One of the few streaming services that currently carries regional sports networks is raising its prices.
According to The Streamable, DIRECTV STREAM will increase its monthly rates on three of its packages beginning in January. This will also affect subscribers who signed up for the service as legacy customers from DIRECTV NOW.
DIRECTV STREAM’s “Choice” plan will increase from $84.99 to $89.99, while the “Ultimate” ($104.99) and “Premier” ($149.99) plans will both go up by $10 per month. Customers who were formerly with DIRECTV NOW and AT&T TV NOW will also see a $10 monthly increase. Subscribers to the “Entertainment” plan won’t see a change, but that tier does not include regional sports networks.
https://youtu.be/Vgqkr8axAQQ
RSNs being included on DIRECTV STREAM is why this news is of interest to current or potential subscribers. The Sinclair-owned Bally Sports networks and YES Network (21 in total) are carried on the service, while they are not currently available on YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, fuboTV, or Sling TV.
DIRECTV STREAM also carries MASN, Altitude, Spectrum SportsNet, and Spectrum SportsNet LA.
Among live TV streaming services, only DIRECTV STREAM and fuboTV carry MSG, MSG+, NESN, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, ROOT Sports Northwest, AT&T SportsNet Southwest, and AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain.
However, DIRECTV STREAM does not carry NFL Network or NFL RedZone. NFL Network is available on Hulu Live TV and YouTube TV, while NFL RedZone requires an additional fee.
YouTube TV subscribers also currently face the ESPN and other Disney-owned networks being dropped from the service by Dec. 17 amid a carriage dispute.
Could regional sports networks end up being the deciding factor for fans who want to follow their teams without being attached to a cable or satellite provider? DIRECTV STREAM presumably hopes so, also banking that a price increase won’t turn off current and potential subscribers.
About Ian Casselberry
Ian is a writer, editor, and podcaster. You can find his work at Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He's written for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation.