DIRECTV Packages for Seniors

DIRECTV Packages at a Glance

*Price with a two-year contract, autopay, and paperless billing. It does not include taxes, installation, equipment rental fees, or the Advanced Receiver Service Fee ($15.00 per month).

DIRECTV (Satellite) or DIRECTV Streaming: What’s the Difference?

If you live in a rural area or your internet connection isn’t strong enough (DIRECTV recommends speeds of at least 24 Mbps for streaming packages), you’ll want to explore DIRECTV’s satellite option. Otherwise, you may get a poor viewing experience (lots of loading and buffering), especially if you’re streaming two programs simultaneously. If DIRECTV streaming isn’t available in your area, you might consider one of Xfinity’s TV packages, as they have greater nationwide availability.

» Affordable Internet: Internet for seniors on low and fixed incomes

If you choose a DIRECTV satellite package, you must sign a two-year contract. That’s because it involves installing heavy equipment on your roof. DIRECTV streaming can be pay-as-you-go. That said, you can only get better deals on streaming plans by signing up for two years in advance, so if you want to save, you’ll need to commit either way.

If you choose to pay more and have a month-to-month streaming plan, you can stop your service whenever you like without cancellation fees. If you live in an area where DIRECTV streaming packages are available, your internet is fast, you want to avoid long-term contracts, and it fits your budget, streaming is the way to go.

Our tech team tested out the Choice streaming package, and we had no issues streaming live HD shows and movies. It was also very easy to set up right out of the box. We chose the DIY installation option, and it only took about 20 minutes to get everything up and running. Had we opted for satellite TV, we would have had to make an appointment for a professional to come out and install the satellite dish before we could watch anything. We also had the option to get professional help with the streaming setup (for an extra $99), but we think it’s simple enough for most seniors to handle on their own.

Which DIRECTV Package Is Best for You?

Here’s a look at what each DIRECTV package includes: who they’re for, how much they cost, and how they compare to competitors.

Entertainment: Best for Seniors Who Aren’t Picky

Are 40,000 on-demand titles and 90+ channels enough for you? If so, the Entertainment plan is likely a good fit. If you go with DIRECTV’s starter package, remember you won’t get any regional sports on demand. However, you will get ESPN, ESPN2, NBC Sports Network, and TNT, plus plenty of your old favorites: CNBC, CNN, Animal Planet, Discovery, and the Disney Channel — just to name a few.

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If you’re addicted to your favorite HBO series, consider upgrading to a Choice plan or higher (see below). DIRECTV’s Entertainment plan starts at $69.99 monthly, making it the most affordable package. For comparison, that’s around $2 more than an Xfinity Ultimate TV plan that offers even more channels than DIRECTV. There’s a $9 difference between DIRECTV’s entry-level plan and a basic plan from Cox TV, which costs around $61 per month for a similar number of channels.

Choice: Best for Sports Fans Who Want Variety

The big perk of DIRECTV’s Choice plan, which starts at $84.99 per month and features 125+ channels, is regional sports. It is a plan for serious sports fans who want complete coverage of their local teams, plus a little more variety in channels and on-demand titles. The Choice package also includes three free months of premium channels like HBO Max and STARZ, but you won’t have any premium channels after those three months unless you pay for separate plans for each channel.

However, you don’t have to be a huge sports fan to enjoy the Choice plan. In our experience, it’s a great all-around package that balances price with a solid number of channels and on-demand titles — roughly 45,000. The package includes the most popular channels and programs on TV, along with older shows and movies. We could easily watch our favorite content on TV or stream it to any of our devices through the DIRECTV Stream app.

The Choice package includes 125+ channels and lots of on demand content, as seen on our tester's TV

For comparison, the Choice plan costs the same as getting the Internet + NOW TV bundle from Xfinity. While this does allow you to bundle your internet and TV together, it only gives you 40+ channels, which is far less than you can get with DIRECTV’s Entertainment or Choice plans.

Ultimate: Sports Fans and Movie Buffs

The Ultimate plan is a step above the Choice plan regarding content. You get 160+ channels and 55,000 on-demand titles. However, it also comes with a hefty price increase from the Choice plan. The price jumps from $84.99 monthly for the Choice plan to $114.99 monthly for the Ultimate plan. While you might be able to justify the price difference with the additional channels and on-demand content, we think the Choice plan is sufficient for seniors who want great value.

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One of the biggest perks of the Ultimate plan is the inclusion of STARZ ENCORE. That comes with nine distinct movie channels that play new movies, classics, and everything in between — all commercial-free. So, if you want more out of your plan and commercial-free movies at all times of day and night, the Ultimate plan could be a great choice for you. Otherwise, you might want to save by opting for the Entertainment or Choice plan.

DIRECTV offers several premium movie channels that come included with some packages or can be added for a monthly fee, as seen on our tester's DIRECTV mobile app

Premier: Best for Cinephiles Who Want It All

This package is for older adults who want the TV equivalent of a self-service buffet. With 65,000 on-demand titles, the best regional sports networks (RSNs), HBO Max, Cinemax, SHOWTIME, and STARZ, DIRECTV’s Premier package offers a tremendous selection for households that see a lot of traffic (children, grandkids, neighbors, friends, etc.) and want to make sure there’s something for everyone. This top-of-the-line package costs $159.99 monthly, making it DIRECTV’s most expensive offering.

Since we’re discussing deals, we also suggest DIRECTV’s Choice package + AT&T Fiber 1 GIG bundle if you can make do with HBO alone. AT&T owns DIRECTV, and bundling services from both companies offers a great way for older adults to save on monthly entertainment fees. You’ll get lightning-fast internet from AT&T, plus DIRECTV’s Premier plan for just $5 more monthly. Once again, this might be a lot for your budget. However, if you spend a lot of time watching TV (especially at home), splurging on more channels and a fast internet connection for better streaming could be well worth the money.

» Learn More: AT&T internet review

DIRECTV DVR Equipment and On-Demand Content

DIRECTV has tons of on-demand content — up to 65,000 titles, including the big three RSNs (SportsNet, NBC Sports, and Bally Sports), and a nearly unlimited selection of new releases, TV shows, and network offerings.

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Some of that on-demand content will require extra subscriptions. DIRECTV throws in three free months of HBO Max, SHOWTIME, Epix, and Cinemax with their premium packages, for example, but after that, you’ll be paying by the month. And if you want to keep those subscriptions, the cost will increase. HBO Max alone can range from $9.99 to $19.99 per month, depending on the plan you choose.1

Whatever extra entertainment you decide to bundle with your DIRECTV plan, you won’t be able to watch it all simultaneously, which is where DIRECTV’s DVR storage comes in handy. What we really liked about DIRECTV’s DVR is that we could set things to record directly from our phone. Let’s say you’re out to eat with friends and realize that you forgot to set your favorite show to record. You can just open the app, search for the program, and tap the record (REC) button. It was super easy, and we never missed our favorite shows.

The downside is the cost. Regardless of the chosen plan, you’ll be required to pay the Advanced Receiver Service Fee, which is $15 monthly. This fee allows you to get one Genie or Gemini device and enjoy DIRECTV’s DVR services. However, we would’ve liked it if this were optional. While most older adults will like the ability to record their favorite shows, budget shoppers might prefer to forego DVR services. Unfortunately, this isn’t an option with a DIRECTV plan.

DVR With DIRECTV Satellite

DIRECTV generously offers 200 hours of HD storage. That’s over 500 GB of content, watchable on up to five screens simultaneously. (You can record up to five programs simultaneously, too.) While Spectrum charges an equipment rental fee ($8.99 per month) plus a monthly fee of $4.99 for the DVR service, DIRECTV gives you the first device for free and charges $15 for the DVR service. If you have multiple TVs in your house, you’ll need a separate DIRECTV DVR device for each extra TV. Those receivers cost $7 monthly per device.

DVR With DIRECTV Streaming

If you’re streaming, DIRECTV gives you “unlimited” cloud storage, but there are a few caveats. First, it only stores recordings in the cloud for up to nine months. After that, they’ll be erased, whether you had time to watch them. We didn’t like this feature as much, especially for seniors who take a while to watch TV shows and movies stored on their DVRs.

Additionally, you can only record up to 30 episodes from any given series, though we never came close to this number. Thus, the cloud storage still felt unlimited. For comparison, Spectrum TV only keeps recordings for up to 90 days (the total number of recordings and hours vary by plan), and Cox offers up to 100 hours of HD recordings with its starter package, and these can be saved for up to a year.

DIRECTV Cable box

DIRECTV’s remote also made it easy to record and access shows, browse channels, and pull up the menu. Similar to Xfinity’s remote, it has a voice control feature. We simply pressed the microphone button, spoke into the remote, and asked it to pull up certain channels or content.

DIRECTV's remote is easy to use and includes a voice control feature, as seen on our tester's remote

Lookback and Restart

We all miss live shows we want to watch from time to time. DIRECTV’s Lookback feature lets you watch any live programming you missed for up to three days. Fans of sports, soap operas, or even late-night talk shows will love this feature, as it ensures that you can still catch up on your favorite programs up to 72 hours after they aired. Just make sure to check channel compatibility first, as Lookback isn’t available for all content.2

DIRECTV’s Restart feature is also pretty great. Imagine you’re 10 minutes into a live program when your friend walks in and wants to know what’s going on. Instead of pausing and delivering a verbal recap (ugh!), you can just hit Restart on the remote and play the show from the beginning. Again, this feature may not be available for every channel you watch. Check DIRECTV’s list before you get your hopes of “no more verbal recaps ever again” dashed.

DIRECTV Bundles to Help You Save

If you like what DIRECTV offers, it makes sense to bundle in your internet and save. Here’s a quick breakdown of our favorite DIRECTV bundles for older adults.

Streaming and Satellite Bundles Breakdown

You’ve probably noticed that DIRECTV’s streaming bundles are a bit more expensive. That’s because you get regional sports networks and HBO (with the Choice plan) at no extra cost. Other than that, it’s just a question of speed and budget. We’ll break down our tech team's two favorite bundles below.

Entertainment Package + AT&T Fiber 300 Mbps for Fast Internet Without Regional Sports

With advertised speeds up to 300 Mbps, you can do virtually anything you want. Based on our testing, you can expect speeds between 150 and 200 Mbps, but this is still plenty enough speed to connect multiple devices and stream live TV without interruption. The big gap in this plan is local sports programming and the premium HBO subscription included with DIRECTV’s Choice plan. Otherwise, the Entertainment bundle gives you high-speed internet for an extra $55 monthly.

Choice Package + AT&T Fiber 300 Mbps for Fast Internet With Regional Sports

If you have never missed your favorite team play, this is the bundle for you. Because with coverage from the three big RSNs, you won’t. Plus, you get special discounts on premium networks as well. The only downside is that AT&T’s 300 Mbps internet and TV bundle will set you back $139.99 per month, an extra $50 per month compared to the cost of the Choice TV package alone.

Does DIRECTV Offer a Senior Discount?

DIRECTV doesn’t currently offer any discounts for seniors. Still, you can trim your DIRECTV bill and get a price lock lasting at least a year. Here are our top tips for saving on a DIRECTV package.

1. Save With Your Own Streaming Devices (for Streaming Plans Only)

You can erase DIRECTV’s streaming device fee by using your own device. Remember, leasing DIRECTV’s device (beyond the first one included with your plan) is $7 monthly. Google Chromecast, which is fully compatible with DIRECTV, costs about $35. Google TV, which gives you a remote control, is about $50. You’ll start saving money after a few months if you decide to purchase your own equipment!

2. Order Online

DIRECTV charges a $19.95 activation fee. But they’ll often waive it if you order online. If you’re more of a phone person, we hear you, but in this case, it makes sense to fire up your laptop. That said, we had great experiences chatting with DIRECTV’s customer support. They were always quick to respond, and we never felt like they were trying to “upsell” us to a package or service we didn’t need. And we never experienced any wait times to connect with a real person. So, even if you order your plan over the phone or frequently need help from a DIRECTV representative, you’ll get top-notch support.

3. Enable Autopay and Paperless Billing

Another way you can economize with DIRECTV is to let them deduct your monthly payment automatically. It’s a small compromise for $10 monthly savings. When you sign up online, autopay and paperless billing will be enabled by default. If you don’t want them later on, you can always disable them from your account page in the app. Remember that this will increase your premium on the next monthly statement.

The Fine Print With DIRECTV

DIRECTV touts “no hidden fees” loud and clear. Most aren’t technically “hidden.” But when paying fees, it’s better to be aware of even the “mildly camouflaged” ones.

Activation and Equipment Fees

Regardless of which DIRECTV service you choose, you’ll pay a one-time $19.95 activation fee (see above for a trick to waive that fee). Your satellite subscription has an HD DVR, but that device only covers one TV. So, if your DVR is in the TV room and you want to watch in the bedroom, you’ll need a second receiver for that room at an additional $7 monthly per additional TV.

Regional Sports Fee

DIRECTV’s Regional Sports Fee can be up to $14.99 per month, depending on where you live. Streaming local sports is included with DIRECTV’s premium streaming plans. So, if sports are your thing and you’ve got a strong AT&T signal, this may be a great incentive to ditch the dish and choose a higher-tier streaming plan.

Cancellation Fees

If you cancel before your two-year contract ends, there’s a rather stiff early cancellation fee (also known as an early termination fee) of $20 per month for every month left on your DIRECTV contract. Keep that in mind. You can avoid the contracts and early termination fees altogether by signing up for a month-to-month streaming package.

DIRECTV vs. the Competition

In the table below, we’ll see how DIRECTV stacks up to some of its top competitors.

DIRECTV is one of the most expensive TV providers on the market, and there are definitely more affordable options from providers like Spectrum, Cox, and Xfinity. But if more channels and on-demand content are your main concern, DIRECTV offers more with its starter plan than these providers.

» Compare Providers: Best cable TV for seniors

While Cox is arguably the best cable provider for bundling, DIRECTV is a better option for seniors in rural areas. That is because it is the only provider of the four we examined above that offers satellite TV. If you have slow internet speeds or don’t have access to cable TV in your area, DIRECTV might be your best option. Regardless of the provider you choose, however, you won’t be able to get senior discounts.

The Bottom Line on DIRECTV

Starting at $69.99 per month, DIRECTV is great for sports fans looking for complete local sports coverage. DVR features like Restart and Lookback, plus a free Genie or Gemini video recorder with 200 hours of storage, give you even more control over your live viewing. As you move up in pricing tiers, you’ll be tempted by premium entertainment channels that will eventually bump you into some pricey terrain — until you consider those attractive AT&T TV and internet bundles.

Keep an eye on your statements, especially at the beginning, to avoid “bill shock.” (We’re thinking particularly of the Regional Sports Fee and Advanced Receiver Service Fee.) And don’t forget that while streaming will be seamless with a fast internet plan, you’ll still need streaming devices or receivers to connect to each TV you want to stream. Those, of course, will cost money. But beyond this, you’ll have fun with your DIRECTV plan. In fact, with all that programming, you may never want to leave your couch again.

Want to learn more? Check out our video below.