Does DIRECTV Stream Have MLB TV Or MLB Extra Innings?

By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man, @tvanswerman

TV Answer Man, I’m thinking about switching from DIRECTV to DIRECTV Stream. My question is do they have Extra Innings or MLB TV? I can’t find either on their web site and I can’t get anyone with customer service, surprise, surprise. Can you help? — Jim, Beauford, South Carolina. 

Jim, before I answer, a little background on DIRECTV Stream for readers who are not familiar with it.

DIRECTV Stream, as opposed to DIRECTV, the satellite TV service, is a multi-channel, live streaming service that offers packages starting at $74.99 a month. (The service is now running a promotional offer with $10 off each of the first three months.)

While DIRECTV Stream is intended to be an alternative to DIRECTV, there are some major differences. For example, Stream does not require a contract to sign up while DIRECTV has a two-year agreement requirement for new customers. (DIRECTV also has a two-year price guarantee now, which DIRECTV Stream does not.)

But the streamer does not have as many channels as its satcaster sister or other sports packages including MLB Extra Innings. (In fact, no live streaming service has MLB Extra Innings; it’s a package designed specifically for cable, satellite and telco TV services.)

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DIRECTV Stream also does not carry MLB.TV, the league’s online plan for out-of-market games. But once again, no live streamer carries the baseball package. YouTube TV, a DIRECTV Stream rival, used to carry MLB.TV as a separate add-on but lost the rights in a carriage dispute over the MLB Network.

But note that if you subscribe to DIRECTV Stream, you could still subscribe separately to MLB TV, which now costs $149.99. But you would need to watch the games on the MLB TV app, not the DIRECTV Stream app.

— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman