How to watch Hacks in the UK, US and abroad
Your guide to watching Golden Globe-winning comedy drama Hacks
US TV series Hacks debuted to intense critical acclaim in May 2021, scooping up a handful of Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe. The show charts the working relationship between Las Vegas comedy doyenne Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and the young up-and-comer Ava (Hannah Einbinder). The former has stature but needs relevance, while the latter has relevance but needs stature. The result is a rollicking romp through the comedy scene, professional relationships and hustle culture.
The comedy drama was renewed for another season a month after it first aired, with the second season premiering on 12 May 2022 in the US. If this boisterous, intergenerational and deeply life-affirming show sounds up your street, read on for our guide on how and where to watch Hacks.
How to watch Hacks in the UK: Amazon Prime Video
Hacks is available to UK viewers on Amazon Prime Video, where the first season is currently available and the second is expected to arrive on 10 June 2022.
If you’re not already signed up, you can subscribe to Amazon Prime Video on its own for £5.99/mth, or £7.99/mth if you want the full suite of Prime goodies, including free next-day delivery. If you’re in for the (relative) long haul, a year-long subscription to Amazon Prime is just £79/yr, which equates to just £6.58/mth. That’s a great deal on an Expert Reviews recommended streaming service: we gave Amazon Prime Video a five-star review for its impressive reel of content, download functionality and reasonable subscription price.
Alternatively, if you’re not interested in a long-term subscription, Amazon offers a 30-day free trial, which can be cancelled at any time.
How to watch Hacks in the US: HBO Max
Meanwhile, US dwellers can watch Hacks on HBO Max, which is the exclusive host of the hit show stateside. HBO Max aired the first episode of the second season of Hacks on 12 May 2022, although UK viewers should note that there’s a transatlantic delay in releases (with the same episode not released until 10 June in the UK).
There are two tiers to HBO Max: ad-supported and ad-free. The former will cost $9.99/mth (or $99.99/yr, offering a similar bulk discount to Amazon Prime). The ad-free plan is more expensive at $14.99/mth or $149.99/yr.
How to watch Hacks wherever you are: VPNs
If you’re someone who wants to maintain access to their subscription services, but for whom travelling around a lot makes this near-impossible, a virtual private network (VPN) is just the ticket. Below are some of our favourite VPNs for streaming:
ExpressVPN: With its user-friendly interface, this intuitive software works with every major streaming service, and supports a spectrum of devices. It upholds a zero-log policy and prevents your ISP from monitoring you, but what’s more, it only stores session information in RAM – it’s never written into a hard disk, quashing concerns about servers being hacked.
NordVPN: If you’ve a need for speed, NordVPN is just the ticket. As our full five-star review notes, it offers more than enough speed for personal use. Mobile performance is pleasingly zippy too, plus Nord’s software supports split tunnelling, so you can set some apps to run through the VPN and others to go through your local ISP. Its handy ‘kill switch’ closes internet access if you’re accidentally disconnected from the VPN, a bonus feature of a pleasingly well-rounded security offering.