DIRECTV in 2026: the headline price, then the real bill

In one paragraph

Depending on how you buy it, DIRECTV runs $20.99 to $193.98 a month at September 2026 prices. The first month of ENTERTAINMENT streaming is $59.99 on an $89.99/mo. base price; Genre Packs cost $20.99–$64.99/mo.; satellite packages cost $89.99–$169.99/mo. for 24 months. Then add taxes, a $10/mo. device or TV Access fee and, from CHOICE up, a Regional Sports Fee of up to $23.99/mo. That fuller figure is the one to set against your current bill.

Where the headline price and the bill part ways

Taxes and required fees sit outside every DIRECTV advertised price, and two of them move the monthly total most. First, a $10/mo. fee: on streaming it leases the Gemini device, and on satellite it is called the TV Access Fee. Second, from CHOICE upward, a Regional Sports Fee set by your market that can reach $23.99/mo. Satellite also carries a one-time $49.95 activation fee, and autopay plus paperless billing are conditions of its advertised prices.

You can see the gap in DIRECTV’s own fine print for satellite CHOICE, which reads “$118.98/mo. w/req’d $10/mo. TV Access Fee & Regional Sports Fee of up to $23.99/mo.” Next to the $94.99 headline, that is the figure to compare with your current bill.

Streaming: DIRECTV via Internet, month by month

Streaming asks for no annual contract, opens with a 5-day free trial, takes $30–$40 off the first month and keeps a smaller discount running through month 24:

*Months 2–24 including the $10/mo. device fee and market-dependent Regional Sports Fee, per DIRECTV’s published offer math, verified September 9, 2026. Taxes additional.

Satellite: two years at a fixed package price

Satellite signs you to a 24-month agreement and gives you a 2-year price guarantee in return: the package price does not move for those two years, which streaming does not offer:

Two costs apply to satellite alone. End the agreement early and DIRECTV charges an early-termination fee of $20 per remaining month, which adds up quickly if you leave well before the end. Skip local channels altogether and there is a $12/mo. credit off the bill.

Ways in for less than a package

• MyFree DIRECTV — $0. 130+ live channels, free with ads and no card on file: a zero-cost look at the interface before any bill starts.
• MyKids Genre Pack — $15.99/mo. for 2 months (then $20.99): a paid option at a fraction of a package price.
• MyEntertainment — $42.99/mo. HBO Max Basic With Ads comes with it, and there is no contract to break later.
• ENTERTAINMENT streaming first month — $59.99 following the 5-day free trial. The months after it cost more, as the table above shows.

Free months, and what they renew at

In September 2026, qualifying new customers can add 3 months of premium networks free (valued at about $175 across HBO Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, STARZ, Cinemax and MGM+) and 2 months of the Movies Extra Pack + Peacock (worth $19.98, on ENTERTAINMENT and higher). Qualifying streaming packages with a Gemini device also come with Disney+, Hulu and the ESPN Unlimited plan. Treat the free months as a one-off, not a monthly saving: each renews at the rate in force when it ends unless you cancel, and we give you those dates on the order call.

What to budget, and what to compare it with

On ENTERTAINMENT or CHOICE, by streaming or satellite, a typical household pays about $70–$120/mo. all-in once fees and taxes are added. If your current TV bill already sits in that range, switching may save little or nothing, and we will tell you so. Prices are DIRECTV’s to set, differ from one address to another and do change; every figure here was checked against DIRECTV’s published offers as they stood on September 9, 2026, and each one is checked again on the order call.