If you’re feeling stuck with a $100 a month cable package, YouTube TV and AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now) are two streaming services that can cut your bill significantly.
For a lower monthly price, the cable and satellite TV alternatives offer local news, sports and dozens of the most popular networks like ESPN, Disney, TBS, USA, CNN and more.
But before you sign up for either service, you need to know about some key differences…
RELATED: How to cut the cord and never pay for cable TV again
YouTube TV vs. AT&T TV Now: Which Live TV Streaming Service Is Best?
Clark.com has reviewed all of the leading live TV streaming services for cord-cutters right now. Through our research, we’ve identified seven deciding factors to help you choose between AT&T TV Now and YouTube TV:
- Monthly Price
- Channel Lineup
- Cloud DVR
- Multiple Streams
- Minimum Internet Speed
- Supported Devices
- Overall Performance and Reliability
1. Monthly Price
YouTube TV increased the price of its 70+ channel streaming TV bundle to $50/month in April 2019.
After an April 2020 price adjustment, AT&T TV Now’s more affordable Plus package is priced at $55 per month and comes with more than 45 channels. HBO can be added for an additional $10 per month.
Both of the providers offer free trials and there are no contracts or cancellation penalties.
Monthly Price: YouTube TV vs. AT&T TV Now |
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| YouTube TV | AT&T TV Now |
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2. Channel Lineup
Before AT&T TV Now changed up its plans, many people thought it had the best channel lineup of the major streaming TV services.
The $55 per month AT&T TV Now Plus package has only 45+ channels, including local stations. Many popular entertainment networks that were in its previous bundles are no longer available.
Meanwhile, the strength in YouTube TV’s channel lineup is with sports networks like ESPN, Fox Sports 1 & 2, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, MLB Network, NBCSN, SEC Network, NBA TV and more.
AT&T TV Now Plus has only a few of those networks, but you can get more of them with its $80/month Max plan.
Channel Lineups: YouTube TV vs. AT&T TV Now Plus
| YouTube TV | AT&T TV Now Plus |
|---|---|
| ABC | ABC |
| ACC Network (ACCN) | |
| AccuWeather | |
| AMC | |
| Animal Planet | |
| BBC America | |
| BBC World News | |
| BET | |
| Big Ten Network (BTN) | |
| Boomerang | |
| Bravo | Bravo |
| Cartoon Network | Cartoon Network |
| CBS | CBS |
| CBS Sports Network | |
| Cheddar | Cheddar |
| Cheddar Big News | |
| CNBC | CNBC |
| CNBC World | CNBC World |
| CNN | CNN |
| Comedy Central | |
| Comet | |
| Cozi TV | |
| CW | CW |
| Discovery Channel | |
| Disney Channel | Disney Channel |
| Disney Junior | Disney Junior |
| Disney XD | Disney XD |
| E! | E! |
| ESPN | ESPN |
| ESPN2 | ESPN2 |
| ESPNews | |
| ESPNU | |
| Food Network | |
| FOX | FOX |
| Fox Business Network | Fox Business Network |
| Fox News Channel | Fox News Channel |
| Fox Sports 1 (FS1) | Fox Sports 1 (FS1) |
| Fox Sports 2 (FS2) | |
| Freeform | Freeform |
| FX | FX |
| FXM | FXM |
| FXX | FXX |
| Golf Channel | |
| Hallmark Channel | |
| HGTV | |
| HLN | HLN |
| IFC | |
| Investigation Discovery (ID) | |
| Local Now | |
| MLB Network | |
| MotorTrend | |
| MSNBC | MSNBC |
| MTV | |
| National Geographic | National Geographic |
| Nat Geo Wild | Nat Geo Wild |
| NBA TV | |
| NBC | NBC |
| NBCSN | NBCSN |
| Newsy | |
| Nickelodeon | |
| Nick Jr. | |
| Olympic Channel | |
| Ovation | |
| OWN | |
| Oxygen | Oxygen |
| PBS | |
| PBS Kids | |
| Pop | |
| Revolt | |
| SEC Network | |
| Smithsonian Channel | |
| Start TV | |
| Sundance TV | |
| SYFY | SYFY |
| Tastemade | |
| TBS | TBS |
| TCM (Turner Classic Movies) | TCM (Turner Classic Movies) |
| Telemundo | Telemundo |
| Tennis Channel | |
| TLC | |
| TNT | TNT |
| Travel Channel | |
| truTV | truTV |
| Universal Kids | Universal Kids |
| Universo | |
| USA | USA |
| WE tv |
3. Cloud DVR
AT&T TV Now has added 500 hours of free cloud DVR storage to its plans, while YouTube TV has offered unlimited cloud DVR storage from the very start.
Cloud DVR: YouTube TV vs. AT&T TV Now |
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| YouTube TV | AT&T TV Now |
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4. Multiple Streams
With most live TV streaming services, you can use the same account to stream on multiple devices at the same time.
For example, a service that allows two simultaneous streams would let you watch your favorite show on the living room TV and the kids can watch something else in the basement.
You can stream on three screens at once with both AT&T TV Now and YouTube TV.
Multiple Streams: YouTube TV vs. AT&T TV Now |
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| YouTube TV | AT&T TV Now |
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5. Minimum Internet Speed
Like other live TV streaming services, a high-speed internet connection is required for YouTube TV and AT&T TV Now. To avoid any buffering issues, most services recommend a minimum internet download speed of more than 10 Mbps.
If you don’t know your download speed, you can test it for free at SpeedTest.net or SpeedOf.Me.
Not getting what you’re paying for? When I called my internet service provider and gave them the results from SpeedTest.net, a technician came out to troubleshoot my internet problems free of charge.
Here’s a list of the minimum internet speeds for YouTube TV, AT&T TV Now, Sling TV and more!
Minimum Internet Download Speed: YouTube TV vs. AT&T TV Now |
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| YouTube TV | AT&T TV Now |
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6. Supported Devices
You can stream on your phone, computer or to your TV using a supported device. YouTube TV and AT&T TV Now both support popular affordable streaming devices like Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV.
Roku users should note this message posted on AT&T’s website:
“Starting January 1, 2020, you won’t be able to add the AT&T TV channel to your Roku device. Already have AT&T TV on your Roku device? You can keep using it as long as you don’t delete the app. We’re actively working on a new agreement with Roku and hope to resolve this soon.”
Supported Devices: YouTube TV vs. AT&T TV Now |
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| YouTube TV | AT&T TV Now |
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7. Overall Performance and Reliability
Several members of Team Clark have extensively tested AT&T TV Now and YouTube TV since the services first launched.
YouTube TV has a stronger performance track record overall because AT&T TV Now (formerly DirecTV Now) got off to a rough start, though it has made significant improvements to reduce buffering and error messages.
Money expert Clark Howard says that if YouTube TV’s channel lineup meets your needs, the choice is clear:
“My favorite of all the streaming products is YouTube TV. It has a pretty wide array of television programming, but what’s really neat is that multiple people could be watching different things at the same time and everybody has an unlimited DVR,” Clark says.
Of course, YouTube TV and AT&T TV Now aren’t your only options to consider. Sling TV and Hulu with Live TV also have streaming plans for about $50 a month.
