DIRECTV Packages Explained (2026): Genre Packs, Streaming and Satellite Prices
Most DIRECTV guides still describe a lineup that no longer reflects how DIRECTV is sold. In 2026 there are three different ways to buy it — Genre Packs, full streaming packages, and satellite — and they have different prices, different fees, and different answers to the only question that matters: does it carry your team?
Shopping for TV? Compare DIRECTV packages, channel lineups and current pricing side by side.
The short answer
If you only want sports: the MySports Genre Pack is $49.99 for the first month, then $64.99 — and it exists specifically so you stop paying for 100 channels you never open.
If you want a normal TV package: streaming CHOICE at $64.99 is the volume seller, and it is the cheapest tier that includes regional sports networks and NFL Network.
If your internet is weak or absent: satellite is still the right product, and it is the only version that keeps working when the internet goes down.
The number that decides your real bill: add the $15/mo Advanced Service Fee to every streaming package, plus a regional sports fee of up to $19.99/mo on CHOICE and above. A $64.99 package is really about $85–$100 before tax.
The three ways to buy DIRECTV in 2026
| Genre Packs | Streaming packages | Satellite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it arrives | Over your internet, app or DIRECTV device | Over your internet | Dish on the roof |
| Starting price | $20.99/mo + tax | $59.99/mo | Address-quoted |
| Channel count | 10–70+ depending on pack | 90–185+ | Largest lineup |
| Equipment | None required — use your own device | None required | Dish + receivers, professional install |
| Contract | None | None | Typically 24 months |
| Works without internet | No | No | Yes |
| Best for | People who watch one genre | Most households | Rural addresses, weak broadband, sports purists |
The Genre Packs are the part almost every competing article still omits, and they are the biggest change to DIRECTV’s pricing in a decade. Start there.
DIRECTV Genre Packs — the 2026 lineup and prices
Genre Packs unbundle DIRECTV. Instead of buying 125 channels to get the 20 you watch, you buy the genre you actually watch. They stream, they need no dish, and there is no annual contract.
| Pack | Price / month + tax | Channels | What’s inside |
|---|---|---|---|
| MyKids | $20.99 | 10+ | Disney+, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Boomerang |
| MiEspañol | $37.99 | 60+ | ViX Premium with ads, Univision, Telemundo, TUDN |
| MyEntertainment | $42.99 | 60+ | Disney+, HBO Max (Basic with ads), Hulu bundle, AMC+ |
| MyNews | $44.99 | 10+ | CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, CNBC — includes local channels |
| MySports | $49.99 first month, then $64.99 | 20+ | ESPN Unlimited plan, ESPN, FS1, TNT, NFL Network |
Combinations and mini add-ons
| Option | Price / month + tax | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MyEntertainment + MyNews | $74.99 | 70+ channels — the closest Genre-Pack equivalent to a traditional package |
| MySports + MyNews | $79.99 | 30+ channels |
| MySports + MySports Extra | $49.99 first month, then $78.98 | Adds NFL RedZone |
| MySports Extra (add-on) | $13.99 | 8 channels including NFL RedZone; first month free with MySports |
| MyCinema (add-on) | $10.99 | 10 movie channels |
| MyHome Team (add-on) | $19.99 | Your local regional sports network — availability varies by market |
When Genre Packs actually save you money
| You are… | Genre Pack route | Monthly | vs CHOICE ($64.99 + $15 ASF + RSN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A household with young kids and streaming apps already | MyKids | $20.99 | Saves ~$60–80/mo |
| A news watcher who streams everything else | MyNews | $44.99 | Saves ~$35–55/mo |
| A Spanish-language household | MiEspañol | $37.99 | Saves ~$40–60/mo |
| A national sports fan with no local team allegiance | MySports | $64.99 | Saves ~$15–35/mo |
| A local-team sports fan | MySports + MyHome Team | $84.99 | Roughly a wash — compare carefully |
| A general TV household that watches a bit of everything | MyEntertainment + MyNews | $74.99 | Usually not worth it — take the package |
DIRECTV streaming packages — prices and what each one adds
| Package | Advertised | Channels | The one reason to choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENTERTAINMENT | $59.99/mo | 90+ | Cheapest full package — but no regional sports, no NFL Network |
| CHOICE | $64.99/mo | 125+ | The first tier with RSNs and NFL Network — $5 more than ENTERTAINMENT |
| ULTIMATE | $89.99/mo | 160+ | Adds CBS Sports Network, NHL Network, Golf Channel, Starz Encore, BBC America |
| PREMIER | $129.99/mo | 185+ | Everything, plus HBO Max, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax, MGM+ included |
| ÓPTIMO MÁS | $59.99/mo | 200+ | Spanish-language flagship |
The $5 rule. Going from ENTERTAINMENT to CHOICE costs $5 a month and adds roughly 35 channels including the regional sports networks and NFL Network. Unless you are certain nobody in the house follows a local team, CHOICE is the correct starting point and ENTERTAINMENT is a false economy.
The fees: what your bill actually says
This is the section the comparison sites skip, and it is the reason people feel misled by their second bill.
| Line item | Amount | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Service Fee | $15/mo | Every streaming package — mandatory, not optional |
| Regional Sports Network fee | Up to $19.99/mo | CHOICE, ULTIMATE and PREMIER; amount varies by ZIP code |
| Taxes and government fees | Varies | Everything |
| Genre Packs | No Advanced Service Fee | Genre Packs are quoted “+ tax” only |
| Equipment | $0 on streaming | Satellite receivers are quoted separately |
| Early termination | None on streaming | Satellite agreements typically run 24 months |
Advertised price versus real price
| Package | Advertised | + Advanced Service Fee | + RSN fee (typical range) | Realistic pre-tax total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENTERTAINMENT | $59.99 | $15.00 | — | $74.99 |
| CHOICE | $64.99 | $15.00 | $9.99–$19.99 | $89.98–$99.98 |
| ULTIMATE | $89.99 | $15.00 | $9.99–$19.99 | $114.98–$124.98 |
| PREMIER | $129.99 | $15.00 | $9.99–$19.99 | $154.98–$164.98 |
| MySports Genre Pack | $64.99 | none | $19.99 only if you add MyHome Team | $64.99–$84.99 |
What is actually included: the channel questions people really ask
| Channel / feature | ENTERTAINMENT | CHOICE | ULTIMATE | PREMIER |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locals (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, PBS, CW) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ESPN, ESPN2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Regional Sports Networks | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NFL Network | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SEC Network | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CBS Sports Network, NHL Network, Golf Channel | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| HBO Max, SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax, MGM+ | No | No | Partial | Yes |
| Unlimited cloud DVR | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Streams at home | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Streams away from home | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Recordings on the unlimited cloud DVR are retained for up to nine months, which is materially better than most live-TV streaming services and is a real reason sports households stay.
Satellite versus streaming: the decision in one table
| DIRECTV via Satellite | DIRECTV via Internet | |
|---|---|---|
| Needs broadband | No | Yes — budget 25 Mbps per stream |
| Survives an internet outage | Yes | No |
| Survives severe weather | Rain fade is real | Yes |
| Install | Professional, dish mounted, roof access needed | None — app or streaming device |
| Contract | Typically 24 months | None |
| Renting? | Landlord permission usually required | No permission needed |
| Largest channel lineup | Yes | Close, not identical |
| Equipment fees | Receivers billed per TV | $0 |
The honest rule: if you have reliable broadband, take the streaming version. It is cheaper, contract-free, and you can walk away. Choose satellite when broadband is poor or absent, when you want the deepest lineup, or when internet outages in your area are frequent enough that losing TV with them would annoy you.
Sports add-ons, priced
| Add-on | What it is | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|
| MySports Extra | NFL RedZone plus 7 more channels | $13.99/mo; first month free with MySports |
| MyHome Team | Your local RSN | $19.99/mo; market-dependent |
| NBA League Pass | Out-of-market NBA | Seasonal add-on, any package |
| MLB Extra Innings | Out-of-market MLB | Seasonal add-on, any package |
| NHL Center Ice | Out-of-market NHL | Seasonal add-on, any package |
NFL Sunday Ticket is no longer a DIRECTV exclusive. It moved to YouTube in 2023 and is sold there now. If Sunday Ticket is the reason you were considering DIRECTV, read our DIRECTV vs YouTube TV comparison before you order — that fact changes the answer for a lot of households.
New-customer promotions worth asking for
- Three included months of premiums — HBO Max, Paramount+ Premium, STARZ, Cinemax and MGM+ on ENTERTAINMENT, CHOICE and ULTIMATE. Roughly $175 of value, and it auto-bills afterwards unless you cancel, so diarise the date.
- MySports first-month pricing — $49.99 instead of $64.99 for new users.
- Five-day free trial on streaming. Use it during a week when the house is busy, not a quiet one.
- Bundle credits when DIRECTV is ordered alongside internet — see our DIRECTV internet bundle guide.
Which package should you actually choose?
| Household | Choose | Realistic monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Young kids, parents already stream everything else | MyKids | $20.99 + tax |
| Retired news-and-locals household | MyNews | $44.99 + tax |
| Spanish-language household | MiEspañol or ÓPTIMO MÁS | $37.99 / $59.99 |
| Sports fan, no local team | MySports | $64.99 + tax |
| Sports fan who follows the local team | CHOICE (price MySports + MyHome Team against it) | ≈$90–$100 |
| General family TV household | CHOICE | ≈$90–$100 |
| Movies matter more than sports | PREMIER, or CHOICE + MyCinema | ≈$155 / ≈$100 |
| Rural, weak or no broadband | Satellite | Address-quoted |
Get your real number, including the RSN fee in your ZIP
Regional sports fees and RSN availability are set by market, and Genre Pack availability varies too. One call gets you the actual total for your address — not the advertised price.
Check any channel, in any package
The fastest way to settle this is to look up the two or three channels that actually decide it for you. Type a channel name below.
🔍 Channel Finder — search any channel
Channel line-ups above reflect the traditional Entertainment / Choice / Ultimate / Premier packages. Genre Pack contents differ — see the Genre Pack tables earlier on this page, or use the full DIRECTV channel search tool.
How we researched this
Package names, channel counts, prices and fees were checked against DIRECTV's own published materials in August 2026, cross-referenced with independent industry reporting, and are reviewed whenever DIRECTV changes its lineup — which in 2026 has been several times, particularly on Genre Pack pricing. Realistic-total figures are our own arithmetic from the fee schedule shown above, not a DIRECTV quote.
Telemedia Solutions is an authorized DIRECTV retailer and is compensated when a customer orders through us. See how we research internet & TV providers, our retailer disclosure, and why consumers trust Telemedia Solutions.
Still weighing your options? See how this stacks up in our guide to the best internet providers in the USA.
Frequently asked questions
What are DIRECTV Genre Packs?
Genre Packs are smaller, streaming-only bundles built around one type of programming — kids, news, sports, entertainment, or Spanish-language — starting at $20.99/mo plus tax. They have no annual contract, need no dish, and skip the $15 Advanced Service Fee that applies to full streaming packages.
How much is DIRECTV per month in 2026?
Genre Packs run $20.99–$64.99 plus tax. Full streaming packages run $59.99 (ENTERTAINMENT) to $129.99 (PREMIER) before the $15 Advanced Service Fee and a regional sports fee of up to $19.99 on CHOICE and above. Satellite is quoted per address.
What is the Advanced Service Fee?
A mandatory $15/mo charge on DIRECTV streaming packages. It is not optional and it is not included in the advertised price, so add it to every package figure you see quoted anywhere.
Does MySports include my local team?
Not by itself. Regional sports networks are sold separately as MyHome Team at $19.99/mo, and availability depends on your market. National sports (ESPN, FS1, TNT, NFL Network) are in MySports; your local RSN generally is not.
What is the cheapest DIRECTV package?
MyKids at $20.99/mo plus tax is the cheapest of all. The cheapest full package is ENTERTAINMENT at $59.99 — but it carries no regional sports and no NFL Network, which is why CHOICE at $64.99 is usually the better buy.
What is the difference between ENTERTAINMENT and CHOICE?
Five dollars a month and about 35 channels — including the regional sports networks, NFL Network and SEC Network. It is the best-value step in the entire lineup.
Does DIRECTV still have NFL Sunday Ticket?
No. NFL Sunday Ticket moved to YouTube and YouTube TV in 2023. DIRECTV still carries NFL Network in CHOICE and above, and NFL RedZone through MySports Extra at $13.99/mo, but the Sunday Ticket out-of-market package itself is sold by YouTube now.
Is there a contract?
Genre Packs and streaming packages have no annual contract — cancel any time. Satellite service typically involves a 24-month agreement with an early-termination charge.
How many people can watch at once?
Unlimited simultaneous streams on your home network, and three streams away from home, on all streaming packages.
How long does the cloud DVR keep recordings?
Storage is unlimited and recordings are retained for up to nine months — longer than most competing live-TV streaming services.
Do I need a dish for DIRECTV?
Only for the satellite version. Genre Packs and streaming packages arrive over your internet connection and work on a phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device with no equipment to install.
How much internet speed do I need for DIRECTV streaming?
Budget roughly 25 Mbps per simultaneous HD stream, plus headroom for everything else in the house. A 100 Mbps connection comfortably handles two or three streams; a busy family house streaming in 4K should be on 300 Mbps or more.
Can I switch packages later?
Yes. Package and Genre Pack changes are made on the account and generally take effect at the next billing cycle. Starting on CHOICE and moving up later is a perfectly reasonable strategy.
Are the premium channels really free for three months?
They are included for three months for new customers on ENTERTAINMENT, CHOICE and ULTIMATE, then they bill at full rate unless you cancel. It is genuine value — roughly $175 — but it is an opt-out, not a gift.
What is ÓPTIMO MÁS?
DIRECTV's Spanish-language flagship package: $59.99/mo for 200+ channels. If your household watches primarily in Spanish, compare it against MiEspañol at $37.99 — the choice comes down to whether you want the wider general-entertainment lineup.
Can I get DIRECTV without internet?
Yes, via satellite. That is the main reason satellite still exists, and it is genuinely the right product for rural addresses and anywhere broadband is unreliable.
What is rain fade?
Heavy rain or snow between the dish and the satellite can briefly interrupt satellite reception. It is usually minutes, not hours, but it is a real trade-off against the streaming version, which is unaffected by weather and instead depends on your internet staying up.
Does DIRECTV include 4K?
4K content is available on select programming and requires compatible equipment and, for streaming, sufficient bandwidth. Availability varies by event and package, so confirm it before ordering if 4K is your deciding factor.
Can I bundle DIRECTV with internet?
Yes, and it usually earns a credit. Because we also sell AT&T, Spectrum, Frontier and Optimum internet, we can price the bundle against buying the two separately — see our DIRECTV internet bundle guide.
Does ordering through an authorized retailer cost more?
No. You pay DIRECTV's own prices; the retailer is compensated by DIRECTV. What you get is a person who will quote the RSN fee for your ZIP code before you commit rather than after.
How do I check which channels are in each package?
Use our DIRECTV channel search tool to look up any channel by package, or call us with the two or three channels that actually decide it for you — that is usually a thirty-second answer.
The bottom line
DIRECTV in 2026 is a better deal than its reputation suggests, provided you buy it correctly. The Genre Packs are a genuine unbundling and they will save a single-genre household $40–$80 a month. CHOICE at $64.99 remains the right default for a general family, and the $5 step up from ENTERTAINMENT is the best value in the lineup. Satellite is no longer the default, but it is still the only version that works when the internet does not.
What will not appear on any advertised price is the $15 Advanced Service Fee and a regional sports fee of up to $19.99 that depends entirely on your ZIP code. Get those two numbers before you order and DIRECTV holds no surprises.