Reviews Report
- Reviews.com scores DIRECTV a 3.6 out of 5 based on price, customer satisfaction, and other factors.
- DIRECTV has four different television service plans starting at $64.99.
- DIRECTV’s contract leaves something to be desired, as it includes a price hike after the first year and early cancellation fees.
Looking for the best television service provider for your home? DIRECTV is one of the most popular companies on the market. With four different packages and up to 330 channels to choose from, it’s an excellent option for many customers.
When reviewing DIRECTV and comparing it to competitors, we considered customer satisfaction, starting price, available channels, ACSI score, and contract. While DIRECTV has excellent customer satisfaction and a decent number of channels, its contracts leave room for improvement.
DIRECTV Overview
DIRECTV is one of the top television service providers in the nation. The company offers a variety of plans to fit every price point and preference. The company’s standout feature is its customer satisfaction. DIRECTV is rated 64 out of 100 by the American Customer Satisfaction Index and scored 763 out of 1,000 by J.D. Power in customer satisfaction nationwide.
Despite its stellar customer satisfaction, there are a few things to watch out for. When you sign up for DIRECTV, you lock into a 24-month contract that includes a price hike after the first 12 months. Unfortunately, if you don’t like it and decide to cancel, you’ll be stuck with an early cancellation fee for each month left in your agreement.
PROS
CONS
DIRECTV Highlights
DIRECTV vs. The Competition
| Provider | Reviews.com Score | J.D. Power* | Starting Price | Available Basic Channels |
| DIRECTV | 3.6 | 764 | $64.99/mo. | 160+ |
| DISH Network | 3.4 | 759 | $64.99 | 190+ |
| Verizon Fios | 4 | 771 | $56.00/mo. | 125+ |
| Cox Communications | 3.2 | 726 | $25.00/mo. | 75+ |
Information accurate as of March, 2021
*J.D. Power’s 2020 Residential TV Service Provider Satisfaction Study average rating across regions. Based on a 1,000-point scale.
DIRECTV vs. DISH Network
DIRECTV and DISH Network are close competitors. The two companies tied in first place in J.D. Power’s national customer satisfaction ranking for television service providers. However, DISH had a slight edge in the most recent American Customer Satisfaction Index ranking; it came in third place in the industry, while DIRECTV came in fourth.
When it comes to channels, the two companies aren’t far off from one another. Overall. DISH Network offers a slightly better deal when you compare the price you pay for the number of channels you get.
| DISH Network Plan | Price |
| America’s Top 120 | $64.99/mo. for 190 channels |
| America’s Top 120 Plus | $79.99/mo. for 190+ channels |
| America’s Top 200 | $89.99/mo. for 240+ channels |
| America’s Top 200 Plus | $99.99/mo. for 290+ channels |
DIRECTV vs. Verizon Fios
Verizon Fios currently isn’t available in most of the country — only customers in the Northeast have access to the service. However, customers that can access it have rated it highly. Verizon’s Fios television service has the highest-ranking customer satisfaction ranking in the American Customer Satisfaction Index. In a 2020 J.D. Power customer satisfaction study for eastern states, Verizon Fios ranked behind just one company: DIRECTV.
When it comes to pricing, Verizon Fios has a bit of an edge. Its plans start at lower prices, and its most expensive plan is cheaper than DIRECTV’s.
| Verizon Fios Plan | Price |
| Fios TV Test Drive | $56/mo. for 425+ channels (60-day trial) |
| Your Fios TV | $56/mo. for 125+ channels |
| More Fios TV | $76/mo. for 300+ channels |
| The Most Fios TV | $96/mo. for 425+ channels |
| YouTube TV | $64.99/mo. |
DIRECTV vs. Cox Communications
Cox Communications offers fewer and far more basic television plans than DIRECTV. The company offers just two options: its starter and contour plans. While its starter plan is priced well at just $25 per month, neither plan comes with many channels. The most expensive plan comes with fewer channels than DIRECTV’s cheapest television plan.
Cox has decent customer service rankings, but nothing to brag about. In the American Customer Satisfaction Index ranking, Cox is the seventh ranking provider, while DIRECTV is ranked fourth. In J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction rankings, Cox fell below the regional average in the eastern, southern, and western parts of the nation.
Cox also offers plans that bundle television, internet, and phone service, but we’ve only considered those that offer television.
| Provider Plan | Price |
| Cox TV Starter | $25/mo. for 75+ channels |
| Cox Contour TV | $69.99/mo. for 140+ channels |
DIRECTV FAQ
Methodology
We evaluated DIRECTV based on customer satisfaction, industry benchmarks, starting package price, starting channels and contract length to determine Reviews.com scores and create our best TV provider reviews. To compare TV providers with other brands across the board, we calculate each Reviews.com score based on the following:
- Customer Satisfaction: Reviews.com used J.D. Power’s 2020 Residential TV Service Provider Satisfaction Study to calculate an average rating of TV providers across all applicable regions.
- Starting Price: TV service providers that had lower starting prices for their basic packages received higher scores than providers that had higher prices for basic service.
- Available Channels: To offset the value of TV providers’ starting prices, we compared the number of channels available in the basic packages. If the provider had plenty of channels, but a higher starting price, these two scores balanced it out.
- ACSI Score: We used the American Consumer Satisfaction Index benchmarks to review each TV provider’s satisfaction index against the industry benchmark.
- Contract: Reviews.com researched the required contract length for each TV service provider. If a provider had more flexibility in its requirements — such as no contract requirements — then it received a higher score.
