Now playing: Watch this: Every streaming service you can think of (1:54). For a limited time, DirecTV is offering its Signature Entertainment plan for $49.99 for the first month (down from the usual price of $89.99). Targeting cord-cutters preparing for bowl season, NFL playoff pushes and a tsunami of holiday movies, the promo is aimed at new subscribers looking for the most cable-like live TV experience without an annual contract.
What the DirecTV Deal Includes for New Users
The Signature Entertainment package bundles 90+ live channels, including the big four networks and key sports channels like ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, FS1, SEC Network and ACC Network. Hallmark Channel, Lifetime, AMC and Freeform are also on the grid for those seasonal movie marathons.
Subscribers get unlimited cloud DVR and broad multi-stream support, making it easier to record games that are on at the same time or to watch on multiple screens at home.
DirecTV also sells access to Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) when you rent its Gemini Air streaming hardware for an extra monthly fee, a play meant to package live TV and on-demand originals under one remote.
How the DirecTV Holiday Pricing Promo Breaks Down
- First month: $49.99
- Months two and three: $79.99
- Thereafter: $89.99 (regular price)
Taxes and fees apply. There is no annual contract, though service automatically renews at the regular price unless you change or cancel your subscription. The initial savings actually make a difference: about 45% off in month one, and a small runway of discounted months to carry you over the peak sports window.
That window happens to coincide with college football bowl games and early NFL postseason action — a time when demand for live channels increases among sports fans. Nielsen has long maintained that nearly all of the top live telecasts of the year are sports, which is one reason access priced at a discount can influence people to sign up.
Genre add-on packs are also discounted in this sale
DirecTV’s flash sale also is available on two add-ons, MyKids with Disney+ and MyNews. Each is $5 off for the first two months and comes with a five-day free trial. MyKids features 10+ family-friendly live channels and Disney+, while MyNews combines national and local news coverage with choices such as CNN and Newsmax plus broadcast affiliates in many markets.
For families toggling between children’s programming, the evening newscast and marquee games, these modular add-ons can fill in a lineup without leaping to a higher base tier.
How this DirecTV offer compares with live TV rivals
On price, the first-month promo comes in below leading live TV competitors. YouTube TV’s standard price is usually in the low-to-mid $70s, Hulu + Live TV hovers in the high $70s with its bundled on-demand services and Fubo often begins around the high $70s, before regional sports fees that are applicable in some markets. DirecTV’s $49.99 starting month is the lowest entry price for a big live TV bundle, though its rate jumps to normal levels at the end of that first period.
Functionally, DirecTV tries to press its case on a “cable without contracts” pitch: heavy channel gamut, unlimited DVR and multi-stream convenience. Virtual MVPDs like DirecTV, YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV have expanded to serve tens of millions of subscribers even while traditional pay television is shrinking, suggesting that there remains commercial demand for live news and sports in the context of a single guide. According to Deloitte’s Digital Media Trends research, churn is the norm — subscribing for a period of time and then canceling or hopping between services to take advantage of one-time discounts or special events — so flash sales such as this are a tried-and-tested acquisition lever.
Key fine print details and expert tips to save more
This promo is available for a limited time and for new customers only. Prices exclude taxes and fees. Certain bells and whistles — bundled access to Disney+, for example, or Hulu (with ads) — require that you lease the Gemini Air device at extra monthly cost. Channel lineups differ by area, and while in-home streams are wide-ranging, out-of-home device restrictions can apply. Recordings are stored to unlimited DVR as long as you remain an active member.
To maximize the discount, schedule a reminder before month three is over to reassess your plan or add-ons. If your main concern is the holiday sports calendar and seasonal movies, that $49.99 price for the first month is hard to beat. If you want a runway that is more extensive than what you can get for under $70, compare rivals’ ongoing rates and be prepared to cut off some add-ons once the games end.
Bottom line: For users seeking a basic live TV package with excellent sports coverage and a traditional channel guide, DirecTV’s holiday flash sale offers a timely, low-friction opportunity to test-drive the service for themselves at an appealing first-month discount.