DISH vs. DIRECTV: Cost, Plans, and More

After hundreds of hours of hands-on testing, online digging, and over-the-phone research, our TV experts say DISH is superior to DIRECTV.

Data effective as of post date. Offers may vary by location and are subject to change.

Aug 14, 2024 | Share

DIRECTV loses live sports during Disney dispute

DIRECTV currently won’t carry ESPN and other Disney channels right now because of a contract dispute between both providers.

But you’re not out of luck if you’re a DIRECTV customer who wants to watch the U.S. Open or college football this weekend. We recommend Fubo and DISH as alternatives for DIRECTV during their ESPN outage.

5-day free trial: Tired of cable and satellite TV but not quite sure if you wanna cut the cord? DIRECTV STREAM is a good streaming alternative for folks who want the look and feel of old-school TV without the installation requirements, equipment fees, and other headaches that come with cable.

Is DISH or DIRECTV better?

DISH Network is our Editor’s Choice for the best TV provider overall and the best TV provider for families—for three years running—and the DISH Hopper 3 DVR is the best receiver/DVR around.

DIRECTV is the best satellite TV provider for sports since it has more sports channels and awesome sports add-on packages. And, new for 2023, DIRECTV offers a two-year price guarantee—but also a monthly fee for its Genie DVR (formerly included with your plan).

So which is the best satellite TV provider, DISH or DIRECTV? We’re going with DISH—again—because DISH TV service is more affordable and transparent.

DISH and DIRECTV bundles

DISH and DIRECTV don’t sell internet service, but you can pair these TV providers with internet service providers near you.

Enter your zip code below to find out the best ISPs near you.

Jump to:

• Deals and promotions
• Head-to-head comparison
• Packages and prices
• Channels
• Equipment and features

DISH vs. DIRECTV pros and cons

DISH

✓ 2-yr. price guarantee
✓ Best DVR
✓ Best kids programming
✓ HBO is back
✗ Expensive plans
✗ Limited internet/phone bundling options

DIRECTV

✓ 2-year price guarantee (no more second-year price hike)
✓ Genie DVRs (up to 450 hrs.)
✓ Best sports programming
✗ 2-year contract
✗ Expensive plans
✗ Hidden fees

DISH vs. DIRECTV deals and promotions

Before you choose a DISH or DIRECTV plan, have a look at the promotions each provider offers.

DISH deals and promotions

• Free Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®, STARZ ® , and the DISH Movie Pack: For three months when you sign up.
• DISH 55 (for seniors) and Those Who Serve (active military, first responders, nurses, teachers, and veterans) include various perks like extra channels, free movie rentals, six free months of equipment protection, and upgraded identity theft protection.

DIRECTV deals and promotions

• Free premium channels: When you order the ENTERTAINMENT All Included package or above, you can get CINEMAX ® , MGM+™, Max (formerly HBO Max), Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, and STARZ ® free for three months.

And don’t forget to check out our dedicated DISH deals and DIRECTV deals pages.

Compare DISH vs. DIRECTV head to head

Data effective as of post date. Offers may vary by location and are subject to change. See full disclaimer regarding pricing and features for more information.
†for 24 months plus taxes and fees w/ 24-mo. agmt.; AutoPay and Paperless Bill req’d. Advanced Receiver Service Fee $15/mo. is extra and applies.

DISH’s strong points are its two-year price guarantee, industry-leading Hopper 3 DVR, kids programming, and parental controls. But keep in mind that it has fewer channels than DIRECTV and the Hopper 3 has a $10 monthly fee.

DIRECTV has the best sports channels and add-on packages, and the provider introduced a two-year price guarantee this year. That said, DIRECTV plans are expensive and no longer include the Genie DVR—you’ll pay a $15 monthly Advanced Receiver Service Fee for it now.

Wanna know more before you sign up? We’ve dug into packages, features, and more, so you can find the right DISH or DIRECTV plan for you.

DISH vs. DIRECTV packages and pricing

With nine packages to choose from, things can get a little, um . . . confusing. But have no fear! We’ve made it easy to pick a plan by researching every DISH and DIRECTV package and listing up-to-date pricing, channel counts, and popular channels.

DISH packages and pricing

Data effective as of post date. Not all offers available in all areas. See full disclaimer regarding pricing and features for more information.

Some DISH and DIRECTV packages have higher-than-average monthly payments, but price protection is a rare find in an industry that thrives on raising prices after promotional periods. The peace of mind might be worth the extra money.

We recommend the DISH Americas Top 200 package for true-blue TV fans because it includes more than 240 channels, like Disney HD and Investigation Discovery, for the price of $107.99 per month.

DISH includes the Hopper Duo DVR with its plans, but it charges a $5.00 service fee and a $10.00 upgrade fee if you want the far superior Hopper 3 DVR instead.

For more insights into DISH TV service, read our full DISH review—highlighting plans, channel lineups, and more.

Pro tip: Price protection is a rare find in an industry that thrives on raising prices after promotional periods. DISH and DIRECTV both have two-year contracts with two-year price guarantees.

DIRECTV packages and pricing

† for 24 months plus taxes and fees w/ 24-mo. agmt.
AutoPay and Paperless Bill req’d. Advanced Receiver Service Fee $15/mo. is extra and applies.

DIRECTV’s new price guarantee is so much more transparent than the provider’s old way of doing things (affordable payment in the first year, steep price hike in the second).

We used to recommend DIRECTV’s CHOICE All Included package because it was the most affordable way to get free NFL SUNDAY TICKET and premium channels at signup.

Now that YouTube TV has NFL SUNDAY TICKET and DIRECTV has a price guarantee, it’s less risky to choose the provider’s top package, PREMIER All Included . For $159.99 monthly, PREMIER All Included has every channel DIRECTV carries—including premium channels.

All DIRECTV packages require the Genie DVR, so the associated Advanced Receiver Service Fee adds $15 to your monthly payment.

Read our comprehensive DIRECTV review to learn more about plans, channel lineups, and features.

DISH vs. DIRECTV channels

DIRECTV has 340+ channels, including more sports channels than any other provider, along with regional sports networks. That’s why it’s our best TV provider for sports. But that doesn’t mean DIRECTV doesn’t have a slew of popular cable channels in every category: entertainment, news, kids & family, premium channels, and more.

Check out our comprehensive DIRECTV channel lineup guide to see which packages have the channels you want. You’ll also be able to find channel numbers for each network except for your local broadcast affiliates (channel numbers for those vary by location).

DISH has 290+ channels, with more and better kids’ channels than DIRECTV, which is why DISH gets our Editor’s Choice award as the best TV provider for families. (Have we mentioned that it’s our pick for best overall TV provider, too?) And, while DISH doesn’t have as many sports channels as DIRECTV, it has a major one that DIRECTV lacks: beIN Sports.

See exactly which sports, entertainment, family, and premium channels DISH carries in our DISH channel lineup guide.

DISH vs. DIRECTV sports

Data effective as of post date.
*Not all Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) are available everywhere.

As we’ve mentioned, we think DIRECTV is the best TV provider for sports—our DIRECTV Sports Packages page is a great place to see everything the satellite service offers for sports fans. But DISH is no slouch in the sportsball department either. Just look at that table above.

DISH beats DIRECTV in almost every sports category. But there are some details not captured in those numbers. Let’s break down some key differences between the satellite TV rivals’ sports content.

• DISH’s channel count includes 12 beIN SPORTS CONNECT and 5 TUDNxtra channels, which isn’t the same as 17 different sports networks. But even without counting those overflow channels, DISH still has 61 sports channels to DIRECTV’s 52.
• DISH doesn’t have Fox College Sports, GolTV, Next Level Sports, TyC Sports, and Univision Deportes.
• DIRECTV doesn’t have beIN Sports, Lo Mejor de Liga MX, Outside TV, Stadium, WILLOW, World Fishing Network, and Zona Fútbol. It’s also missing NFL RedZone.
• Not all regional sports networks (RSNs) are available everywhere. The ones you get will depend on your zip code, but DIRECTV has a larger selection of RSNs compared to DISH.
• DIRECTV and DISH have the seasonal sports add-ons FOX Soccer Plus, MLB Extra Innings, NBA League Pass, and NHL Center Ice.

We’ve also compiled a sports channels-only comparison table so you can see exactly which ones DISH and DIRECTV have. Fair warning: This is a long table. If you don’t need a channel-for-channel comparison, you can skip directly to our expert opinion on how the two satellite TV providers’ sports offerings compare.

Pro tip: America’s Top 120 and America’s Top 120+ pretty much share the same name and channels. The difference is that America’s Top 120+ has more sports channels, like NFL Network and Big Ten Network.

DISH vs. DIRECTV sports channels

Data effective as of post date. Channel lineups may vary by location and are subject to change. Some channels may require an additional monthly fee.

To us, the DISH vs. DIRECTV sportsball battle comes down to available add-ons. RSNs are crucial for MLB, NBA, and NHL fans, so DIRECTV having the most RSNs is huge for watching in-market games.

Without the add-ons, each provider has a balanced lineup of sports channels—but DISH has more of them, not to mention more variety. So we wouldn’t dismiss DISH just because DIRECTV has those juicy add-ons and RSNs. It all depends on what sports you enjoy watching.

Pro tip: Visit our CableTV.com Sports hub page for a closer look at league-specific guides and other resources to help you watch your favorite sports.

DISH vs. DIRECTV equipment and features

Although DISH and DIRECTV have similar channel counts and first-year pricing, the two satellite TV providers differ quite a bit in terms of equipment and features.

Read on to find out about everything from DVRs to bundling your TV service with internet.

DVRs

TBH, a DVR can make or break your TV experience. Luckily, you can’t lose with the DISH Hopper 3 and DIRECTV Genie.

DISH Hopper 3 vs. DIRECTV Genie

DISH Hopper 3

While DISH has more than one DVR, we recommend the Hopper 3 if you want an amazing DVR experience. (While the Hopper Duo comes included with most DISH packages, it’s basic af.)

The Hopper 3 is the best DVR out there, with 500 hours of HD storage capacity, 16 simultaneous recordings, and more built-in streaming apps than the DIRECTV Genie. If DVRs are your thing, go with DISH.

DIRECTV Genie

The Genie DVR ain’t too shabby, either. The standard Genie stores 200 HD hours with five simultaneous recordings. The wireless Genie 2 has 450 hours of HD storage and seven simultaneous recordings. Both require the $15-a-month Advanced Receiver Service Fee, and the Genie 2 has a $99 bridge fee (for Wi-Fi setup) due when you sign up.

To learn more, read our Genie review.

Pro tip: You can learn more about how the Hopper 3 and the Genie compare head to head by reading our in-depth vs. article.