Queen Sugar is an American drama television series created and executive produced by Ava DuVernay. The series is based on the novel of the same name by Natalie Baszile. Queen Sugar follows the lives and struggles of the estranged Bordelon siblings in Louisiana after a family tragedy forces them to unite to keep the family’s sugarcane farm alive.
Quick Answer
There are a few options for watching Queen Sugar free or at a low cost:
- Stream on Hulu (with ads) – Hulu has the first 5 seasons of Queen Sugar available to stream for free with ads to Hulu subscribers.
- Check your local library – Many libraries offer DVDs of TV shows that you can check out for free. See if your library has Queen Sugar DVDs.
- Free trial of Hulu Live TV or YouTube TV – These live TV streaming services offer free trials, so you can watch Queen Sugar for free for the duration of the trial.
- Purchase episodes/seasons – You can buy digital episodes or seasons of Queen Sugar from retailers like Amazon, Google Play or iTunes.
Where to Stream Queen Sugar
Here are the main options for streaming Queen Sugar online:
Hulu
Hulu has the rights to stream the first 5 seasons of Queen Sugar in the United States. The first 5 seasons are available to stream on-demand for Hulu subscribers. Hulu offers an ad-supported plan for $7.99/month that will allow you to watch Queen Sugar for free with ads.
Hulu + Live TV
Queen Sugar airs on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), so you can also watch new episodes live or on-demand by getting Hulu + Live TV. This service costs $69.99/month but does offer a 7-day free trial so you can try it out for free.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV is another live TV streaming service that carries OWN. YouTube TV costs $64.99/month but also offers a free trial, so you can watch Queen Sugar for free for a limited time.
Amazon Prime Video
Past seasons of Queen Sugar are available for purchase on Amazon Prime Video. You can buy full seasons in SD, HD or 4K for $14.99-$24.99 per season. If you have an Amazon Prime membership already, purchasing seasons may be the most cost effective option.
Google Play
You can purchase episodes or full seasons of Queen Sugar to stream through Google Play. Price per episode is $2.99 (SD) or $3.99 (HD), with full seasons running $19.99 (SD) or $29.99 (HD).
iTunes
Queen Sugar is also available for purchase on iTunes. Episodes are priced at $2.99 (SD) or $3.99 (HD), and full seasons at $19.99 (SD) or $29.99 (HD).
Watch Queen Sugar Free on Cable Networks
Since Queen Sugar airs on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), you can watch new episodes for free if you have a cable package that includes OWN.
Here are some options for watching OWN without having to pay for a full cable package:
- Sling TV’s Lifestyle Extra package ($6/month) includes OWN.
- Philo ($25/month) includes OWN in its channel lineup.
- FuboTV ($69.99/month) offers OWN in its base package.
Each of these live TV streaming services offer free trials for first time subscribers, so you could potentially watch Queen Sugar for free for a short time.
Watch for Free on Locast
Locast is a nonprofit service that streams local broadcast stations over the internet for free. It’s available in over 35 US media markets. If you’re located in one of Locast’s markets, you can stream OWN live and watch Queen Sugar without paying.
Use an Over-the-Air Antenna
If you have an over-the-air (OTA) antenna hooked up to your TV, you should be able to receive OWN for free and watch Queen Sugar as it airs. OWN is included in most channel lineups of major broadcast networks. An antenna provides completely free access to broadcast TV.
Check Your Local Library
Many public libraries offer DVD collections that patrons can check out for free. See if your local library has DVDs of past seasons of Queen Sugar available. With a library card, you can watch Queen Sugar 100% free by checking out the DVDs from the library.
Use a Free Trial of a Streaming Service
Most major streaming platforms like Hulu, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling TV, FuboTV and others offer free trials for new subscribers. You can take advantage of these free trials to watch Queen Sugar for free before your trial period ends.
Just remember to cancel your subscription before you’re charged if you don’t want to continue the service.
Wait for It to Come to Netflix/Hulu
Often, hit shows will make their way to Netflix or Hulu’s on-demand libraries a few years after airing live on cable. Seasons 1-5 of Queen Sugar were added to Hulu in 2020. There’s a chance future seasons could come to Hulu or Netflix down the road.
Comparison of Ways to Watch Queen Sugar Free
Here is a table summarizing the different methods for watching Queen Sugar for free or cheap:
| Method | Cost | Free Trial? | Watch Current Season? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hulu (with ads) | $7.99/month | No | No – Only Seasons 1-5 |
| Hulu Live TV | $69.99/month | Yes (7 days) | Yes |
| YouTube TV | $64.99/month | Yes | Yes |
| Sling TV | $6/month (Lifestyle Extra) | Yes | Yes |
| Philo | $25/month | Yes (7 days) | Yes |
| FuboTV | $69.99/month | Yes (7 days) | Yes |
| Locast | Free | N/A | Yes |
| OTA antenna | Free | N/A | Yes |
| Library DVDs | Free | N/A | Only past seasons |
When Will Queen Sugar Leave Hulu?
Currently, there is no scheduled date for when Queen Sugar will be leaving Hulu. Hulu has an ongoing deal with OWN to be the exclusive streaming home for many of their shows.
It’s likely Queen Sugar will remain available to stream on Hulu for the foreseeable future. However, content licenses can change over time. We’ll have to wait and see if Hulu retains the rights to Queen Sugar in future years or if the show ends up on a different streaming platform.
How to Watch Queen Sugar on OWN Without Cable
Queen Sugar airs on OWN, which is typically included in most cable packages. However, there are a few ways to get access to OWN without a full cable subscription:
Streaming Services
As mentioned earlier, streaming services like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Philo and FuboTV all include OWN in their channel packages and can be used to watch Queen Sugar. These services offer free trials for new users.
Locast
If Locast offers OWN in your media market, you can stream it for free on their platform.
OTA Antenna
An over-the-air antenna can pick up OWN’s broadcast signal so you can watch live on your TV for free.
When Will Queen Sugar Season 6 Be on Hulu?
Queen Sugar season 6 premiered on OWN on September 7, 2021 and finished airing on November 16, 2021.
Typically, streaming services like Hulu add new seasons of shows within a few weeks to a few months after the finale airs on TV.
Based on Hulu’s previous timing, we can estimate that Queen Sugar season 6 will likely be added to Hulu sometime in early-mid 2022. The exact date is not yet known, but new seasons usually come to Hulu before the next season airs on cable, so fans can catch up.
Hulu has exclusive streaming rights to Queen Sugar, so season 6 is expected to arrive there first before any other platforms. We’ll have to wait for official word from Hulu on the season 6 release date.
Is Queen Sugar on Netflix?
Queen Sugar is not currently available to stream on Netflix. The streaming rights are exclusive to Hulu in the United States.
Seasons 1-5 are streaming on Hulu right now. There’s a possibility Queen Sugar could be added to Netflix in the future after the Hulu deal expires, but no concrete info is available yet.
For viewers in other countries, Queen Sugar may be available on different platforms. But in the US, Hulu is the only option for streaming past seasons and new episodes unless you watch live on OWN via cable or a streaming service.
How to Watch Queen Sugar for Free on OWN
OWN is a cable network, so watching for free legally does require some creativity. Here are a few methods to watch OWN and Queen Sugar without paying:
- Locast – Stream OWN for free on Locast if it’s available in your city.
- OTA antenna – Get OWN over-the-air with an antenna.
- Streaming service free trial – Take advantage of a free trial of Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, or other services with OWN.
- Borrow login credentials – Use a login from a friend or family member’s cable account to access the OWN app.
- OWN website – You can watch some limited content for free on the OWN website.
Aside from those options, there is no authorized way to stream Queen Sugar for free on OWN at this time unless you have a login for a cable provider or streaming service that includes OWN.
Can I Watch Queen Sugar on the OWN App for Free?
The OWN app and OWN.com allow you to watch some limited content for free without logging in. However, most of their content requires you to verify a pay TV provider.
To get full access to all episodes of Queen Sugar using the OWN app or website, you will need to log in with credentials from a cable, satellite or live TV streaming service provider that includes OWN in its channel lineup. These include providers like:
- AT&T TV
- Cox
- DirecTV
- Dish Network
- Hulu + Live TV
- Optimum
- Spectrum
- Verizon Fios
- Xfinity
- YouTube TV
So unfortunately there is no way to gain full free access to Queen Sugar on the OWN app itself without borrowing credentials from a pay TV provider.
How Many Seasons of Queen Sugar Are There?
As of October 2022, there are currently 6 seasons of Queen Sugar available.
Here are the season details:
| Season | Premiere Date | Finale Date | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | September 6, 2016 | November 29, 2016 | 13 |
| Season 2 | June 20, 2017 | August 22, 2017 | 16 |
| Season 3 | June 12, 2018 | August 14, 2018 | 13 |
| Season 4 | June 12, 2019 | August 14, 2019 | 13 |
| Season 5 | September 7, 2021 | November 16, 2021 | 10 |
| Season 6 | September 7, 2021 | November 16, 2021 | 10 |
The show has been renewed for a 7th season by OWN expected to premiere in 2023.
Conclusion
Queen Sugar has many devoted fans who don’t want to miss new episodes each season. Luckily, there are options to watch for free or cheap even without a cable subscription. Hulu offers full past seasons with ads to subscribers, while services like YouTube TV and Locast allow you to tune into OWN live. And purchasing episodes or seasons digitally can be a cost-effective way to catch up as well. Diehard fans of the Bordelon family saga have plenty of methods to make sure they don’t miss a moment of the drama!