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DIRECTV and DISH Premium Movie Comparison
Last updated on March 22nd, 2023 by George Levint
For most, movies tend to make up a good chunk of their TV watching time. Whether it’s documentaries or horror flicks, there’s no shortage of channels or themes on satellite TV… you’re only limited by how much you’re willing to budget. Both DIRECTV and DISH Network offer movies a-la-carte and via discounted packages, so if there’s more than one network that catches your eye, consider bundling to save a few extra dollars per month. With the advent of competitors (NETFLIX, Hulu, etc), prices have gone down over the last few years and expect that trend to continue. Don’t be surprised if they release streaming services to compete with them in the next year or two (update: both providers have now launched their own streaming TV options).
Take advantage of discounts
With both providers, new subscribers quality for any combination of free HBO, Showtime, Cinemax and/or STARZ, for up to 3 months. Check out the promos at the top of the page for the latest. You’ll have at least a couple months to watch your fill of movies, then decide if you want to add them to your plan. Once that time comes, below is a pricing and channel comparison of each of the major movie networks along with the discounted, package rates.
Movie Network
DIRECTV
DISH
HBO
10 channels (9 in HD)
Cost: $17.99/month
6 channels (6 in HD)
Cost: $15/month
SHOWTIME
13 channels (10 in HD)
Cost: $13.99/month
10 channels (10 in HD)
Cost: $10.00/month
Cinemax
8 channels (8 in HD)
Cost: $13.99/month
3 channels (3 in HD)
Cost: $10/month
STARZ
15 channels (13 in HD)
Cost: $13.99/month
8 channels (8 in HD)
Cost: $10.00/month
Package Savings
Save up to $17.95/month when you bundle all four
no current offers
Latest Promo
(new customers only)
3 free months of HBO, Cinemax, STARZ & Showtime (Choice plan & up)
3 free months of STARZ & Showtime (Top 120 & up)
HBO and Cinemax not currently available on DISH
Due to an on-going squabble with AT&T (which owns DIRECTV AND HBO/Cinemax), DISH does not currently have the rights to show either HBO or Cinemax. As always, the crux of the issue was licensing fees and, in this case, market strategy (HBO, especially with a new season of Game of Thrones on the horizon, was being used as a competitive chip for all of AT&T’s TV products). These blackout don’t tend to last for more than half a year (at the most) so expect this to get settled in the near future.
UPDATE: HBO and Cinemax are back on DISH, however the access to HBO is more of a hybrid of HBO Max and a few extra HBO channels. For the price, it’s still probably worth it for most HBO fans.
It's a combo pack of 11 different movie channels including HDNET Movies, Sony Movies, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and more. You can watch it on any device (TV, laptop, etc) and it's available free for the first 3 months of your DISH subscription, then $10/mo.
Yes. On DISH, for $7/mo, you get 4 EPIX channels. DIRECTV gives you access to the MGM property for $5.99/mo (the library here is about the same as you'll get with DISH).
About the author
George Levint
George is the senior editor at DigitalFind and an expert in how technology at home impacts our lives. From funky analog radios to AI devices that try to out-think you, he's usually unfairly critical until proven otherwise. He also enjoys spending the occasional weekend off-grid to keep Skynet guessing.
