Criminal Minds is a popular American crime drama television series that first aired in September 2005 on CBS. The show follows the work of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country’s most twisted criminal minds and anticipate their next moves before they strike again. Criminal Minds became a breakout hit for CBS and has developed a devoted fanbase over its 16 season run, which ended in February 2020.
Where to Watch Criminal Minds
While Criminal Minds is no longer producing new episodes, all 16 seasons of the show are available to stream on a few different platforms so fans can rewatch or discover the series for the first time. Here are the main options for where to watch the full Criminal Minds series online:
- Paramount+: All 16 seasons of Criminal Minds are available to stream on demand on Paramount+, the streaming service from Paramount Global. This is likely the best option for most fans to binge or rewatch the full series.
- Hulu:Seasons 1-12 of Criminal Minds are currently available to stream on Hulu. The platform does not have the final 4 seasons of the show in its streaming library at this time.
- IMDb TV: IMDb TV offers ad-supported free streaming of seasons 1-14 of Criminal Minds for fans without a subscription streaming service.
- Amazon Prime Video: Prime members can purchase full seasons or single episodes of the series to stream on-demand. This is an a la carte option to watch Criminal Minds without paying for an entire service.
- Apple iTunes: Fans can also buy individual episodes or full seasons of Criminal Minds to own digitally on iTunes to watch on demand.
Criminal Minds Episode Availability by Season
The availability of full seasons of Criminal Minds varies across streaming platforms. Here is a breakdown of where each season is available to stream as of October 2023:
| Season | Paramount+ | Hulu | IMDb TV | Amazon Prime Video | iTunes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Purchase | Purchase |
| Season 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Purchase | Purchase |
| Season 3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Purchase | Purchase |
| Season 4 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Purchase | Purchase |
| Season 5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Purchase | Purchase |
| Season 6 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Purchase | Purchase |
| Season 7 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Purchase | Purchase |
| Season 8 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Purchase | Purchase |
| Season 9 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Purchase | Purchase |
| Season 10 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Purchase | Purchase |
| Season 11 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Purchase | Purchase |
| Season 12 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Purchase | Purchase |
| Season 13 | Yes | No | Yes | Purchase | Purchase |
| Season 14 | Yes | No | Yes | Purchase | Purchase |
| Season 15 | Yes | No | No | Purchase | Purchase |
| Season 16 | Yes | No | No | Purchase | Purchase |
As shown in the table, Paramount+ is currently the only streaming platform with the full 16 seasons of Criminal Minds available on demand. Hulu has the first 12 seasons, while seasons 1-14 are available ad-supported on IMDb TV. For any seasons not on a subscription platform, fans can pay to purchase them from Amazon Prime or iTunes to own digitally.
Options for Streaming Criminal Minds
In summary, here are the main options to stream the entire Criminal Minds series:
Subscribe to Paramount+
The ideal streaming solution for Criminal Minds fans is to subscribe to Paramount+. The service offers on-demand streaming access to all 326 episodes over 16 seasons of the show. Plans start at $4.99/month for the ad-supported Essential plan. The $9.99/month Premium plan has no ads. New users can also take advantage of a 1-week free trial of Paramount+ before paying.
Combine Hulu + Amazon/iTunes Purchases
Since Hulu has the first 12 seasons, fans could stream those with their subscription and then buy the last four seasons individually from Amazon or iTunes to complete their watch. This may be more affordable than signing up for another full streaming service.
IMDb TV Free Streaming + Purchases
IMDb TV offers free streaming of seasons 1-14 included in the IMDb app/site if you don’t mind ad interruptions. The remaining two seasons could then be purchased a la carte on Amazon Prime or iTunes.
One-Time Digital Purchase on iTunes or Amazon
Diehard Criminal Minds fans who plan to rewatch the series could consider making a one-time digital purchase of all 16 seasons on iTunes or Amazon Prime Video. This comes out to $200-300 cost, but gives permanent on demand access like owning the DVDs.
Conclusion
After 15 years on the air, Criminal Minds built up an extensive catalog of episodes for its loyal fandom to revisit anytime. While newer seasons have left some streaming platforms, every season is still available either through subscription services like Paramount+ and Hulu or by purchasing them as VOD on Prime Video and iTunes. With multiple options to access all 16 seasons, it’s easier than ever for fans to dive back into binge watching this network crime drama from beginning to end.