Avg Price: $64.99/mo – $134.99/mo.
Number of Channels: 155 – 330 plus
It has nearly 15,000,000 satellites and 15,000,000 subscribers in the United States. DIRECTV, Inc. is the world’s largest satellite television provider. DIRECTV owns The DIRECTV Group, Inc., a 34 percent publicly traded enterprise owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, Inc., a subsidiary of News Corp.
They launched their first satellite back in 1993. The date of commencement of DIRECTV’s DBS service was 1 May 1994. In its fourth year of operation, DIRECTV was remarkably successful. During the year, the company signed up to the expected profitability of its three million subscribing company but ended in 1997 in a loss.
| Package | Package For | No of Channels |
|---|---|---|
| Entertainment | All Family Favorite Channels | 160+ |
| Choice | Sports Watching Families | 185+ |
| Ultimate | Movie Lovers | 250+ |
| Premier | Movie & Sport Fans | 330+ |
Pros and Cons:
Pros:
DirecTV offers the maximum number of channels than its competitors at similar pricing.
They have an edge over the market by offering NFL tickets to their subscribers.
Cons:
The recent price hike created mayhem amongst its users. The hike was sudden and its users were unprepared for that.
Contract termination fees are quite high as compared to others as well as other charges which are not included in the package.
DIRECTV Packages and Prices:
| Package | Price For 1 to 12 mos | Price For 13 to 14 mos | Number of TV Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entertainment Package | $64.99/mo | $102.00/mo | 160+ |
| Choice Package | $69.99/mo | $122.00/mo | 185+ |
| Ultimate Package | $84.99/mo | $151.00/mo | 250+ |
| Premier Package | $134.99/mo | $206.00/mo | 330+ |
Data effective 06/07/21. Price vary by location and are subject to change.
Entertainment Package for 12 mos. plus taxes and Regional Sports Fee w/24-mo. agmt. Autopay & Paperless bill reqd. Prices higher in 2nd year.
Choice, Ultimate, Premier Package for 12 mos. plus taxes and Regional Sports Fee w/24-mo. agmt. Autopay & Paperless bill reqd. Prices higher in 2nd year. Regional Sports Fee up to $9.99/mo. is extra & applies.*
The packaging line of DirecTV is divided into 4 well-chosen categories namely: entertainment, choice, ultimate, and premier. Pick a package that’s feasible and affordable for you.
- Entertainment: You’ll have all your favorites in your families like Disney Channel, HGTV, and CNN with the DIRECTV starter package. TeenNick and TV Country are channels you miss out on from CHOICE to ENTERTAINMENT, and you get the ESPN & lifetime movie Network in exchange.
- Choice: This package is for sports enthusiasts. Carefully curated for sports lovers around the world. For a season, enjoy a free NFL SUNDAY TICKET subscription if you receive CHOICE or higher. All out-of-the-market NFL games are available on your television.
- Ultimate: The ultimate package is curated for all movie lovers. ENCORE drama and ENCORE action are all stuffed in this package. This package is also a treat for all tennis fans. A perfect package from kids to adults.
- Premier: It comprises 45 or more premium channels, including HBO, CINEMAX, STARZ, and SHOWTIME, the largest package for movies buffs. And Fox Deports and Fox Soccer Channel also feature in the PREMIER program for international sports fans.
Contract of DIRECTV:
- DirecTV has a minimum 2-year contract. They believe in long-term relationships with their customers. However, the sudden price hick caused a rage amongst its users. But the issue will be resolved with time. The team is planning to come up with a middle ground to keep its users happy.
- Terminating the contract early will call for a termination fee i.e., $20/month. The two-year contract includes the basic $64.99 package which offers more than 120+ channels. The subscribers can however upgrade their plans which are $79.99 for AT120+, $89.99 for AT200, and $99.99 for AT250.
- Taxes and surcharges, add-on channels including the premium ones, DISH protect and transaction fees of any kind are not included in the package amount.
- The user will be billed $30/month for premium channels like STARZ®, showtime®, and DISH movie pack™ after 3 months of usage unless they willingly cancel.
- A smart remote with google assistance will be provided with the subscription.
- Additional monthly charges may apply to business customers. After 6 months, the user will be billed $9.99/month for DISH protection unless canceled.
DIRECTV Fees Charged:
The company offers free installation and free DVR service without recurring payments. However, this is free for one setup only. If the users desire more than one connection, fees for installation as well as DVR service will be charged. Also, additional fees for regional sports channels will be charged if chosen.
DIRECTV Best Sports Package:
Although the choice package is curated for sports lovers, the more add ones you buy the more variety of sports channels you will get. All 4 packages include a different variety of channels. Some of them are listed below:
- Entertainment package include ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3
- Choice package includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN U, ESPNEWS, NFL network, and big ten network.
- The Ultimate package includes all the channels of the chosen package along with CBS sports, golf channel, MLB Network, NBA tv, NCB sports, NHL, and tennis channel.
DIRECTV Equipment and Features:
The company calls its DVR box Genie. Much like what the name says as it gets the job done seamlessly. The box comes in two variants which are wired and wireless. The wireless variant is slightly expensive than the wired but again it’s all about choices and priorities.
The DVR is capable of recording about 200 hours of TV content, so no worries if you miss your favorite live sports telecast. Just record it and enjoy it later.
The service a variety of premium channel adds. DIRECTV awarded HBO Max a one-year subscription free of charge and a three-month subscription free of charge for CINEMAX, SHOWTIME, STARZ, and EPIX. This is the best premium television channel in the industry today!
Fortunately, to get the channels that you want with DIRECTV, you do not have to pay for the highest levels of packages. In the ENTERTAINMENT plan, you will probably find a range of channels.
Is DIRECTV Worth it ?
One can say it is priced quite high, but the users never complained about the quality of the service whatsoever. This is their USP. The packs are curated carefully according to the needs and wants of the general public.
DIRECTV vs. the Competition:
The rates set by DirecTV are competitive. For instance, the rates of Dish and DirecTV are almost similar. But still, DirecTV offers a greater number of channels than their competitors.
These two are considered the best in the game and each of them has an edge over the other. DIRECTV does have HBO and NFL SUNDAY TICKET, but the price of DISH is higher than during the entire contract. It offers you many popular channels, including a wide range of sports. The users can evaluate accordingly and choose what best for them.
FAQ:
How much does DIRECTV cost?
The packages start from $64.99 per month for a year exclusive of taxes. The packages are designed keeping in mind the interest and feasibility of the users. They offer the greatest number of channels. So, if you are someone who is a lot into TV surfing, DirecTV has your back.
Does DirecTV have to add on channels ?
Yes, it has on-demand channels to add later on.
Does it offer internet ?
Since they are tied up with AT&T, users can enjoy high-speed internet.
How does DirecTV Genie work ?
DIRECTV’s most advanced HD DVR is available when you order DIRECTV. What’s the best thing? It’s easy to use Genie.
