DIRECTV STREAM vs YouTube TV:Which is searched more in the United States?
In September 2026, YouTube TV had more branded searches than DIRECTV STREAM among live TV streaming services in the United States. YouTube TV had about 7.5 million branded searches, while DIRECTV STREAM had 246,000. YouTube TV made up 70.9% of all live TV streaming service searches we track, and DIRECTV STREAM accounted for 2.3%.
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Is DIRECTV STREAM or YouTube TV more popular in search?
Compare the streaming services people in the US use to watch live TV instead of cable. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of searches by month for YouTube TV, DIRECTV STREAM. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | YouTube TV | Fubo | Sling TV | Hulu | DIRECTV STREAM | Philo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 59.8% | 14.6% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 3.6% | 2.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 51.9% | 19% | 10.4% | 12.7% | 3.8% | 2.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 59.4% | 14.5% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 3.6% | 3% |
| Jan 2026 | 59% | 17.6% | 9.6% | 7.9% | 2.9% | 3% |
| Feb 2026 | 67.7% | 11.1% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 3.3% | 2.9% |
| Mar 2026 | 58.8% | 14.3% | 6.5% | 14.3% | 3.5% | 2.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 63.2% | 15.5% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 3.3% |
| May 2026 | 67.3% | 13.5% | 7.4% | 5% | 3.3% | 3.5% |
| Jun 2026 | 65.4% | 19.5% | 5.9% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 2.7% |
| Jul 2026 | 64% | 19.1% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Aug 2026 | 64.7% | 15.8% | 7.1% | 5.8% | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 70.9% | 14.2% | 6.4% | 4.3% | 2.3% | 1.9% |
How has the DIRECTV STREAM and YouTube TV comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- YouTube TV was ahead of DIRECTV STREAM in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DIRECTV STREAM’s share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States moved from 3.6% to 2.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 450K to 246K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, YouTube TV’s share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States moved from 59.8% to 70.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 7.5M.
How did search popularity change for United States live TV streaming services in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, YouTube TV gained share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States, from 64.7% to 70.9%.
In September 2026, DIRECTV STREAM lost share of searches among live TV streaming services in the United States, from 3.2% to 2.3%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using DIRECTV STREAM’s and YouTube TV’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
DIRECTV STREAM
1 branded search term
- directv stream
YouTube TV
1 branded search term
- youtube tv
Other head-to-heads among live TV streaming services
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