The ever-popular television series Chicago Fire has roared back in the past year with a steamy, emotionally straining and explosive 11th season. The American drama follows the lives of firefighters, rescue personnel and paramedics of the fictional Firehouse 51 in the Chicago Fire Department. And the latest season has already thrown its fans for a loop with near-death encounters, missing characters and health scares.
The serial show was the first installment of the Chicago Franchise, sometimes referred to as One Chicago. All created by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas for NBC, Chicago Fire became so well-liked that the franchise went on to develop three more similar shows, all based in Chicago: Chicago P.D., Chicago Med and Chicago Justice.
All four shows capture the dramas, professional strains and personal tragedies that public service workers face on a daily basis in Chicago. Each show has been widely popular and maintained strong ratings for multiple seasons. On average, nearly 7 million people tune in each week, leading prime time in total viewers. Across each show, the franchise has produced more than 600 episodes within 30 television seasons.
Chicago Fire premiered in 2012 and kicked off its 11th season this past fall. The series opens with the death of a beloved, longtime firefighter, Andrew Darden. Lt. Matthew Casey (Jesse Spencer) and Lt. Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney) divide the firehouse and blame each other for their friend's death.
Whether you've followed the drama for all 11 seasons or want to jump in on the action now, there are a few ways to tune in to Chicago Fire. Here's how you can watch with or without cable:
Cable
Chicago Fire airs on NBC every Wednesday at 8 p.m. Central. After taking a typical holiday hiatus from airing new episodes, the 11th season returned with a punch at the beginning of January and will air new episodes through the spring.
If you have a cable subscription, you can also catch up on the entire series at NBC.com.
Peacock
If you don't have cable and completely rely on streaming, as many people do nowadays, don't fret! NBC also owns the streaming service Peacock. Though Chicago Fire once streamed on other platforms, NBC moved the show to its own streaming service when it debuted.
You can watch all previous seasons of Chicago Fire and any show from the One Chicago franchise with Peacock Premium at $4.99 a month. Or, if you don't want to wait a year for the latest season, you can pay $9.99 a month for Peacock Premium Plus and watch each new episode the day after it airs.
fuboTV/DirecTV Stream
fuboTV and DirecTV Stream are both online streaming platforms that you can typically access with a smart TV or a Roku device. Each offers free trials for new users to stream hundreds of channels, television shows and movies. Luckily, you can watch Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med on both of these sites.
If you've already used up your free trials on fuboTV or DirecTV Stream, subscriptions start at $74.99 and $64.99 a month, respectively.
YouTubeTV
You can also watch your favorite One Chicago shows on YouTubeTV. At $64.99 a month, you can get access to a number of on-demand movies, television shows and YouTube videos without ads. Currently, though, YouTubeTV only streams seasons 2-7 and 10-11 of Chicago Fire.
Or, you can also pay for full seasons and $1.99 for individual episodes on YouTube if you'd like to avoid paying for YouTubeTV.
Hulu
Chicago Fire used to stream on Hulu before NBC launched its own streaming service. While you can't watch the drama series on the regular Hulu subscription plan anymore, you can stream the entire show if you upgrade to Hulu + Live TV for $69.99 a month.
Amazon/Google Play
Prime Video and Google Play both have all 11 seasons of Chicago Fire, but it comes with a price. The show isn't included in Prime's or Google's regular subscription, so you have to purchase each individual season or episode. The cost for an entire season ranges between $29 and $35, or you can buy particular episodes for $1.99 each.
Vudu
Another online video store, Vudu, has seasons 1-8 of Chicago Fire ready to stream, but it's also at a cost. Each season costs between $29 and $35, or you can buy individual episodes for $1.99 each.
Chicago Fire has yet to be canceled or renewed for season 12. But based on its continued popularity, we're confident the entire slate of characters will be back in Firehouse 51 for another installment. But be sure to catch up on all the previous seasons.
READ MORE: Is Stella Leaving 'Chicago Fire'? Why Fans Are Worried About the Future of the Firehouse 51 Favorite
