When DIRECTV launched its new Genre Pack skinny bundle offerings in 2025, the pay TV distributor had a clear goal in mind for its new packaging.
“There’s this whole segment of the country we were not in the consideration set for whether it was due to price or having the right content, and so we have to evolve with consumer demand. That’s really why we did Genre Packs,” DIRECTV VP/GM, Residential Growth Stefanie Ball says. “It was about opening new doors for us, so we could build new relationships.”
Looking at the skinny bundle strategy, one of the things Ball is proudest of is that 60% of Genre Pack subscribers are customers DIRECTV hasn’t done business with in the past, showing that the packaging is bringing in new viewers. “That gives us a lot of confidence that we’re not just recycling customers,” she says.
DIRECTV currently offers five Genre Packs. The best performer to date is a no-brainer. Yes, it’s the one bundling live sports. The MySports bundle packs ESPN and Fox Sports linear channels, local and national broadcast nets, MLB Network, NBA TV, plenty of ways to watch college sports, access to ESPN Unlimited and more for $65/month. “It’s really your one-stop shop for all the sports that you need, and so that is a lead horse for us, especially this time of year [because of football season],” Ball explains. Rounding out the top three performers are the MyEntertainment pack, which mixes linear channels with access to Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max and AMC+ for $43/month, and MyNews’ combo of Fox News, CNBC, CNN, MS Now, C-SPAN and local stations for $45. Ball adds that the $38/month MiEspañol is also “really competitive,” calling MyKids an “important part of the portfolio” that DIRECTV is still perfecting.
DIRECTV isn’t slowing down in terms of adding value across the entire Genre Pack portfolio. In August, it launched a new deal offering 12 months of Netflix Standard with ads at no additional cost to customers who sign up for a skinny bundle and Gemini device. Part of the why behind the Netflix partnership is to continue to build the relationship with the “more transient customer base” that subscribes based on the specific content they want to watch.
“It’s really important for us to have breadth of content at the right price. But as they go in and out, we needed a compelling reason for why to take our hardware,” Ball says. “Why not try to bundle Gemini with one of the best SVODs?” An added bonus of the Netflix deal? It’ll give Genre Pack bundle customers access to the live sports presented on the streamer, including next June’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Over a year into the Genre Pack strategy, DIRECTV is of course thinking about what’s next. “We’re focused on bringing new value props to the market that don’t exist today,” Ball says. One possibility is a “non-live only” bundle for customers who don’t watch live TV and prefer streaming and on-demand programming.
Fast Facts
- Over 60% of DIRECTV’s Genre Pack sales are from consumers leaving another live streaming platform—SVOD-only households or cord-nevers.
- DIRECTV launched Curated Sports Multiview in August, giving users an enhanced way to watch the day’s biggest games across different leagues.
- The distributor launched service on Meta Quest headsets this year. DIRECTV is offering a five-day free trial to headset owners.