YouTube TV vs. DirecTV: Price, Free Trial, & Value Compared (2026)

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As a shopping editor, I’ve covered my fair share of streaming stories—from how to watch the biggest sporting events to where to stream the latest hit shows. Even so, I know that choosing the right live TV streaming service can feel overwhelming. There are so many options out there that it’s not always clear which one offers the most value or features. That’s why I put two of the biggest live TV streaming services—YouTube TV and DirecTV—head-to-head in a comprehensive comparison. From pricing and packages to free trials, bundles, and live sports coverage, here’s everything you need to know to figure out which one is right for you.

YouTube TV vs. DirecTV: Prices & Packages

A big deciding factor in any purchase is price. How much does each option cost, what are your needs, and which one offers more value? These are the biggest questions you might want to consider as you browse YouTube TV and DirecTV’s packages.

How much does YouTube TV cost?

Regular Plans

YouTube TV only offers one simple plan that usually costs $82.99 per month, but is currently on sale for $67.99 per month for the first three months (that’s a total of $45 in savings in the first three months). You get over 100 channels, unlimited DVR space, multiview, and six household accounts and three streams for a discounted price of $67.99 per month for the first three months.

Lowest Price: YouTube TV’s standard plan costs $67.99 per month for the first three months and $82.99 per month after that.

Savings: Save $45 on your first three months of YouTube TV’s standard plan.

Curated Plans

Whether it’s $67.99 or $82.99 per month, that’s a pretty hefty bill to foot for a streaming package. Thankfully, YouTube TV gave the people what they wanted in early 2026 with the introduction of YouTube TV Plans. These plans let you watch a specific interest—like sports, entertainment, news, or family content—for less. The Sports Plan gives you access to over 30 channels (like FS1, NBC Sports Network, ESPN, and more) for $64.99 per month, except it’s actually down to $54.99 per month for your first 12 months ($120 total in savings). Alternatively, the Sport + News Plan costs $71.99 per month, but is discounted to $56.99 per month for new users. This option gives you everything from the Sports Plan, in addition to CNBC, Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, CSPAN, Bloomberg, Fox Business, and more.

If you spend most of your time in front of the screen watching movies, check out YouTube TV’s Entertainment Plan for $54.99 per month ($44.99 per month for new users right now). Enjoy FX, Hallmark, Comedy Central, Bravo, Paramount, Food Network, HGTV, and more for much less. And if you’ve got kiddos in your household, YouTube TV’s News + Entertainment + Family Plan bundles your favorite news and entertainment channels with family channels, such as Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, National Geographic, Cartoon Network, PBS Kids, and more. While it usually costs $69.99 per month, new users can try it for a discounted $59.99 per month right now.

Lowest Price: YouTube TV’s Entertainment Plan costs $44.99 per month for new users and $54.99 per month after that.

Savings: Save $120 on your first 12 months of the Sports Plan, save $15 per month on the Sports + News Plan, save $10 on the Entertainment Plan, or save $10 on the News + Entertainment + Family Plan.

How much does DirecTV cost?

Regular Plans

DirecTV offers four main TV packages: Entertainment (best budget-friendly), Choice (best for sports), Ultimate (best for movies and sports), and Premier (best all-inclusive). The cheapest of the bunch is Entertainment, which offers over 90 channels for $59.99 per month for the first month and then $89.99 per month after that ($30 in savings for the first month). This is a great option for those who want an entry-level package that won’t wreck your bank account. Next up is the Choice package, which offers over 125 channels for $64.99 per month for the first month and $94.99 per month after that ($30 in savings for the first month). Its standout feature is its regional sports networks and national sports channels. For example, you can catch the Big Ten Network, MLB Network, NBA TV, and the ACC Network. This option will serve its purpose if you like watching local MLB, NBA, or NHL teams.

Now we’re getting to the more expensive options. The Ultimate package features over 160 channels for $89.99 per month for the first month and then $124.99 per month after that ($35 in savings for the first month). Is it worth it? Well, you get everything from the Choice plan, but with more movie and specialty channels (like CBS Sports Network, NHL Network, FX Movie Channel, and STARZ Encore). For those who mostly watch sports and movies, don’t hesitate to splurge a little on this package. Last up is the Premier package, which includes over 185 channels. It doesn’t come at a small price, though. It costs $129.99 per month for the first month and $169.99 per month after that ($40 in savings for the first month). Combine the channels from all three of the previous packages and add HBO Max, Starz, and Paramount+ with Showtime if you want the most channels and variety.

Lowest Price: DirecTV’s Entertainment package costs $59.99 per month for the first month and $89.99 per month after that.

Savings: Save $30 on your first month of the Entertainment package, save $30 on your first month of the Choice package, save $35 on your first month of the Ultimate package, or save $40 on your first month of the Premier package.

Curated Plans

Let it be known that DirecTV hopped on the flexible plan bandwagon before YouTube TV. It currently offers six category-specific “Genre Packs” so that you only get the channels you’re actually interested in. MyEntertainment lets you watch over 60 channels—plus Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max Basic with Ads—for $42.99 per month. MySports gives you over 20 channels for $49.99 per month for your first two months and $64.99 per month after that. Its channel lineup includes local channels (where available), league-specific sports networks, other sports programming, and ESPN Unlimited. MyNews lets you watch over 10 channels (U.S. and international news channels, weather coverage, and local broadcast stations where available) for $44.99 per month. Note that this option isn’t offered in a bundle with other streamers. If you spend most of your time watching sports and news, opt for the MySports & MyNews Duo for over 30 channels priced at $79.99 per month.

The cheapest genre pack by far is MyKids, which sits at $20.99 per month and gives you over 10 channels and access to Disney+. Also on the more affordable side is MiEspañol, which will ring you up for $32.99 per month for the first two months and $37.99 per month after that. Viewers can watch over 60 channels in Spanish along with anything on ViX Premium.

Lowest Price: DirecTV’s MyKids genre pack costs $20.99 per month.

Savings: Save $15 on your first two months of the MySports Genre Pack, and save $5 on the MiEspañol Genre Pack for your first two months.

The Verdict: DirecTV

If you’re going by lowest price, DirecTV’s MyKids genre pack costs $20.99 per month, with its MiEspañol and MyEntertainment genre packs trailing right behind at $32.99 per month and $42.99 per month, respectively. There isn’t a huge price gap between DirecTV and YouTube TV, though. YouTube TV’s cheapest option is its Entertainment Plan, which costs $44.99 per month for new users and $54.99 per month after that. It also largely depends on your viewing needs and budget.

If you’re going by savings, DirecTV’s base packages offer monthly savings ranging from $30 to $40 and its Genre Packs let you save between $5 and $15 per month. YouTube TV’s current deals only give you up to $15 in savings for any of the plans, which is significantly less than what its rival can offer.

YouTube TV vs. DirecTV: Free Trial

Before you splurge on a streaming service, you should check if it offers a free trial because a decent chunk actually do. Free trials are a great way to test a streamer before committing to a monthly or annual plan.

Does YouTube TV have a free trial?

Yes, YouTube TV’s free trial currently lasts for 21 days, though the duration is known to fluctuate, so be sure to visit the streamer’s site for up-to-date free trial information.

Does DirecTV have a free trial?

Yes, DirecTV’s free trial currently runs for five days for new customers only, and this duration has been steady for a while now.

The Verdict: YouTube TV

YouTube TV’s current free trial lasts 16 days longer than DirecTV’s, which is a notable difference. Plus, 21 days is generally considered a long free trial for any streaming service.

YouTube TV vs. DirecTV: Bundles

Several streaming services offer bundles that let users access multiple streamers for a lower price (i.e., Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max, and then Peacock and Apple TV). Bundles are a great way to get the most options and variety, while saving (which is another way to determine a streamer’s value).

YouTube TV Bundles

At the moment, YouTube TV does not offer any streaming bundles.

DirecTV Bundles

Check DirecTV’s base packages and genre packs because they can include ESPN, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, HBO Max, Starz, Vix Premium, or AMC+, or a mix of the ones just mentioned.

The Verdict: DirecTV

DirecTV is the clear winner for bundles because it’s the only option of the two that even offers bundle packages. This gives DirecTV a clear advantage, if you want the most bang for your buck.

YouTube TV vs. DirecTV: Live Sports

If your main reason for getting a streaming service is to watch live sports, YouTube TV and DirecTV each have their advantages and shortcomings. But at the least, note that both offer sports-specific curated plans.

Which live sports does YouTube TV have?

YouTube TV has ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, FOX, FS1, CBS, NBC, TNT, TBS, USA Network, NFL Network, Big Ten Network, SEC Network, ACC Network, and more, giving you access to the NFL, the NBA, the MLB, the NHL, college football, college basketball, soccer, golf, tennis, NASCAR, Formula 1, and Olympic events. Bonus: It offers the NFL Sunday Ticket as an optional add-on for football fans who want to catch out-of-market Sunday afternoon games.

In addition to this vast range of live sporting events, YouTube TV has a leg up on DirecTV because of its multiview capability, which allows you to watch up to four live games at the same time on supported devices. You can also take advantage of Key Plays, a feature that provides game highlights like scoring plays, turnovers, and more, in case you’re not able to watch the entire game.

What YouTube TV lacks in live sports coverage is regional sports networks (RSNs). This means you might miss some of your local MLB, NBA, or NHL team broadcasts if they’re on an RSN.

Which live sports does DirecTV have?

DirecTV carries major national sports networks, on top of regional sports networks. So, if you typically have a game on at all times, whether it’s national or regional, you’ll want to side with DirecTV. But remember that your package and location matter when it comes to viewing local MLB, NBA, and NHL teams. Packages such as Choice and above include regional sports networks along with league-specific channels like MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, CBS Sports Network, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, and more.

DirecTV, however, is missing a multiview feature, as well as the NFL Sunday Ticket.

The Verdict: DirecTV

DirecTV gives you the best of both worlds: national and regional sports networks. But ultimately, it depends on which sports you want to watch. NFL fans might prefer YouTube TV, while folks who need regional sports coverage should opt for DirecTV.

The Bottom Line: Is YouTube TV or DirecTV better?

The Final Verdict: DirecTV

The final verdict is that DirecTV is better than YouTube TV because it beats its counterpart in three of the four categories in this story. DirecTV wins in price and package offerings (more channels, packages, and plans at lower prices, which results in greater value), bundles (more variety for a cheaper price tag, which also means better value), and sports. The one category YouTube prevails in is free trial because of its longer duration, though both streamers offer solid options. Because of this, you can easily give one or both a go to see which streaming service better suits your needs and budget. Happy streaming!

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The StyleCaster shopping team is dedicated to finding the best products, brands, services, sales, and deals across fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and entertainment. We make sure to stay on top of the latest trends, too. From knowing a brand’s offerings like the back of our hands to updating prices to hunting down discount codes and hacks to identifying alternatives, we do a thorough job at suggesting products that deserve your attention and money. This story’s author, StyleCaster commerce editor Katie Decker-Jacoby, scours the internet for the best of the best to ensure readers walk away with items recommended by our team, industry experts, and more. She has published an ungodly amount of streaming stories from DirecTV, Hulu, Fubo, Sling TV, and more (even VPNs too!). Streaming coverage includes how-to-watch and where-to-watch stories, mostly across reality TV and live sports. Some of Decker-Jacoby’s favorite shows to stream and write about include Survivor and Traitors, and her go-to sports leagues to watch include the MLB and the NHL, though she’s currently tuning into the 2026 World Cup.