Directv app and 3rd party apps

I’ve been reading a lot of posts here, seems a common theme. 
I’m a former directv customer and am now back as of Friday. I’m also a current AT&T customer for internet for the past 3 years. 
The directv app goes to a unknown error and back to the App Store (whether on WiFi or not) and cannot sign in. 
3rd party apps such as espn/fox/food network either don’t load or will prompt you via a web browser entering in a code for activation will result in “account not active”.  Tech support/customer service seems to not understand or know a solution.  For me to pay another $100 per wireless genie to have service seems ridiculous.  For the app, I’ve been told to sign in using my directv login but also by another person with them to use AT&T login. Either way neither have worked.