99 undercuts everything. If you need regional sports, compare DIRECTV Choice plus its RSN fee against YouTube TV's flat $82.99, and the gap narrows fast. If you want simple and done, YouTube TV's single plan is the least to think about.
DIRECTV vs YouTube TV FAQ
- Is DIRECTV or YouTube TV cheaper?
- It depends on sports. YouTube TV is a flat $82.99 with RSNs included. DIRECTV's Entertainment tier is cheaper at $59.99 but has no RSNs, and once you move to Choice ($64.99) and add the up-to-$20 RSN fee, it lands right around YouTube TV's price.
- Which has more channels?
- At the top end DIRECTV Premier carries 185+ channels, more than YouTube TV's 100+. But YouTube TV's single plan covers what most households watch, including locals and RSNs, without forcing you up a tier.
- Does either offer a free trial?
- DIRECTV runs a 5-day free trial fairly consistently. YouTube TV offers free trials only occasionally, usually 5 to 14 days. Either way you can watch inside the trial window and cancel before being charged.
- Which is better for sports?
- DIRECTV, in most cases. It has the deepest regional sports network coverage of any live TV streamer, which matters if your local team airs on an RSN. YouTube TV includes RSNs where they exist but the lineup is narrower.
DIRECTV vs YouTube TV: The Verdict
If you watch sports, DIRECTV is built for you. If you want one clean plan without a spreadsheet of add-ons, YouTube TV wins. DIRECTV gives you tiers, genre packs and the widest regional-sports coverage of any streamer, but the price climbs fast once you add RSNs. YouTube TV keeps it simple: one plan at $82.99, 100-plus channels, unlimited DVR, six accounts, and locals and RSNs included where they exist. The catch with YouTube TV is that everything past the base, 4K, extra Spanish channels, more sports, costs extra. The catch with DIRECTV is that the plan that looks cheap, $64.99 Choice, isn't, once the up-to-$20 RSN fee lands on top.
Last updated: June 16, 2026