DirecTV now includes the Game of Thrones, but there is no live tv streaming agreement

The wild world of live tv streaming just went through another disturbance. Blame the last season of Game of Thrones starting next month.

DirecTV Now that you can watch many TV channels over the Internet without a cable TV subscription, you've just increased the price of the cheapest package from $ 40 to $ 50 per month . The package includes HBO, the exclusive home of Game of Thrones season 8, whether you want it or not.

On the surface that seems like an OK deal. Getting a standalone HBO Now subscription costs $ 15 per month, so an increase of $ 10 to get the HBO included is still a $ 5 monthly discount. And if you want DirecTV Now's mix of channels – namely HBO as well as all four live local stations (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) – the service is still worth considering.

But there are many other options for cable TV cable jacks, and the new DirecTV Now is among the most expensive. Let's break down the changes and how DirecTV stacks up against the competition.

Fewer Channels, More Money

As Tyrion Lannister says, "Every time we handle an enemy, we create two more."

DirecTV Now added to HBO, but removed a number of other popular channels. Here is the list of great channels that are no longer available on the service:

• A & E
• AMC
• Animal Planet
• BBC America
• BET
• Comedy Central
• Cooking Channel [19659012] C-SPAN
• Discovery Channel
• Food Network
• HGTV
• History
• Lifetime
• MTV
• Nickelodon
• Nick Jr.

I keep a list of the Top 100 channels offered by the various live TV streaming services, including DirecTV Now, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, AT & T Watch Now, Philo and Fubo TV. The channels above are available on many of them, and many of the most popular, such as AMC, Comedy Central, Discovery and HGTV, are classic cable TV found on most of DirecTV Now's competitors.

By cutting these channels and others, DirecTV now went from 61 to 38 of the top 100. The only services with fewer such channels are significantly cheaper: AT & T Watch Now and Philo (both $ 15) and Sling TV ($ 25). Each one of DirecTV Now's competitors of $ 40 and up has at least 10 more top 100 channels.

At $ 50 each month, DirecTV is now the most expensive live TV streaming service. Note that current subscribers to DirecTV Now's original packages may retain their (superior) channel setups, but must also pay at least $ 50.

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Other Ways to Get HBO to Play Thrones

Inclusion of HBO with DirecTV Now, it's convincing in some ways, especially if you also want a live TV streaming service and don't miss the channels that were cut. But there is a package deal – the kind of bundle of many cutters trying to avoid – and there are many other ways to look at Tyrion and company.

How to Stretch HBO Without Cable

The cheapest solution is a standalone HBO Now $ 15 subscription. It does not give you live TV channels but it allows you to watch Game of Thrones (and other HBOs) programs) as soon as they are airy and on request afterwards at any time.

You can pay for any live TV service as well as an HBO Now subscription separately, and for AT&T Watch Now, Philo and Sling TV, the total will cost less than DirecTV Now. Meanwhile, a more expensive service like YouTube TV offers significantly more channels for a little more money.

All these mix-and-match options are better deals than DirecTV now, in my opinion. Sling TV's blue package, for example, provides 37 channels (including Fox and NBC in many cities) and costs $ 25 per month, for a total of $ 40 per month – $ 10 cheaper than DirecTV now – if you add HBO now as a 38. " channel." And YouTube TV has many of the channels now missing from DirecTV Now as well as a superior DVR.

As usual with string cutting, decide which service deserves cash, some research. However, in today's market, DirecTV Now is less deserving than most. At least for the next live TV streaming service, the prices also increase.