Pirates are straight-up baddies. Captain J. Flint, Jack Rackham, Charles Vane, Ned Low, Israel Hands, and Blackbeard are all real-life pirates who ruled the seas, plundered booty, and fought off every world power to survive on a shrinking globe in the age of colonialism.
Black Sails covers these rogues from the West Indies island of New Providence, fresh from being declared hostis humani generis (enemies of mankind) by every country with a navy. The pirates’ response? Nothing less than war, against anyone who stands in their way. Black Sails not only offers a fantastic, occasionally fictional account of this maritime era, but offers all the good stuff synonymous with pirates. You know, treasure hunting, swashbuckling, and even the occasional plank walk. After four gripping seasons, Black Sails finished its voyage, plastering its place as a deep cable cut worthy of binging.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch Black Sails for free.
| HOW TO STREAM ‘BLACK SAILS’ | |
| HULU WITH LIVE TV | TRY NOW |
| STARZ | TRY NOW |
| SLING TV | TRY NOW |
| AMAZON PRIME | TRY NOW |
How to watch Black Sails for free
1) Hulu
- Cost: $5.99 per month (after a 7-day trial)
- Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices
If you want to watch every season of Black Sails in one place, there’s no better option than Hulu. The streaming service, which just slashed the cost of its ad-supported version to a mere $5.99 per month, offers all of Black Sails episodes on-demand. You can also upgrade to Hulu No Commercials for $11.99 per month. Plus, since you get a week-long free trial before you have to spend a penny, it’s a great place to watch Black Sails for free. You can also upgrade to Hulu with Live TV, which costs $44.99 per month and comes with ESPN, ESPN2, the CW, HGTV, TNT, and CNN—not to mention complimentary access to Hulu’s back-catalog.
How to stream full episodes of Black Sails
Black Sails is one of the Starz channel’s best shows, and you can catch every season on the premium cable network. The channel is available on a handful of the major live TV streaming services. When trying to decide which one is best for you, you’ll want to weigh the cost, the other channels you’ll receive, and the compatible devices for streaming. Thankfully, no matter which service you pick, you’ll start with a one-week trial, so you can watch Black Sails for free.
1) Sling TV
- Cost: $30 to $45 per month (10$ off first month) for Sling TV | $9 per month for Starz
- Sling TV devices: Amazon Fire TVs, Android Fire Stick, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, Google Chromecast, Oculus Go, and iOS and Android devices
For a more à la carte service, look to Sling TV. It offers two cable packages, Sling Orange and Sling Blue, both of which cost $30 per month. If you grab them both (Sling Orange + Blue) you can save $10 per month. Sling Blue offers more bang for your buck with over 40 channels, including sports necessities like FS1, NBCSN, and NFL Network. You’ll also gain access to the usual cable mainstays like Food Network, Discovery, Cartoon Network, SYFY, and FXX. Whichever package you choose, you can add Starz for an additional $9 a month. Here’s the complete guide to Sling TV channels.
2) Starz app
- Cost: $8.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- Devices: iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Mac, PC, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire Stick, Xbox One, Xbox One S, select Samsung Smart TVs
The Starz standalone app is the most direct way to stream Black Sails, even if it is without the frills of additional channels. You can watch all new and past episodes of Starz shows like American Gods, but you’ll also gain access to other Starz shows like Power and Outlander, along with the current lineup of Starz movies.
3) Amazon Prime Video with Starz
- Cost: $8.99 per month (after free 7-day trial) for Starz | Prime subscription for $119.99
- Devices: Amazon Fire Stick, Fire TV, Fire tablets, and Fire phone; Roku, Google TV, TiVo, Nvidia Shield, PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Wii
If you’re always online, there’s a good chance you’re already tapping your Amazon Prime account for your streaming needs. Prime Streaming is only $119 per year, but you can try it for 30 days free. Adding Starz to your Prime Video channels lineup couldn’t be simpler. Once added, you’ll not only be able to catch Black Sails, but watch all those episodes you missed on-demand. You can also try the Starz channel add-on free for a week before you commit to the $8.99-a-month subscription.
4) Hulu with Live TV
- Cost: $5.99 to $11.99 per month for Hulu or $54.99 per month for Hulu with Live TV | $8.99 per month for Starz (after a 1-month trial)
- Hulu devices: Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and Fire TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Nintendo Switch, and iOS and Android devices
- Local channels: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, the CW (check your local availability here)
Hulu plans start at $5.99 a month for the basic Hulu service, but you can upgrade to Hulu No Ads for 11.99 a month. If you’re looking for a live-streaming service, Hulu with Live TV plans start at $40 a month and comes with a suite of more than 50 channels including HGTV, a full suite of ESPN channels, Cartoon Network, FX, and even deep cuts like Nat Geo Wild and Syfy. Whichever package you choose, you can add Starz for only $8.99 a month. Even better? You can preview Starz for free for a month before you’re billed for it. Here’s the complete list of Hulu Live TV channels.
5) YouTube TV
YouTube TV
YouTube TV
” class=”wp-image-564979″ src=”https://www.dailydot.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/watch_white_boy_online_free_youtube_tv.jpg”>- Cost: $49.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial) for YouTube TV | $9 per month for Starz
- YouTube TV devices: Google Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox One, iOS and Android devices
YouTube TV is a great solution for families because one subscription can add up to six accounts. Each account comes with unlimited cloud DVR. There are sports channels like NBCSN, NBA TV, and four ESPN channels. AMC, BBC America, and IFC are there too, so you won’t miss out on all that prestige TV. Adding Starz to your subscription is easy, and only runs an additional $9 a month. (You can find the full list of YouTube TV channels here.)
How to watch Black Sails episodes
1) Amazon Video
- Cost: $2.99/episode, $9.99/season
- Devices: Amazon Fire Stick, Fire TV, Fire tablets, and Fire phone; Roku, Google TV, TiVo, Nvidia Shield, PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Wii
This is by far the costliest option, but you have the permanence of owning the shows. Every episode of Black Sails seasons 1-4 is available for purchase à la carte from Amazon Video. Single episodes are available for $2.99 while entire seasons run $9.99.
Was Black Sails canceled?
Yes. Black Sails ended in 2017 after a four-season run.
Black Sails cast
- Toby Stephens as James McGraw/Flint
- Hannah New as Eleanor Guthrie
- Luke Arnold as “Long” John Silver
- Jessica Parker Kennedy as Max
- Tom Hopper as William “Billy Bones” Manderly
- Zach McGowan as Charles Vane (seasons 1–3)
- Toby Schmitz as Jack Rackham
- Clara Paget as Anne Bonny
- Mark Ryan as Hal Gates (season 1)
- Hakeem Kae-Kazim as Mr. Scott (seasons 1–3)
- Sean Cameron Michael as Richard Guthrie (seasons 1–2)
- Louise Barnes as Miranda Hamilton/Barlow (seasons 1–3)
- Rupert Penry-Jones as Lord Thomas Hamilton (season 2, guest season 4)
- Luke Roberts as Woodes Rogers (seasons 3–4)
- Ray Stevenson as Edward Teach (seasons 3–4)
- David Wilmot as Israel Hands (season 4)
- Harriet Walter as Marion Guthrie (season 4)
On what channel did Black Sails air?
Black Sails aired exclusively on Starz.
READ MORE:
- PS Vue is a strong contender in the streaming wars
- Is YouTube TV really worth the cost?
- How to make the most of your Netflix subscription
- How does Hulu work—and how much does it cost?
- How to stream ‘Power’ season 6
How many seasons of Black Sails are there?
There were four seasons of Black Sails before it ended in 2017.
The Daily Dot may receive a payment in connection with purchases of products or services featured in this article. Click here to learn more.
