Wilfried Zaha joins Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC on loan until January 2026, with an option to extend until June 2026. Read...

Diagnosed with dementia in 2021, the footballer had been the only Scottish player to win the Ballon d’Or. Read...

DirecTV has made good on its plans to launch a sports and broadcast streaming package for less than its standard TV plans, but the savings aren’t enormous. The DirecTV Stream MySports plan costs $70 per month (with an extra $20 off for the first three months) and includes a mix of local broadcast channels, national sports networks, league-specific channels such as NFL Network, and access to ESPN+. This is uncharted territory for pay TV service, which typically requires paying for a big bundle of news, entertainment, and family programming just to access live sports (and vice versa). Still, DirecTV’s new sports package is missing some major sources of sports—notably CBS and regional sports networks—and is not even available yet in every U.S. market. It can save money in some scenarios, but only if you make some trade-offs. What’s included with DirecTV MySports Here’s the full DirecTV MySports channel list: Broadcast channels: ABC, NBC, and Fox National sports channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, TBS, TNT, TruTV, USA Network, Golf Channel. League channels: MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network, NHL Network, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, SEC Network Other: DirecTV 4K Live, DirecTV 4K Live 2 Streaming services: ESPN+ (coming soon) The package isn’t entirely limited to sports programming. You’ll also get prime-time and daytime shows on the broadcast channels, along with any movies or shows airing on channels like TBS and TNT. Everything will be available through DirecTV’s existing apps for Roku, Fire TV, Google TV/Android TV, Samsung TVs, Apple TV, iOS, and Android mobile. Those apps also include dozens of free streaming channels, whether you subscribe to the sports package or not. As with DirecTV’s other packages, Cloud DVR service is included and lets you record an unlimited number or programs, saved for up to nine months. Limited availability (for now) At launch, DirecTV MySports is only available in 24 U.S. markets, and local channel coverage might be patchy where you live. As Variety reports, subscribers in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and the San Francisco Bay Area will get local feeds of NBC, ABC, and Fox. Subscribers can expect partial local channel coverage in the following markets: Houston, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Austin, Detroit, Gainesville, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Orlando, Phoenix, Seattle, Tampa, Miami, Boston, New Haven, and San Diego. This is all reminiscent of live TV streaming’s early days, in which local station affiliates were not all on board, but DirecTV says it will bring more markets (and more station within those markets) online “soon.” What’s missing With any live TV streaming service, the omissions are as important as the inclusions, and DirecTV MySports has its fair share. The big one is CBS, which is a major source of NFL coverage (including the Bills-Ravens AFC divisional round and the AFC championship) and March Madness college basketball games. A DirecTV spokesperson said that it’s in “in discussions” with CBS, which alone would make the service more compelling. Regional sports channels such as Fanduel Sports Network and YES Network are also absent for now, though the spokesperson said that it plans to offer regional sports as an add-on later this year. Meanwhile, a growing body of sports coverage is being split off to individual streaming services. Amazon Prime Video gets Thursday Night Football, for instance, and Netflix had its exclusive NFL games on Christmas Day. Apple TV+ has Friday Night Baseball along with every Major League Soccer match. The sad reality is that no pay TV package carries complete coverage of the most popular sporting events anymore. Adding it up With those caveats in mind, are there any scenarios in which DirecTV MySports makes sense? Consider the following: The new MySports package costs $70 per month, but lacks CBS and regional sports. Fubo costs $80 per month, but lacks TNT, TBS, and ESPN+. Regional sports adds $12 per month or more to your bill, and you must pay $8 per month more for an add-on with MLB Network, NBA Network, and NHL Network. YouTube TV costs $83 per month, but lacks ESPN+, MLB Network, NHL Network, and most regional sports (except NBC Sports). Hulu + Live TV costs $83 per month, but lacks NBA TV, NHL Network, and most regional sports (except NBC Sports). DirecTV’s Stream’s “Entertainment” package costs $87 per month but lacks ESPN+ and regional sports, and you must pay $15 per month for an add-on with the league-specific networks. DirecTV Stream’s “Choice” package costs $115 but lacks ESPN+. Sling TV Orange + Blue costs $61 per month but lacks CBS, ESPN+, and regional sports networks. It also requires an antenna for local channels in many markets, and you must pay $11 per month extra for an add-on with MLB Network, NBA TV, and NHL Network. In other words, none of these services can purport to give you everything. DirecTV MySports at least provides a lower floor from which to decide what’s worth paying for. If you’re willing to finagle a free or cheap Paramount+ subscription, for instance, MySports becomes a decent value. You might also be able to get regional sports on a standalone basis (see my guides for the NBA and NHL) and still come out ahead of FuboTV or DirecTV Stream’s Choice package. By contrast, those who want the convenience of more programming in a single package can pay extra for that luxury. This has always been the case with cord-cutting. Your move, Fubo Regardless of whether DirecTV MySports is a good deal right now, this is a fast-moving situation. The channel lineup might look different in a few months, and other providers could launch their own sports-centric bundles at lower prices. (Fubo has already indicated that it will do so, and I suspect DirecTV is trying to get ahead of that launch.) Either way, note that live sports is the most expensive programming on TV, and it’s only getting worse as sports leagues renew their rights deals for astronomically more money. Someone has to pay for those higher rates, and as more folks abandon their pay TV packages outright, diehard sports fans will be left holding the bag. Sign up for Jared’s Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter for more streaming TV advice. Read...

There’s a lot of stuff happening right now. Here in the US, it seems kind of inescapable. And it surely doesn’t help that a lot of people might be without their short-form social video fix very soon. TikTok, for all its many, many faults, is something millions of people use in the US. That said, a TikTok ban seems increasingly likely. But there is another. There are a lot of others, actually, all initially trying to ape TikTok’s success, now poised to try and fully replace it. My personal poison (only slightly joking) is YouTube Shorts, perhaps because it happens to be built into the thing I already use. I have a lot of beef with YouTube as a platform, but that doesn’t take away from the many talented creators that are on it. YouTube Shorts is filled with a lot of the same garbage littering TikTok. Clips blatantly stolen from movies and TV shows, reactions that add nothing to the original video, AI-generated slop that the uploader didn’t even bother to check. But there’s some genuinely entertaining, interesting, and instructional stuff too. Here are 25 of my favorites to get you started. I’m so sorry, puppets. We’ve all failed you. Food I don’t know how to cook SJohnsonVoiceOvers, AKA SnackDaddy: Stefan Johnson is a professional voice actor, but lately he’s been diving into his love of food, in both the snack/junk and home-cooked varieties. He’ll do earnest and often hilarious reviews of fast food and restaurant products, try out trending recipes, and generally give you some great ideas. It doesn’t hurt that his takes and advice are easy to follow even for amateur cooks like me. Turkuaz Kitchen: Betel Tunc is a cook who loves using traditional methods, ingredients, and tools to make amazing meals. Frankly she’s way beyond me in all of these areas, but I love watching her intense focus in short, bite-sized videos that leave my mouth watering from whatever she ends up with, all set to some chill music with no narration. Check out her full YouTube channel (and cookbook!) if you want more detailed instructions. Jose.elcook: As a recovering Texan, I almost hate this guy, if only because it’s really hard to find good Mexican food in rural Pennsylvania. Jose’s passion for Mexican and other recipes from Latin America shines through in his simple and straightforward delivery, though he’s not at all limited to that niche. Inject that salsa verde straight into my veins, please. Longer recipes and equipment reviews are on his main YouTube channel. CookShowTrevor: This idiot makes pizzas that should not exist, and I say that in full confidence that he would agree with me. Trevor, or at least the caricature that he plays for YouTube, puts pretty much everything on lovingly handmade pizza just to see what happens. Frequently it burns, occasionally it explodes, every once in a while it’s a legitimately good result. I give it the highest honor I can bestow: a seven out of ten. Crafts I don’t know how to do JonPaulsBalls: Get your hand off that HR report, this is a guy named Jon-Paul Wheatley who makes soccer balls. That’s footballs, if you live somewhere civilized. Watching Jon-Paul’s design process from start to finish for balls I never would have imagined is hypnotizing, as is his soothing narration. Watch as he combines modern and old-fashioned methods and materials to create the best balls of them all, and give it a try yourself if you want with his personal website. SaraMicsPottery: Sarah Luepker mixes the usual crafting instruction videos with a bit of personal insight and vlogging. I appreciate that she includes her pottery screw-ups in her videos — it makes me feel better about spending six hours on a PC build that won’t boot. Sara’s shorts are less about full instruction than the satisfying tactile process and a lot of commentary, but there are plenty of of things to learn if you dive deep. EoinReardon: I’m even more useless at carpentry than I am at most crafts, and that’s amazing, because my first job was at a sawmill. Eoin Reardon gives me a glimpse into the life I might have had, if I hadn’t quit after six weeks and six stomachfuls of sawdust. Though he’s all about traditional techniques and results, his practical and straightforward techniques could be applied to household jobs. I assume they could, anyway. I fix computers. Tanner.Leathertein: Less about the actual craft of leatherworking and more about educating yourself on leather goods and the designer fashion industry, Tanner’s channel literally dissects handbags, wallets, and other goods to… well, show you the goods. In addition to the cathartic thrill of seeing fashionista items destroyed, he breaks down the value of the components and materials, helping you spot a good deal versus an unconscionable markup (or a plain old fake). GirlWithTheDogs: As a life-long dog owner, I can appreciate that washing and grooming one is not a task for the faint of heart. Vanessa De Prohetis is positively unflappable as she cleans dogs and cats of all stripes (and spots, and stippling… you get the picture). You might find some great tips for DIY pet grooming, but I’m more impressed by how she handles the toughest cases — no dog is too big, no cat is too crazy. Animals I don’t own HaydenKristialandandCo: My grandparents raised racehorses and my parents still raise miniature horses. So I’ve spent decades taking care of them, which is why I really don’t like them. But pro standup comedian Hayden Kristal does, and shares the best and worst of keeping a bunch of horses and donkeys on a Colorado ranch. Her hilarious insights and off-the-cuff takes almost make me want to go back to Texas. Almost. Cleolonglegs: Good grief these Borzoi dogs are goofy. DustyMDouglas: Okay, this is one of the most prolific and popular shorts makers out there. I am basic. But come on, you can’t deny that the voiceovers done in the style of America’s Funniest Home Videos (I am also old), cliché and pun-filled as they are, are often freakin’ hilarious. Other stuff I watch UFDTech: I’d be doing a real disservice if I didn’t acknowledge the work of Brett Stelmaszek and his team, who put out some fantastic and punchy short-form consumer tech videos. UFD Tech covers PCs, phones, video games… pretty much all the stuff that I’m interested in. And yeah, their pointed, no-frills style is definitely an influence around here. Check out their full channel for more long-form videos on topics that don’t fit into 50 seconds. PunkeyDoodles8: Audio from popular videos, with cartoon illustrations and a bit of animation. It ain’t much, but it’s honest work. Who am I kidding, it’s a lot more than I can do. Miniminuteman773: Pro archeologist Milo Rossi has made it his life’s mission to take apart the kind of conspiracy theory bullshit you see thrown around Facebook by amateurs and Ancient Aliens by actual, paid adults. Rossi’s short-form videos are quick and dirty debunks (in both the literal and figurative senses). But if you really want to dig into the ridiculousness of the topic (or alternately, look at some real archeology), check out his full channel. MakeSomeNoiseDO: Dropout.TV is great. It’s the best five bucks I spend every month. And while the all-improv quasi-game show Make Some Noise is often hilarious, a little bit goes a long way — I often struggle to get through the half-hour episodes. I think the skits tend to work better in short form, which is fortunate, because a lot more people can enjoy them for free. ProZD: SungWon Cho got his comedy start in ye olden days of Vine, basically doing TikTok before TikTok was a thing. He’s now a full-time voice actor (you can hear his flexible pipes in everything from the latest Batman and Pokémon cartoons to games like Yakuza), his older geeky YouTube skits make great shorts. Check out his full channel for longer compilations. Jill Bearup: I fell into a deep hole of Jill Bearup’s longer-form content, breaking down movie swordfights from a theatrical perspective using her expertise in stage combat. But her shorts are great too, generally eviscerating fantasy and romance tropes. Her series of back-and-forths between a heroine and the author writer her has been adapted into a full novel, Just Stab Me Now. Jerry Wayne Live: Fellow Texan Jerry Wayne is a standup comedian who’s kind of like Larry the Cable Guy, if that character was actually a genuine person instead of a city slicker’s idiotic impression. His series of “Truck Astrology” videos demonstrates real and loving knowledge of what pickup trucks and SUVs are supposed to be, and for that, I am grateful. I’d ask Jerry to review my ’03 Ranger Edge if it hadn’t blown its transmission long ago. OceanX: I was that kid in elementary school who was obsessed with Robert Ballard and the Titanic, before the movie came out. So there’s no small amount of envy in my recommendation for this channel, which chronicles the work of a team of oceanographers on a research vessel complete with submersibles and ROVs. They also have general education videos on a variety of topics. Oh yeah, follow PCWorld please Did you know that PCWorld is on TikTok? At least at the time of writing. Including me, Michael, the guy writing this. I record short little summaries of some of the articles that I and my coworkers write, and the video team over in California posts it with neato backgrounds and links. And they do it on YouTube Shorts, too. The PCWorld YouTube channel also has longer dives into all the latest PC news and hands-on coverage of the newest parts, laptops, handhelds, and anything else that strikes our fancy. Subscribe to TheFullNerd while you’re at it — that’s our sister channel for the weekly podcast (live every Tuesday and for most major PC-related events). Read...

Former England soccer boss Gareth Southgate, London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Paris Olympics gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson are among the hundreds named in King Charles` New Year honours list. Read...

Former England soccer boss Gareth Southgate, London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Paris Olympics gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson are among the hundreds named in King Charles` New Year honours list. Read...

Speaking to this masthead to mark the end of his first year as FA chairman, Anter Isaac said he and his board are not satisfied with the lack of progress made by the sport. Read...

On Monday night at Marvel Stadium, 18-year-old Grace Baba will wait with bated breath for her name to be read aloud during the AFLW draft. Read...

Anti-gang and sports corruption detectives have swooped on houses and clubrooms as part of an investigation into potential corruption. Read...

Brighton agree to sign Paraguay international Diego Gomez from Major League Soccer club Inter Miami. Read...