DIRECTV vs. AT&T U-Verse Review

While some may think the two companies are the same, DIRECTV and AT&T U-verse offer similar services. But the most important difference: the first-year monthly price.

DIRECTV is the best choice for sports fans, but only if you’re cool with price increases after the first year and a two-year contract.

AT&T U-verse also increases in price after the first year, though the contract is only for one year. Plus, U-verse has some of the highest channel counts out there.

The second most important difference is the fact that DIRECTV is satellite TV and U-verse is digital TV. This means it uses the internet to deliver TV channels to your set-top box.

But let's dive in to see which one is best for you and your family.

For year one, AT&T U-verse and DIRECTV's pricing is exactly the same. But the your price hikes up during your second year with either service. You just have the luxury of choosing to stay with U-verse during the second year since you only have to sign a one-year contract. And you get more channels.

But for you sports fanatics, DIRECTV is a solid choice.

If you sign up for the DIRECTV CHOICE plan or higher, you’ll get one year of NFL SUNDAY TICKET included with your purchase (the price is usually just south of $300, so that’s a big bonus for football fans).

We like that U-verse's plans give you a ton of channels, but just make sure the package you want includes the channels you want. We like the U300’s combination price and channels, which includes STARZ and SHOWTIME.

U-verse and DIRECTV both require a contract. But U-verse's is only a one-year contract while DIRECTV's is two.

The worst part: both providers raise your monthly cost by double in the second year. At least you can cancel U-verse's service before the price hikes up (*shoulder shrug*).

And keep in mind, you'll face early termination fees (ETF) if you want out of your contract early. But we can help you avoid them.

We like to point out all the fees that are not quite obvious or at least not mentioned in the main advertised price (those sneaky little TV providers).

DIRECTV and AT&T U-verse are nearly identical. Both include installation and DVR fees, and both require a one-time activation fee.

Where DIRECTV charges a regional sports fee, U-verse charges a Broadcast TV fee. So once again, you’ll end up with about the same price with either provider.

You can bundle DIRECTV with AT&T Internet as well, but with more channels comes a higher bundle price when you compare DIRECTV plus AT&T Internet bundles with AT&T U-verse bundles. That said, paying more for DIRECTV's massive number of channels might be worth it.

AT&T U-verse bundle prices are much lower than DIRECTV bundle prices, but don't forget that DIRECTV CHOICE bundles and above also get you NFL SUNDAY TICKET. So make sure your TV selection is what you want, and all will be golden.

Check out DIRECTV’s channel lineup and compare it to AT&T U-verse’s channel lineup.

With DIRECTV and U-verse, you're not gonna have a problem missing out on your favorite channels. These TV providers have a great channel variety of news, kids, lifestyle, and more.

But check out the channel lineups of both DIRECTV and U-verse to see which channels are available in your area.

Both DIRECTV and AT&T U-verse include premiums in different packages. For example, to get HBO from either provider, you either have to fork out some extra cash in the form of an add-on or in the form of the top-tier plan (DIRECTV PREMIER and AT&T U-verse U450).

AT&T includes SHOWTIME, ENCORE, and STARZ in its U300, which is a good deal. But it doesn’t include HBO until you get the U450 package, which nearly doubles your monthly price for about 65 extra channels.

But if you choose to go with a more inexpensive package and just want one add-on, you'll have to pay the same monthly cost with both providers.

Perhaps the biggest advantage for DIRECTV comes into play here: NFL SUNDAY TICKET. If you want to see every out-of-market game Sunday NFL game, DIRECTV is the only way to get it.

If you go with the CHOICE package or above, you get NFL SUNDAY TICKET for free for the first season. Just make sure to cancel your subscription for the following season or you'll be charged $300. Or don't. Because you love football.

But if you're interested in the sports channels each providers carries, look no further.

DIRECTV is available to just about everyone, and AT&T U-verse is spread mostly across major metropolitan areas. However, the biggest deciding factors we see are contract length and the ability to get NFL SUNDAY TICKET (you can get it from DIRECTV, but not from U-verse).

• Pricing: The price for both companies increases after the second year, in some cases double what you were paying originally. So, be mindful.
• Contracts: If you don’t like long contracts, U-verse's one-year agreement is an easier pill to swallow than DIRECTV’s two-year agreement.
• Channels: U-verse wins for high channel counts, but DIRECTV has most of the channels you want even in lower-tier packages—plus, you can’t get NFL SUNDAY TICKET with AT&T U-verse, which may help football fans decide.

If you’re still not sure which provider you want, check out the other options we’ve reviewed:

• DISH
• DIRECTV
• Xfinity
• Cox
• Spectrum
• Verizon Fios
• Best TV Service Providers