Finding out what can you watch Criminal Minds on feels a bit like being a profiler yourself lately. You’re chasing leads, checking different platforms, and sometimes hitting a dead end because of some weird licensing deal that changed overnight. It’s annoying. You just want to see Reid ramble about statistics or watch Rossi cook pasta while a serial killer is on the loose.
The short answer? Paramount+ is the undisputed home of the BAU right now. But if you’re looking for specific seasons or you’re living outside the United States, things get a little more complicated.
The One-Stop Shop: Paramount+
Honestly, if you want the full experience without jumping between apps, Paramount+ is where you need to be. They have everything. We’re talking all 15 seasons of the original run that started back in 2005, plus the revival seasons.
Since the show moved from CBS to streaming, it’s basically become a Paramount+ Original. They’ve rebranded the new stuff as Criminal Minds: Evolution, which is technically Season 16 and beyond.
- Seasons 1-15: The "Classic" era. Gideon, Hotch, Morgan—they're all there.
- Seasons 16-18: The Evolution era. It’s darker, there’s more swearing, and the cases span the whole season.
- Season 19: This is currently in the works. Paramount+ renewed it early in 2025, and it’s the exclusive place to watch it once it drops.
If you have the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME plan, you can watch ad-free. If you're on the "Essential" tier, you’ll have to sit through a few commercials, but you still get the whole catalog.
What Happened to Netflix?
A lot of people still search for the show on Netflix because, for years, it was a staple there. It was actually one of the most-watched shows on the platform. But those days are gone. In mid-2022, Netflix lost the rights to the first 12 seasons, and eventually, the rest followed.
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As of early 2026, Criminal Minds is not on Netflix in the U.S.
It was a licensing thing. Once Paramount (which owns the show) decided to build up their own streaming service, they stopped playing nice with Netflix. They wanted all those "binge-watch" hours for themselves.
Watching on Hulu and Disney+
This is where it gets kind of weird. For a while, Hulu had a deal for the later seasons of the original run. Currently, you can still find some seasons of Criminal Minds on Hulu, but it’s rarely the "full" collection. Usually, it's seasons 13 through 15.
If you have the Disney Bundle, you might see the show pop up there too. This is mostly because of the integration between Hulu and Disney+.
International Fans
If you’re reading this from the UK, Canada, or Australia, your primary destination isn't actually Paramount+ in many cases—it’s Disney+. Under the "Star" banner, Disney+ carries the entire series internationally.
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It’s a bit of a legacy deal from when ABC Signature co-produced the show. So, while Americans have to head to Paramount, our friends across the pond can just fire up Disney and see the team head to Quantico.
Buying vs. Streaming
Sometimes you just don't want another monthly subscription. I get it. If you want to own the episodes so they never "expire" or move to a different app, you’ve got the usual suspects:
- Amazon Prime Video: You can buy individual episodes or full seasons.
- Apple TV: Good for high-def versions if you’re an iOS user.
- Vudu / Fandango at Home: They often have "complete series" bundles for a flat fee.
- Google TV: Still an option for those in the Android ecosystem.
Just a heads up: buying the "Complete Series" usually only includes the original 15 seasons. The Evolution seasons are often sold separately or kept exclusive to Paramount+ for a window of time.
What about the Spin-offs?
The Criminal Minds universe has two step-children: Suspect Behavior and Beyond Borders.
- Suspect Behavior (Forest Whitaker): This one only lasted 13 episodes. It's harder to find but occasionally pops up on Hulu or for purchase on Amazon.
- Beyond Borders (Gary Sinise): This lasted two seasons. You can usually find this on Paramount+ or for digital purchase.
Neither of these is strictly necessary to understand the main show, but if you're a completionist, you'll have to hunt a little harder for them than the main series.
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A Note on Cable and Live TV
If you still have a traditional cable package or a service like YouTube TV or Fubo, you can catch reruns constantly. ION Television is famous for running Criminal Minds marathons that last for 10 hours straight.
It's actually a great way to "passively" watch the show. You don't have to choose an episode; you just let the BAU take over your afternoon. WE tv also airs blocks of the show pretty frequently.
The Future: Season 19 and Beyond
The BAU isn't going anywhere. With Season 18 having wrapped up its run in mid-2025, the focus is now on Season 19. If you are trying to stay current, you must have Paramount+.
The show has changed quite a bit in the Evolution years. It's more of a serialized drama now than a "case of the week" procedural. Zach Gilford’s performance as Elias Voit has become a huge part of the new identity of the show, and that storyline is expected to continue evolving in the next batch of episodes.
Summary Checklist for 2026:
- United States: Paramount+ (Everything), Hulu (Select seasons), Amazon/Apple (Purchase).
- UK/Canada/Australia: Disney+ (Everything).
- Avoid: Netflix (It's not there anymore).
If you’re ready to start your binge, the best move right now is to check if you have a Paramount+ subscription through your mobile provider or a credit card perk—many offer it for free. Otherwise, grabbing a month of the ad-supported tier is the cheapest way to catch up on the Gold Star mystery and prepare for whatever UnSub the team faces next in Season 19.