When you’re shopping around for satellite TV, one of the most critical steps is figuring out how many channels you’ll need and the max you’re willing to pay. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of the base prices for the leading satellite TV packages available (see table below). Keep in mind these prices are BEFORE any of the current deals or bonuses, so they’re mostly just for reference (ie, to compare the relative cost of each package). Click the banners above to view the latest promotional prices.
Once you’ve settled on your target price, don’t forget to compare the premium sports and family programming options for more specialty channel and broadcasting lineups. We’ve tried just about every package in this table and there’s really no dud in the lot. For most, it comes down to how many different types of channels you’ll need and the amount of time your household spends watching TV (vs online streaming, treks to the movie theater, etc). Fortunately, both DIRECT and DISH let you easily up or downgrade packages without penalty, so if you’re stuck, go with the cheaper package and upgrade if/when needed.
Package | Select | Entertainment | Choice | Xtra | Ultimate | Premier |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Channels | 155+ | 165+ | 185+ | 235+ | 250+ | 330+ |
Price | $35/month | $40/month | $45/month | $55/month | $60/month | $110/month |
Features | Genie/ HD DVR included, First 3 months HBO included | Sports Channels and ESPN and ESPN 2 included. First 3 months HBO included. | NFL Sunday Ticket Included at no cost. First 3 months HBO included. | NFL Sunday Ticket Included at no cost. First 3 months HBO included. | NFL Sunday Ticket Included at no cost. First 3 months HBO included. | NFL Sunday Ticket Included at no cost. First 3 months HBO included. |
Agreement | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years |
Packages | America’s Top 120 | America’s Top 120+ | America’s Top 200 | America’s Top 250 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Channels | 190 Channels | 190+ channels | 240+ channels | 290+ channels |
Price | $59.99/month | $69.99/month | $79.99/month | $89.99/month |
Features | Free HD for life. Local channels included. Free premium channels for 3 months | Free HD for life. ESPN and local channels. Regional sports included. Free premium channels for 3 months. | Multi-sports channels included. ESPN, local channels, and regional sports included. Free premium channels for 3 months. | Multi-sports channels included. 17 Movie channels included. ESPN, NFL, and Regional sports included. Free premium channels for 3 months. |
Agreement | 2-year agreement | 2-year agreement | 2-year agreement | 2-year agreement |
DirecTV and Dish TV bundle packages are also available. The satellite TV providers have coverage throughout US. They are available even in rural areas. So, when satellite TV packages can be easily bundled with satellite internet and home phone, when you are living in rural areas. By doing this, you can watch almost all the popular channels along with premium and sports channels of your choice as per the package that you have selected.
When DirecTV or Dish TV bundle packages are chosen, you can save money and also aim at managing a single bill for the services that you have opted for. Let us find out some of the popular DirecTV and Dish TV bundle packages.