DirecTV online-only plan has many of your local sports teams covered

AT&T's DirecTV Now has 19 MLB teams, 22 NBA teams, and 15 NHL teams.

For cable and satellite TV customers who want to cancel and switch to online streaming, the shortage of local sports has long been a major drawback. But regional sports networks that air your local baseball, basketball, and ice hockey teams are starting to come to online streaming services, and AT&T's DirecTV Now has rights to most of the US-based MLB, NBA, and NHL teams in local markets.

The coverage isn't perfect. DirecTV Now has rights to all three leagues in some cities, and none in others. For example, Chicago-area subscribers to DirecTV Now can watch the Cubs, White Sox, Bulls, and Blackhawks, but Philadelphia-area customers would have no access to the regional sports channel covering the Phillies, 76ers, and Flyers. It's a mix in cities where DirecTV Now has rights to some regional sports networks but not others. DirecTV Now in New York thus has the Yankees but not the Mets, the Nets but not the Knicks, and neither of the NY-based hockey teams. Boston-area subscribers to DirecTV Now can watch the Celtics on Comcast SportsNet New England, but there's no Red Sox or Bruins coverage because DirecTV Now lacks rights to New England Sports Network.

Limitations are due to what programming contracts AT&T was able to strike. More teams and networks could be added in the future if AT&T agrees on prices with other programmers.

The good news is that most US-based teams in the three leagues are covered in local markets. DirecTV Now has regional sports networks covering 19 of 29 US-based MLB teams (the Toronto Blue Jays are the 30th team, but DirecTV Now isn't available in Canada at all, as it's US-only.) DirecTV Now has 22 of 29 US-based teams in the NBA, which also has one team in Canada. DirecTV Now has 15 of 23 US-based ice hockey teams (there are another seven in Canada that aren't covered by DirecTV Now).

The NFL, the most popular US sports league of all, is shown on CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN, and the NFL Network, rather than regional sports networks. Even though DirecTV satellite service has the NFL Sunday Ticket package, the online-only DirecTV Now lacks Sunday Ticket. Football coverage is further limited because DirecTV Now has no access to CBS, which broadcasts American Football Conference games. CBS just added streaming of NFL games to its own CBS All Access online service after striking a deal with the NFL.

DirecTV Now does have NBC and Fox, but only in certain local markets. It has ESPN, but not the NFL Network. While CBS is a big absence for fans of AFC teams, DirecTV Now should have about half of the NFL games you'd normally see with a TV subscription, but whether you get Fox and NBC games will depend on where you live. (See the end of this article for a city-by-city list.) On the plus side, many NFL games can be viewed with an over-the-air antenna, even if you don't have cable TV or an online streaming service.

AT&T is offering DirecTV Now's 100-channel package, including regional sports networks, for $35 a month. But that's a promotional offer that won't be available to new subscribers after it expires. Standard pricing will be $60 a month for 100 channels, while the cheapest package with regional sports networks will have 80 channels and cost $50 a month. AT&T hasn't said when the special pricing will expire.

Unfortunately, DirecTV Now lacks DVR capability and the ability to pause live TV for more than five or 10 seconds. Those features will be added eventually, possibly in 2017, but it's not clear exactly when. DirecTV Now is limited to two simultaneous streams per account.

Are your favorite teams on? Here's the list

Programming information is available on the DirecTV Now website. If you want to find out which regional sports networks and teams are available from DirecTV Now in your city or town, check out this PDF and search for your local team names or your ZIP code. Some zip codes are listed in a range rather than individually, so your specific code may not show up if you're doing a Ctrl-F search.

That AT&T document is 108 pages long and hard to navigate at a glance, so here is a list of which teams are available via regional sports networks:

Major League Baseball teams on DirecTV Now:

Arizona Diamondbacks
Atlanta Braves
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Cincinnati Reds
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Miami Marlins
Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins
New York Yankees
Oakland Athletics
St. Louis Cardinals
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
Tampa Bay Rays
Texas Rangers
MLB teams that DirecTV Now does not have are the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays, and Washington Nationals.

National Basketball Association teams on DirecTV Now:

Atlanta Hawks
Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets
Charlotte Hornets
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Detroit Pistons
Golden State Warriors
Indiana Pacers
Los Angeles Clippers
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Orleans Pelicans
Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic
Phoenix Suns
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Washington Wizards
DirecTV Now does not have the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors, and Utah Jazz.

National Hockey League teams on DirecTV Now:

Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues
Tampa Bay Lightning
Washington Capitals
DirecTV Now does not have the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Colorado Avalanche, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the seven Canadian teams (the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and Winnipeg Jets).

Finally, here is AT&T's list of which cities will be able to watch ABC, NBC, FOX, and Telemundo:

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