DISH Network Review: Packages & Prices

Your price stays the same throughout the 2-year commitment with DISH TV, and you'll also pay the same dollar amount during your third year. And if you don't like the new price during the fourth year, you are free to cancel. 

DIRECTV, for example, locks in your price during the contract like DISH but doesn't secure your pricing for the third year of service.

If you want to opt into the higher-priced-no-contract option, you'll have to call DISH Network to order (1-877-357-2664). 

You can relax knowing that every DISH TV package comes with your local networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC) and popular channels, like ESPN, Disney Channel, HGTV, and Food Network.

Don’t you feel better knowing you’ll get your First Take, Flip or Flop, and Chopped fix with even the most basic channel package? Well, I feel better.

To find out what truly sets each DISH channel package apart, you’ll want to take a quick look at the full channel lineup or check out our sneak peek section a little further down.

Like most TV providers, you gotta sign a contract to get the best deal with DISH TV Network.

Signing for a two-year term will save you $10–15 per month, which adds up to $240–$360 over the length of the contract. Big money!

And your monthly price will stay the same during your third year. 

This satellite provider also conveniently gives you the option to live without a contract so you have the freedom to cancel your DISH TV service anytime. If you’re not into that long-term commitment, you’ll just have to pay that $10–$15 more monthly.

Yes, but they’re not too bad.

Compared to DIRECTV and Xfinity TV, DISH doesn't charge a regional sports fee or a high-priced broadcast fee. But I should mention that DIRECTV includes your first set-top box for free.

DISH Network does charge a $12 fee for access to ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, but you can opt out if you don't care for your local channels.

This satellite TV service's installation team will mount your satellite dish and set up your DVR system free of charge for up to six rooms. You can sit back and let the DISH team do the hard work.

And if you want out of your contract early, check out our guide on avoiding cancellation fees.

If you've been a DISH customer for more than two years, you could be eligible for a promotional monthly price. 

DISH Network doesn't want you to leave your service, so if you call customer service (800-333-3474) and nicely ask if they could lower your monthly bill because it's getting pricey for you, they might be able to grant you a discount. 

DISH Network doesn’t provide internet directly, but DISH can hook you up with satellite internet through Viasat for $70–$150 per month.

I highly encourage you to use our zip finder below to see if there are other internet options in your area. Viasat is way pricey for its low download speeds (Mbps). 

But Viasat Satellite Internet is available nationwide and is great for homes that don't have access to high-speed internet. And you get unlimited data, so you can use the internet as much as you'd like without any limitations.

If you need help deciding which bundle to get, our favorite bundle for most families is America's Top 200 and Viasat Satellite Internet.

You can learn more about DISH deals here. DISH offers select discounts for those aged 55+, teachers, healthcare workers, first responders, and military personnel. Deals include free movie rentals, upgraded channel packages, and free technician visits.

You may prefer just popular channels. You may need professional and college sports channels. Or you want the most channels because you are a fan of every genre and don't want to feel limited.

Check out our list and find the option for you:

• America’s Top 120: For $92 per month, this is perfect for families who want a variety of popular channels everyone in the house will enjoy, and as a double bonus, it's the cheapest DISH Network package. You’ll find channels such as CNN, Disney Channel, HGTV, Food Network, and Lifetime.
• America’s Top 120 Plus: For $107 per month, this package is perfect for football heads, giving you all Top 120 channels plus more sports channels like NFL Network and FS2. This plan is ideal for casual football fans who still want a sprinkling of entertainment options. 
• America’s Top 200: For $112 per month, America’s Top 200 is great for college sports fans, but you'll need this plan if you're a professional sports fan. Where Top 120 Plus offers a bunch of football channels, Top 200 offers a full spectrum of sports entertainment. You’ll get Top 120 Plus's NFL goodies plus CBS Sports Network, Golf Channel, MLB Network, NBA TV, and NHL Network.
• America’s Top 250: Alright, movie lovers. Here’s your package. For $122 per month, you can have a movie night with FX Movie Channel, MoviePlex, MGM+ Drive-In, STARZ Encore, STARZ Encore Action, STARZ Encore Family, and The Movie Channel.

And all DISH TV packages include a $100 Prepaid Card (for a limited time), Paramount+ with SHOWTIME® plus DISH Movie Pack, a 3-year price guarantee, next-day installation, and a Hopper Smart HD DVR. 

Want to see a list of channels? Just scroll down a little.

As it stands right now, this satellite TV provider has the most college sports coverage. It carries the ACCN, SEC, and Big Ten Networks. If you want to know exactly which sports channels you'll be getting, scroll further down to the sports channels.

But double-check the DISH channel lineup to make sure all of your favorite channels are in the package you're considering. But whether you’re a sport, lifestyle, Hallmark, reality, or general entertainment fan, you should find basically everything you need with DISH.

DISH's America’s Top 120 package includes the following channels:

DISH's America’s Top 120 Plus package includes the channels above and the following:

DISH's America’s Top 200 plan includes the channels above and the following:

DISH's America’s Top 250 package includes the channels above and the following:

DISH has all of the premium channels for the Succession, Shameless, and American Gods fans.

And there's a bonus: as a new customer with DISH TV, you'll get a free 3-month subscription to Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®, STARZ, and DISH Movie Pack (15 movie channels, including Sony Movie Channel and MGM HD).

But remember, when your three months are up, cancel your subscription before you're charged $20 (if you don't want to keep the bundle, of course).

DISH has a wide variety of sports channels, and you get a decent amount with the middle package. But if you're a huge sports fan and enjoy watching multiple professional and college sports, get the America's Top 200 package.

And if you're a fanatic of the Texas Longhorns, DISH Network no longer provides the Longhorn Network in its channel lineup.

You'll get a full spectrum of sports channels with America’s Top 250 package, so take the plunge if you like outdoor sports and want the extra movie channels for more entertainment. And if you're only interested in football with a side of entertainment channels, America's Top 120 Plus plan might be a better fit.

DISH's America’s Top 120 plan includes the following sports channels:

DISH's America’s Top 120 Plus plan includes all of the above sports channels and the following:

DISH's America’s Top 200 package includes all of the above sports channels and the following:

DISH's America’s Top 250 plan includes all of the above sports channels and the following:

• beIN SPORTS
• beIN SPORTS Connect 4–8
• beIN SPORTS en Español
• Sportsman Channel

If you want even more sports channels, DISH has a Multi-Sports Pack for $13 per month. It will give you channels like MLB Network Strike Zone, NFL RedZone, ESPN Goal Line, and ESPN Buzzer Beater.

DISH Network also offers MLB Extra Innings, which gives you all MLB games straight to your TV for the regular season.

DISH Network has the CBS channel, and you're going to need that for the 2024 Super Bowl. 

Gone are the days of checking the TV guide to see when the next episode of Survivor is on. Most of your DISH TV channels come with tons of on-demand content so you can watch any of the shows you may have missed—no need to plan your schedule around the TV guide.

This satellite provider serves up on-demand content in a similar fashion to Netflix. You can enjoy close to 30,000 movies and TV shows during your downtime.

The Hopper 3 is one of the best DVRs on the market.

Let’s put those 2,000 recording hours in context—it would take 114 hours to watch all nine seasons of Suits. It would take about 100 hours to watch The Office from start to finish. It takes 1,320 hours to watch all five decades of Saturday Night Live.

In other words, you'll have time to record everything, and running out of space will take you a long time.

The Hopper's DVR storage space is one to boast about, which only costs $10–$15 per month.

And it's awesome that any DISH Network package includes the Hopper Duo. But keep in mind that at checkout, DISH does require you to order a Hopper 2 as your main set-top.

And to add to your entertainment with the Hoppers, you can download streaming apps Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube. 

You would think DISH Network originated in Australia because of its kangaroo theme. Can you guess the name of the little DVRs that connect to the bigger DVR? Did you guess Joeys? You're right—they're called Joey's.

For every extra TV you have in your house, you’ll want to get a Joey to connect it to your DVR. It'll cost an additional $7–$10 per month per Joey. But is it worth it to help your family stop fighting over a single DVR? Yes. Yes, it is.

The Hopper 3 enables six Joeys of any kind and can support up to seven TVs. You can add a Joey to your system for $7 more monthly or the Super Joey for $10.

The DISH Anywhere app works exactly how it sounds—if you already have DISH TV service, you can stream TV and on-demand content on your streaming device anywhere you are.

For example, let’s say you’re on a family trip to Disneyland, and your daughter desperately wants to meet Elsa. The only problem—it’s a two-hour wait. Fortunately, you can watch the football game on your smartphone while you count down those minutes.

Sure, you’re paying $100+ to wait in line, but at least you’re watching good TV.

The DISH Anywhere app also lets you stream recorded content offline. There’s no need to worry about streaming with data on your phone or watching while in airplane mode. Just make sure to download your recorded content with Wi-Fi before you go out in the world.

And you get access to on-demand content like The Voice, NCIS, Law & Order, Survivor, The Secret Life of Pets, and Moneyball.

If you have a Hopper 3 receiver and a 4K HDR TV, you can watch major sports and events in 4K HDR on channel 540. DISH also offers Netflix compatibility so you can watch Netflix original shows in 4K through the Hopper.

Want a more in-depth 4K comparison? Check out our review of the best TV services for 4K. And if you'd like something complementary to watch it on, we have a list of the best 4K TVs.

Between DISH Network and DIRECTV, DISH is better for most. DISH has fair pricing and the option to opt in or out of a 2-year contract. 

DISH even offers more total channels than DIRECTV, but you'll get more premium channels with DIRECTV.

Most of DISH's packages are more expensive than DIRECTV's, but they offer more channels than DIRECTV.

If you compare DIRECTV's ULTIMATE package ($119.99) and DISH's America's Top 250 plan ($121.99), DIRECTV only offers 160–270 channels while DISH offers 290. 

If you're interested in swapping out your DIRECTV service for DISH, these perks could be yours:

•  $300 prepaid Mastercard
• 3-year TV price guarantee
• Eligibility to receive rewards for each eligible DISH subscriber
• Eligibility to participate in a DISH contest for big prizes

Use offer code DTV2DISH to get the deal.

DISH is very reliable, even during snow or rain. According to a nationwide study, DISH says you'll get 99% reception reliability. Oh, and you'll also get great picture quality for your football games, remodeling home shows, and HD movies.

DISH Network is the best satellite TV provider for a reason.

Over a two-year contract, DISH is the more affordable option out of the two major satellite TV services. And DISH makes it easy for you to quickly pay your bill through your MyDISH app. DISH TV also offers all college sports networks and has one of the best DVRs in town. 

If you choose satellite over cable TV, DISH is a smart choice.

I do recommend the America's Top 200 package because you'll get access to lots of sports, more channels for the kids, and entertaining lifestyle channels—but for $10 more per month, you can get the STARZ channels, MGM+, FOX Movie Channel, and 50 more channels with America's Top 250.

Reviews.org has been reviewing tech products for eight years, and used that experience to prepare our honest review and rating on DISH TV Network.

We've researched over a dozen of articles and DISH's website over the course of 7+ years, along with consumer experience and reviews, to find all the information a potential DISH TV buyer should know.

We based our review of DISH TV on its pricing compared to total channel count; quantity and pricing of fees; contract options; variety of channels; and DVR storage space and equipment.

And lastly, we based our rating on how all of the above aspects compare to DIRECTV and cable TV providers.