You want to watch Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs tearing through the neon-soaked streets of 1980s Florida. I get it. The music, the pastel suits, the Ferraris—it’s a vibe that hasn't aged a day, even if the technology has. But if you’ve spent the last twenty minutes scrolling through Netflix or Max only to come up empty-handed, you aren’t alone.
Finding miami vice where to watch is weirdly complicated. Honestly, it’s a bit of a headache.
The Current Streaming Landscape for Crockett and Tubbs
As of early 2026, the situation is basically this: the show isn't sitting on a major "all-you-can-eat" subscription service. You won't find the original series on Netflix, Disney+, or Hulu right now. It pops up on Peacock occasionally because NBCUniversal owns the rights, but it’s notorious for vanishing without warning.
If you want to watch it right this second, you have three real options.
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- Digital Purchase (The "I Want It Now" Method): Apple TV (formerly iTunes), Amazon Prime Video, and Fandango at Home (Vudu) are your best bets. You can usually grab the "Complete Series" bundle for somewhere between $30 and $60.
- Free Ad-Supported Streaming (FAST): This is where it gets interesting. Platforms like Pluto TV and Tubi often carry the show, but there’s a catch. On Pluto TV, it usually runs on a "Live" channel—think of it like old-school cable. You watch whatever episode is playing. Tubi has had it on-demand in the past, but licensing is a revolving door. One week it's there; the next, it's gone.
- Physical Media (The Purist Route): Most die-hard fans on Reddit and dedicated forums like MiamiViceOnline swear by the Blu-ray box set from Mill Creek. It's the only way to guarantee you won't lose access when a licensing deal expires.
The Music Licensing Nightmare
Why is it so hard to find? It’s the music.
Jan Hammer’s iconic score is one thing, but the show used massive hits from Phil Collins, U2, and Glenn Frey. Those licenses were signed for broadcast TV in the '80s. Nobody was thinking about "streaming rights" back then. Every time a new platform wants to host the show, lawyers have to figure out if they can still play "In the Air Tonight" without getting sued into oblivion.
What About the 2006 Movie and the New Reboot?
Don't confuse the series with the 2006 Michael Mann film starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx. That movie is much easier to find and is currently streaming on several platforms, including Hulu and sometimes Netflix. It's dark, gritty, and great, but it’s not the pastel-and-neon show you remember.
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Also, keep your eyes on 2027. Universal has officially greenlit a new Miami Vice movie directed by Joseph Kosinski (the guy who did Top Gun: Maverick). It’s supposed to be a period piece set back in the '80s. Because of this, there’s a good chance NBC will bring the original series back to a major streamer later this year to build hype.
Watching in High Definition
If you’re watching on a 4K OLED TV, the standard definition versions on some streaming sites look... well, they look like they were filmed on a potato.
The digital versions on Apple TV are generally the best quality you can get without buying a physical disc. They are "remastered" in HD, which cleans up the film grain and makes those teal jackets really pop. Just a heads-up: occasionally, an episode might be missing or edited due to—you guessed it—music rights issues. The legendary episode "Evan" from Season 1 has a history of being a bit elusive on digital platforms.
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Actionable Steps to Start Watching
If you're ready to dive back into the world of undercover busts and speedboats, here is how you should proceed.
- Check Pluto TV first. It’s free. Search for the "Universal Action" channel or a dedicated Miami Vice channel. It costs you nothing but a few minutes of ads.
- Search JustWatch or Reelgood. These sites track live streaming availability. Since licenses change monthly, a quick search for "miami vice where to watch" on these platforms will tell you if it moved to a service you already pay for.
- Buy the Digital Bundle on a Holiday. Apple and Amazon frequently drop the price of the complete 5-season series to $19.99 during big sales. If you see it at that price, grab it. It’s cheaper than two months of a standard streaming sub.
- Invest in the Blu-rays. If you are a completionist, the Mill Creek Blu-ray set is the only way to ensure you have all 111 episodes with the original soundtracks intact.
Stop hunting through menus. If it's not on Pluto TV for free today, your most reliable move is to buy the series on Apple TV and keep it forever.