While HBO’s The Wire never took home any Emmys and wasn’t the most-watched on its network, it’s one of the most critically acclaimed TV shows in history. The show ran for 5 seasons on HBO from 2002 to 2008, and despite being over 10 years old, it’s still a relevant must-watch show. The show was written and created by former police reporter David Simon and covers the underbelly of the city of Baltimore and the relationships between law enforcement, government, drug trade, the news media, and the school system. It’s a riveting suspenseful look at how these institutions affect the lives of people living in an American city. If you haven’t seen it, it’s required viewing for anyone that fancies themselves a fan of prestige TV. And with David Simon returning to Baltimore and HBO with We Own This City, now might be the time to check out The Wire.
Watch The Wire Free
Below are ways to get access to free HBO so you can watch The Wire for free!
Hulu
While all five seasons of The Wire are available on Max, the service doesn’t offer a free trial. Therefore, watching The Wire on Max will cost you at least $9.99 (the cost of Max for 1 month). However, there is a workaround where you can get access to 1 free week of HBO, allowing you to watch all 5 seasons of The Wire for free!
To get a week of Max for free, you first need to take advantage of a 30-day free trial to Hulu. From there, you can add Max through Hulu and get a 7-day free trial to HBO. Five seasons of The Wire consists of 60 1-hour episodes, so you would need to average around 8-9 episodes a day, but it is possible to watch the series for free. Just make sure you drop HBO within the 7-day period, so you are not charged. You also need to dop Hulu within the 30-day trial, or you will be charged $5.99 per month. There is no required contract with Hulu, and you can cancel it at any time. Hulu is supported on Apple iPhone and iPad, Android phones and tablets, Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast, and more. See our review of Hulu for more details on this streaming service.
DIRECTV STREAM
DIRECTV STREAM is a live TV streaming service offering several channels typically found on cable TV, but instead, they are streamed over the internet. Subscribing to the AT&T Choice plan or higher will provide a free year of HBO which is enough time to watch all 60 episodes of The Wire. However, DIRECTV STREAM’s choice plan is pretty expensive at $108.99 per month. Luckily, DIRECTV STREAM offers a 5-day free trial to try the service. DIRECTV STREAM is supported on Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and more. You can sign up for DIRECTV STREAM here. See our review of DIRECTV STREAM for more details.
The Wire On Max
Max also has all 60 episodes of The Wire available for streaming. Max doesn’t only air HBO, but content from WarnerMedia and other sources. Content on Max includes:
- A selection of acquired series and movies (Rick and Morty and South Park are notable examples)
- All of HBO
- An exclusive collection of new Max Originals
- Select favorites from the WarnerMedia brands Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, DC, CNN, the Turner library, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes, and more
- A selection of acquired series and movies (South Park being a notable example)
A subscription to HBO-Max costs $15.99 per month for their ad-free plan and $9.99 per month for their ad-supported service (meaning a few commercials with every episode). You can sign up here. Max is supported on Android, iOS, Apple TV, Chromecast, Playstation, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
