Where & How to Watch The Wire Online in 2024: Return to Baltimore With Streaming
The crime drama series The Wire takes us on an electrifying journey through the streets of Baltimore and its drug trade. Find out where and how to watch The Wire in our guide and get around geoblocks with a VPN.
Written by Kit Copson (Writer, Briefing Editor)
Reviewed by Aleksandar Kochovski (Writer)
Last Updated: 2024-10-24T12:25:24+00:00
All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.
Key Takeaways: Where & How to Watch The Wire
- Grab a subscription at a (for Black Friday) 74% (plus 3 months free) discount from NordVPN’s website.
- Download a VPN client and Connect to a U.S. server
- Open Hulu and Watch The Wire.
Best VPNs to Watch The Wire:
- NordVPN — Best-in-class VPN for all use-cases. NordVPN’s two-year plan offers (for Black Friday) 74% (plus 3 months free) off on the first two years with three months free.
- Surfshark — Connect all your devices without breaking the bank. Surfshark’s best deal is available at a (for Black Friday) 64% (plus 4 months free) discount.
- ExpressVPN — Intuitive protection for VPN newcomers. Sign up now to get (for Black Friday) 70% (plus 4 months free) off the first year.
Facts & Expert Analysis:
- You can watch the first five seasons of The Wire on Max or Hulu if you’re in the U.S. Viewers in the U.K. can watch The Wire with Sky TV or a subscription to NOW TV. Alternatively, you can buy or rent seasons and episodes on Amazon Prime Video, Vudu or iTunes.
- You can use a VPN to stream The Wire on a streaming service if it’s unavailable in your country.
- NordVPN is the best VPN for streaming, especially with services like Hulu and Max.
The groundbreaking HBO series and Emmy nominee The Wire debuted in 2002. Though the series completed its five-season run in 2008, its legacy has stood to the test of time. Netizens in 2021 are still cruising around streaming services to find out where and how to watch The Wire online. Geoblocking can make this tricky for some, but a virtual private network (VPN) can help you with that.
Dominic West stars as Detective James “Jimmy” McNulty in The Wire, supported by an all-star cast including Lance Reddick, Wendell Pierce, Sonja Sohn and the now sadly departed Michael K. Williams as Omar Little. The narrative spotlights Baltimore’s drug scene but not only those within it. Creator David Simon homes sharply in on societal responsibility and involvement as a whole.
All five seasons of The Wire are available on paid streaming services like Max and Hulu — just like The Sopranos. If you’ve already got a subscription to one of these U.S. streaming services, you’re golden. If you’re on the hunt for a way to watch The Wire online free, there is a way. Read on to find out how and where to watch The Wire.
Not available in your country?
Watch The Wire now on HBO Max and other streaming platforms.
Status checked 2024/11/03:
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11/23/2021 Facts checked
Added new information on the free HBO trial through Hulu, as well as a guide on how to watch the Wire with a VPN.
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10/01/2024
We refined the rankings to reflect evolving industry standards and user needs.
How to Watch The Wire Online Free With a VPN
The Wire is available on Max, but Max doesn’t offer a free trial. If you sign up for Hulu’s free trial and use the Max add-on, you can watch all five seasons of the TV series The Wire for free as long as you can get through them in seven days.
If you’re traveling outside of the U.S., you can sign up for a free trial with a quality VPN like NordVPN to access Hulu. There is one catch, however — you do need a U.S. payment card (or another U.S. payment method, like PayPal) to sign up to Hulu. Assuming you’ve already signed up for your Hulu free trial and have added Max, let’s take a look at how to watch The Wire for free outside of the U.S.
- Sign Up for NordVPN
Start by visiting NordVPN’s website and selecting a plan with a (for Black Friday) 74% (plus 3 months free) discount, backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee for peace of mind.
- Download NordVPN
Download the NordVPN app for the device you are using. Follow the instructions in the installation wizard.
- Open NordVPN and Connect
Open the NordVPN app on your device. To connect to a server, click on a map. Tap any U.S. server.
Screenshot - Start Streaming in Hulu
On Hulu, select The Wire season you want. Click on the episode you want to watch to start streaming. If you have issues streaming content, try another U.S. server.
Watch The Wire on Max or Another Streaming Service
There are other streaming options for watching all five seasons of The Wire if Hulu isn’t your thing. A monthly subscription to Max will set you back $9.99 per month or $14.99 per month if you go ad-free. Just like with Hulu, you need a VPN if you are outside the U.S. You can also buy episodes for $2.99 or seasons for $24.99 on Amazon Prime Video.
If you’re in the U.K., The Wire is available for Sky customers. Alternatively, you can sign up for a free trial with NOW TV and stream it there. If you’re travelling outside the U.K., you can connect to a U.K. VPN server to continue watching The Wire from overseas.
Torrent The Wire: Entire Series & Individual Episodes
Another way to watch The Wire is through torrenting, but the usual warnings apply. Piracy is illegal almost everywhere, so a VPN is an absolute must. Because most VPNs fail to adequately protect your data, we recommend using only those in our selection of the best VPN for torrenting (NordVPN especially shines here), or you could face fines potentially running into the thousands.
The Best VPNs to Watch The Wire
Top-quality VPNs are the ones most likely to get you around those pesky geoblocks and have you enjoying a binge-watching session in no time.
1. NordVPN — The Best VPN for Streaming The Wire
Very Fast
Very Fast
Very Fast
NordVPN takes our top spot for streaming and torrenting thanks to its affordable price. What’s more, this VPN has excellent speeds — the best speeds overall, in fact — making it the ideal choice for streaming and torrenting activities.
On that note, NordVPN’s system-wide and app-level kill switches add an extra layer of reassurance by cutting off your internet and shutting down your torrent client if your VPN connection drops. The 30-day money-back guarantee lets you test it out free of risk. Our NordVPN review has more information.
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
2. Surfshark — Best Cheap VPN for Streaming The Wire
Very Fast
Very Fast
Good
Surfshark is the best budget VPN for streaming because it offers a wide range of security features and unlimited simultaneous connections on the cheap. It isn’t as well-rounded as NordVPN on the speed front due to its high latency, but this shouldn’t cause issues with streaming.
If you’d like to give Surfshark a go, you can sign up for any plan that suits you and use the 30-day money-back guarantee as a safety net. Check out our Surfshark review for more on this provider.
- Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Plans renew: $59.76 for one year, $59.76 per year for the two-year plan.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
- Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Plans renew: $79 for one year & $79 per year for the two-year plan.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Everything in One, plus Data removal Plans renew: $269.25 for one year, $404.65 for two years
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
3. ExpressVPN — Best Beginner-Friendly VPN for Streaming The Wire
Very Fast
Very Fast
Very Fast
ExpressVPN is one of our top picks for streaming, including for pairing with a streaming service like Hulu (see our guide on how to watch Hulu with ExpressVPN). It has a vast selection of servers, particularly in the U.S., and is lightning-fast in the speed department.
This is hugely important to avoid interruptions to your streaming time. You can try it out for free using the 30-day money-back guarantee and look over our ExpressVPN review for the ins and outs.
- Unlimited GB
- 8
- Yes
The Best Free VPN for Watching The Wire — PrivadoVPN
You can get 10 GB of data and connect to ten server locations with PrivadoVPN’s free plan, which is pretty generous if you ask us.
If you feel a bit iffy about free VPNs, you’re right to do so, but there’s no need to worry in this case: PrivadoVPN is very secure and private. Head over to our PrivadoVPN review to find out more.
- 10GB
- 1
- *Billed $44.85 for the first 15 months, then $59.88 every 12 months. *Billed $53.73 for the first 27 months, then $95.76 every 24 months.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
Final Thoughts
The above tips should get you well on your way to watching the five seasons of The Wire online. With Amazon Prime subscription you can watch The Wire and other great shows like Mad Men, fantasy series Grimm, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Evangelion.
However, there is a workaround to watch it for free by utilizing free trials. It’s a good idea to use NordVPN if you need to get around geoblocks. Experience the power of NordVPN yourself, risk-free, with the assurance that you can get your money back within 30 days if you’re not completely satisfied.
We hope you enjoy what’s probably the best TV show ever made, and please let us know in the comments below if we missed any other avenues for watching McNulty get into trouble. Thanks for reading.
FAQ
If you sign up for a Hulu trial and add on Max, you can watch The Wire for free for seven days.
The Wire isn’t available on Netflix because it is an HBO series.
Yes. Individual episodes cost $2.99, and full seasons are $24.99. Read our guide to learn how to watch Amazon Prime Video.
Yes, you can watch full episodes and seasons of The Wire on Hulu with an Max add-on.