When DIRECTV STREAM NOW was initially released under the Direct TV Now name in 2016, it was one of the best streaming services around. The service offered over 100 channels for just $35 per month.
Today, DIRECTV STREAM Now’s channel list is down to about 50 channels. Furthermore, the cost of those channels has nearly doubled to $65 per month. That’s almost a 400% increase in the price-per-channel to AT&T Now subscribers. While the price of live streaming services has increased recently, no streaming service has lost value like DIRECTV STREAM Now.
With Roku dropping support for AT&T Now in earlier this year, and rumors swirling that DIRECTV STREAM Now is shutting down, we thought it would be an excellent time to examine some alternatives.
Replacing DIRECTV STREAM Now
If you are a long time subscriber to DIRECTV STREAM Now you are likely looking for the following out live streaming service:
- A way to stream local broadcast channels
- live access to popular cable channels
- A way to watch regional sports
With that in mind, the services I recommend as suitable alternatives to AT&T Now are FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, and YouTube TV. Let’s take a look at what each of these streaming services has over DIRECTV STREAM Now and what features may be missing.
FuboTV
Fubo TV is an excellent choice if you are looking to replace DIRECTV STREAM now. The service costs $54.99 per month after a 1-week free trial and offers the following:
- Over 100 channels in the Fubo TV base package
- you can watch live CBS, NBC, and Fox in most U.S. TV markets
- offers more regional sports networks than any other services
- includes a cloud DVR
See our review of FuboTV for more details.
What’s Missing
- FuboTV doesn’t stream local ABC channels live.
- While FuboTV offers more channels than other options, it doesn’t provide Disney owned channels like ESPN.
- FuboTV doesn’t offer HBO, but you can subscribe to HBO directly through HBO NOW.
Hulu + Live TV
While Hulu TV offers fewer channels than FuboTV, it does a more than adequate job at replacing DIRECTV STREAM Now. Here are some of the highlights:
- live local ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and more in most markets of the country
- Live access to popular channels found on cable, including HGTV, ESPN, Disney, A&E, Bravo, regional sports networks, and more
- 70+ channels in all
- 50 hours of cloud DVR storage.
- Very robust on-demand offerings including Hulu originals
Hulu + Live TV costs $54.99 per month. You can give Hulu a try or check out our review of Hulu for more details.
What’s Missing
A few channels are missing from Hulu’s lineup like Nickelodeon, MTV, and VH1, but Hulu offers more channels overall. HBO isn’t included but can be added for $14.99 through Hulu.
YouTube TV
Another option for replacing DIRECTV STREAM Now, here are some strengths relative to DIRECTV STREAM Now:
- live local ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, in most markets of the country
- 75+ channels in all
- many regional sports networks
- unlimited DVR storage
Check out our review of YouTube TV for more details
What’s Missing
A few channels are missing from the YouTube TV lineup like Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1, and A&E. YouTube TV doesn’t offer HBO, but you can subscribe to HBO directly through HBO NOW.
Other Options
If you want to examine some other alternatives to replace DIRECTV STREAM Now aside from what I’ve listed here, check out our channel comparison of live streaming services.
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