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DIRECTV STREAM, which was known as AT&T TV until a rebranding in August 2021, is already one of the most expensive live TV streaming services on the market. The base price for monthly service is $69.99.
Let’s look at what the changes mean for customers in 2022.
What DIRECTV STREAM Will Charge Customers in 2022
Price increases are coming for DIRECTV STREAM’s Choice, Ultimate and Premier subscription packages. According to a letter from DIRECTV, the hikes coming in January 2022 vary from $5 to $10 per month.
The most basic package, which is called the Entertainment plan, will remain $69.99 a month.
Here’s a quick comparison of DIRECTV STREAM’s current 2021 pricing and the upcoming 2022 prices:
DIRECTV STREAM Package
Current Subscription Price
New Price Effective January 23, 2022
Entertainment
$69.99
$69.99
Choice
$84.99
$89.99
Ultimate
$94.99
$104.99
Premier
$139.99
$149.99
The Choice package is the cheapest that includes access to regional sports networks (RSNs) that carry live games from local pro sports teams. For example, Atlanta customers would need to pay for that tier to get Bally Sports South where live Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks games air.
That means you’re looking at a minimum of $90 per month to keep access to these games. Ouch!
DIRECTV STREAM remains one of the only options for sports fans who are looking to cut the cord and still watch their local teams. Popular streaming services YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV don’t have contracts with many of the RSNs around the country.
Price Change Will Also Impact Most DIRECTV NOW and AT&T TV NOW Legacy Customers
In addition to the price increase for many DIRECTV STREAM customers, DIRECTV also revealed that customers who are grandfathered into old plans from the defunct DIRECTV NOW and AT&T TV NOW services are also impacted.
These customers may see anywhere from a $4-$10 per month increase based on their channel package.
Here’s a table provided by DIRECTV that maps out how these customers will be impacted:
DIRECTV STREAM packages (Grandfathered)
Monthly price increase amount
Minimum service
No increase
OPTIMO MAS
$4
ENTERTAINMENT
$5
CHOICE
$7
XTRA
$8
ULTIMATE, PREMIER, PLUS, PLUS W/O HBO MAX, LIVE A LITTLE, JUST RIGHT, GO BIG, GOTTA HAVE IT, TODO Y MAS
$10
WhatDIRECTV STREAM Is Saying About This Price Increase
The messaging cited increased programming costs and inflation for suppliers as contributing reasons for the price change going into 2022:
“Due to increased programming costs, we’re adjusting the price of our video packages, the company wrote in the message to customers. “Periodically, TV network owners increase the fees they charge DIRECTV STREAM for the right to broadcast their movies, shows, and sporting events. In addition, this year we have experienced higher-than-normal inflation across our suppliers.”
Two other things to note from this announcement:
If you have a DIRECTV STREAM contract introductory offer, you will keep that discount until it expires. Once your offer period ends, you’ll pay the new price for your package.
DIRECTV says if you change your package as a result of these price increases, you may not be eligible for certain discounts anymore. So definitely contact them before you make a move.
What DIRECTV STREAM Customers Can Do Now
Any time there’s an announcement of an impending price increase, streaming TV customers rightfully begin shopping around to see if there is a suitable alternative that may save them money.
In this case, there very likely is a cost-saving measure you can take. DIRECTV STREAM is already one of the most expensive streaming TV services on the market. You could save hundreds of dollars per year by switching to a service like Philo ($25 per month) or Sling TV (starting at $35 per month).
Even YouTube TV, which is our top live TV streaming pick, offers a lower starting price at $65 per month.
You can use the coming weeks to create a plan for a streaming alternative if the price hikes will push this service out of your budget in January.
Team Clark has some great resources to get you started. First, you can compare all of the live TV streaming services here and read our individual reviews on each of them for things like functionality and cost-effectiveness.
Then you can assess which streaming service offers the most of the channels that mean the most to you by using our streaming channel tool:
Find all your favorite channels by typing the channel name into the search box. Pick the channel from the list or hit “Enter” to select. Add as many as you’d like!
') } var queryParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search); queryParams.set('channels', selectedChannels.join(',')); history.replaceState(null, null, "?"+queryParams.toString()); })(jQuery); } function mca_removeChannel(channel) { (function($) { selectedChannels = _.reject(selectedChannels, function(item) { return item === channel; }); mappedChannelServices = []; serviceDupTracker = []; // $('#selected_channel_tags').html(''); if (selectedChannels.length === 0) { mca_addChannel(null); } for (const addbackChannel of selectedChannels) { mca_addChannel(addbackChannel); } })(jQuery); } (function($) { const queryString = window.location.search; const urlParams = new URLSearchParams(queryString); const entries = urlParams.entries(); for(const entry of entries) { if (entry[0] === 'channels') { let urlChannels = entry[1].split(','); for (let urlChannel of urlChannels) { mca_addChannel(urlChannel); } } } var substringMatcher = function(strs) { return function findMatches(q, cb) { var matches, substringRegex; // an array that will be populated with substring matches matches = []; // regex used to determine if a string contains the substring `q` substrRegex = new RegExp(q, 'i'); // iterate through the pool of strings and for any string that // contains the substring `q`, add it to the `matches` array $.each(strs, function(i, str) { if (substrRegex.test(str)) { matches.push(str); } }); cb(matches); }; }; // var channels = ['ABC', 'CBS', 'Comedy Central', 'History']; $('#sca_search_c .typeahead').typeahead({ hint: true, highlight: true, minLength: 1, autoselect: true }, { name: 'channels', source: substringMatcher(app_searchable_channels), limit:7 }); $('.typeahead').on('typeahead:selected', function(evt, item) { mca_addChannel(item); }); $('.typeahead').on('typeahead:close', function(evt, item) { $('.typeahead').typeahead('val', ''); }); })(jQuery);
Note: Regional sports networks and select local channels are not included in the results. To find out if you have access to these channels, input your ZIP code on the specific streaming service’s website.