7.5/ 10 SCORE
DirecTV MySports
Pros
Affordable price
Painless navigation to sports content
Ability to follow teams
Multiview mix channels
Cons
No regional sports networks included
Big Four local stations only in 50 markets
DirecTV’s streaming packages have been around in some shape or form since 2016 and this year, the offerings have expanded to include its signature plans and new Genre Packs. Slimmed down in terms of channel lineups and price, Genre Packs are an alternative to the pricier signature packages, which have more channels but are also getting a price hike this month. With the NFL season here and the NBA season starting next month, you may be shopping around for a budget-friendly streaming option like DirecTV MySports.
The MySports Genre Pack arrived in January for $70 per month. Designed for viewers who want to watch live sporting events like the US Open, the NBA, the WNBA and college football, the package’s channel roster currently includes ESPN, FS1, NBA TV and local CBS, NBC, Fox and ABC affiliate stations in select markets. An ESPN Unlimited subscription is thrown in for good measure, too. With “sports” in the name, you could be thinking that’s all there is, but the service also has a few lifestyle, news and entertainment channels.
Because it’s what’s considered a skinny bundle (fewer channels, less money), I wouldn’t directly compare this with a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV or Fubo, but it’s a premium offering that’s more in line with Sling TV and heavy on the sports.
What can you watch on DirecTV’s MySports package
The MySports package comes with more than 30 live channels geared toward sports programming (including MMA and poker), but there’s also general entertainment and news content. Customers can stream TV shows on TNT, Bravo, Tastemade and Court TV, as well as a host of FAST channels like 50 Cent Action and Tiny House Nation. You also get a subscription to ESPN Unlimited at no extra cost, unlimited DVR and access to MyFree DirecTV, the streamer’s free platform for on-demand and live news, movies and shows.
The channels: Although the selection is smaller, there are standard channels that are part of MySports. Watch BIG Ten, TBS, USA, FS1, FS2, NBA Network, MLB Network, ESPN, ESPNU, ESPN2, ESPN News and more. In August, DirecTV added Court Channels for additional US Open coverage. You also get news networks like MSNBC, CNN, CNBC and Fox News.
However, your zip code determines if your channel lineup includes local stations like CBS, NBC, Fox and ABC. They’re not all completely available nationwide yet, but you’ll get at least one of those channels in 180 of DirecTV’s markets. There are 110 regions so far that carry all Big Four networks.
Regional sports networks (RSNs) aren’t included with this package, so if that’s a deal-breaker for you, you can opt to purchase a Mini Pack add-on for extra channels. The MyHome Team Mini Pack costs an additional $20 per month and gives you local regional sports networks according to your ZIP code. That will bring your total monthly cost up to $90, which runs roughly the same as a basic DirecTV Signature package. That said, upgrading to one of DTV’s signature packages may be a better option.
Our guide below outlines all the channels on MySports and compares them to Fox One, Xfinity Sports & News and the newly launched Fubo Sports. We’ve excluded ESPN’s flagship streaming platform because it can be bundled with these services (with the exception of Xfinity’s package).
DirecTV My Sports vs. Fubo Sports, Fox One, Xfinity Sports & News
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DirecTV MySportsFubo SportsFox OneXfinity Sports & NewsMonthly Price $70$56$20$80-$90Top sports/news channels ACC Network, Big 10, CBS Sports Network, CNN, CNBC, DirecTV 4K, ESPN, ESPNU, ESPN2, ESPN News, Fox Business, Fox News, FS1, FS2, Golf Channel, MLB Network, MSNBC, NFL Network, NHL Network, SEC Network, TBS, TNT, TruTV, USAACC Network, Big 10, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fox News, Fox Sports 4K, FS1, FS2, Fubo Sports Network, ION, NFL Network, SEC Network, Tennis ChannelLocal Fox station, Fox News, Fox Sports, Fox Weather, FS1, FS2, Fox Business, Fox Deportes, Big 10Telemundo, Univision, ACCN, Big 10, Bloomberg, CNBC, CNN, ESPN, ESPN2, Fox Business, Fox News, Fox Weather, FS1, FS2, Golf Channel, HLN, Motortrend, MSNBC, Newsmax, NewsNation, SEC, Tennis ChannelABC, CBS, NBC, Fox? Select marketsYes – ABC, CBS, Fox
No – NBCNoYesRSNs? NoNoNoYesESPN Unlimited included YesYes*Only as part of bundleNoCloud DVR UnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited300 hours
What it’s like to use MySports
DirecTV has an established track record for streaming but the MySports platform is tailored for games. I tested it on my phone and using DirecTV’s Gemini device on my smart TV. Navigation and streaming were smooth. The main side panel TV interface is where you’ll find Search, Home, Guide, My Library, Sports Central, On Demand, Video Store and Apps. There are submenus within the guide menu, so when you click on Guide, you can pick All, Recent, Favorites, Sports, Kids, Movies, TV Shows, Sort by A-Z or “Jump to Day.” For sports fans, this makes it quick to navigate to all the channels actively showing content.
Homepage of MySports showing a rotation of eight channels and preview content for the selected channel.
Screenshot by CNET
At the top of the TV home screen, there are eight channel icons you can scroll through and click, and they change based on the latest things you’ve watched. For example, when I select ESPNU from the row, the live preview window below it shows what’s currently playing on that channel, and next to it is a batch of similar content streaming on other channels. Clicking on any of these screen views takes you to the channel’s full screen. If it’s an on-demand title, you’re taken to the movie or TV show’s title page. One thing to know is that if there’s a channel or streaming service listed in the channel guide that you’re not subscribed to in this package, you’ll see offers to sign up.
Moving down the home page takes you to rows of recommendations like Live TV You Might Like, Popular TV On Demand or the Top 10 movie list. The ports sections are organized, and you’ll find a row for Sports: Live and Upcoming, along with Sports Talk and separate rows for football, baseball, basketball and other sports categories. There are also rows for other on-demand content.
As a sports fan, you can add (or subtract) teams to follow during app setup or any other time while you’re using the app. Their logos will be displayed in the Sports Central section, a centralized hub that’s a click away. You can enable game notifications on each team’s page, but one thing that sticks out is that DirecTV tells you where the game is airing, even if it’s on a competitor like YouTube TV. Live and upcoming games are shown at the top of the Sports Central hub, and rows for each sport are displayed under your teams. Alternatively, if you click the sports submenu under Guide, all the sports channels currently airing live content will appear.
Sports Central on MySports is a hub for all things sports, including your favorite teams.
Screenshot by CNET
You can pause playback during live programming but, as expected, there’s no fast-forwarding or rewinding in most shows and events. It’s not always the case, though. I watched a few college football games that allowed me to pause and then choose the option to start from the beginning — with the ability to toggle to the live stream. When I streamed a live soccer match, I could pause and record, but I wasn’t offered the option to restart. If you don’t want to miss anything, that’s where a DVR comes in handy.
DVR works as expected and specifically for sports, the function will immediately record the action as you watch but if you click on Record Options, you can choose to record a single game or each team you select during a live event. It defaults to both teams, but you can deselect one or both, or roll with recording every upcoming game for the teams you pick.
In August, DirecTV added a multiview experience to its streaming packages: Mix Channels. They’re a pre-selected set of four channels that you can watch at the same time on one screen. Within MySports, there’s the Sports Mix that includesESPN, ESPN2, FS1 and NBC Sports, along with League Sports Mixthat offers MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network and NHL Network and News Mix, which offers CNN, Fox News Channel, Fox Weather and MSNBC in multiview clusters. While the multiview feature in MySports works well on TVs, it’s not available on phones — YouTube TV and Peacock offer some multiview content for viewers streaming on their phone screens.
Multivew display on DirecTV’s MySports package.
Screenshot by CNET
The phone version of MySports works a little differently, with three main navigation options: Watch Now, My Library and On Demand. A live program will play when you open the app, but the guide button acts as your one-click source to watch live channels, no matter which section of MySports you’re in. In addition to streaming, you can use the DVR feature to record programming or watch older recordings in the phone app. However, you can’t rent titles from a mobile device; you’ll need the TV version to make purchases and then you can watch them on your phone.
Three different views on the phone version of MySports: Homepage on Watch Now, channel guide and on-demand offerings.
Screenshot by CNET
Should you get DirecTV MySports?
The price of MySports makes it an attractive package, with the added perk of getting access to ESPN Unlimited. DirecTV’s streaming technology is reliable and the app’s user-friendly interface puts sports content comfortably — and easily — in your hands. It’s a skinny package so the channel lineup is either going to give you what you need at this price, or not enough to stream NFL, NBA, NHL, motorsports and college sports. As the company continues to add access to the Big Four broadcast networks — NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox — across the country, you may find this is the perfect setup for you in the absence of RSNs.
If not having RSNs get a thumbs down from you, then move up to one of DirecTV’s more robust Signature packages or Fubo. I like the no-nonsense pricing on MySports for cord-cutters but if you want to check out other budget-friendly alternatives, there’s Sling TV or the new Fubo Sports (which is available in some, but not all, regions).
