How to Watch Tulsa King: Your Streaming Options for Stallone's Crime Drama

Sylvester Stallone trading Rocky's boxing gloves for a capo's pinky ring might sound like the setup to a bad joke, but somehow Taylor Sheridan made it work brilliantly. When I first heard about Tulsa King, I'll admit I was skeptical—another aging action star trying to reinvent himself in prestige television? But after binging the entire first season in what I'm not proud to say was basically one sitting, I understood why everyone's been asking me how they can watch this show.

The streaming landscape has become a labyrinth of subscriptions, free trials, and regional restrictions that would make even Dwight "The General" Manfredi's mob connections seem straightforward by comparison. Finding where to watch a specific show shouldn't require a private investigator, yet here we are.

The Primary Streaming Home

Tulsa King lives exclusively on Paramount+, which makes sense given that it's a Paramount production. This isn't one of those shows that bounces around different platforms depending on your country—Paramount has kept this one close to home. The platform offers the show in all its glory, including behind-the-scenes content and cast interviews that honestly made me appreciate Stallone's comedic timing even more.

What's interesting about Paramount+'s approach is they release episodes weekly rather than dumping entire seasons at once. Old school? Maybe. But it actually builds anticipation in a way that reminds me of gathering around the TV back when appointment viewing was the only option. There's something to be said for having a week to digest each episode, especially with a show that packs as much into each hour as this one does.

Subscription Tiers and What You Actually Need

Paramount+ comes in two flavors, and this is where things get a bit annoying. The Essential plan runs $5.99 monthly and includes ads—yes, even during Tulsa King. The Premium tier at $11.99 gives you an ad-free experience plus your local CBS live stream and the ability to download episodes for offline viewing.

Here's my take: if you're just dipping your toes in to see what the fuss is about, the Essential plan works fine. The ads aren't terribly intrusive, though watching Dwight navigate Oklahoma's criminal underworld only to be interrupted by a commercial for laundry detergent does break the mood somewhat. But if you're planning to watch other Paramount+ content (1883 and Mayor of Kingstown come to mind), spring for Premium. The download feature alone saved my sanity during a recent cross-country flight.

Alternative Viewing Methods

Now, Paramount+ isn't available as a standalone service everywhere, which brings us to some workarounds. In certain regions, you might find Tulsa King available through Amazon Prime Video Channels. This basically means you're subscribing to Paramount+ through Amazon, which some people prefer since it keeps all their streaming in one place. The pricing remains the same, but the interface is different—and honestly, Amazon's search function works better than Paramount+'s native app.

Cable subscribers with certain packages might discover they already have access through their provider's streaming apps. Spectrum, Xfinity, and DirecTV customers should check their included streaming options—you might be pleasantly surprised.

The Free Trial Dance

Let's talk about something everyone does but nobody admits: the free trial shuffle. Paramount+ offers a 7-day free trial for new subscribers, which technically gives you enough time to watch all available episodes if you're dedicated. But here's where I'll save you some trouble—don't try to binge the entire series in a week. This show deserves better than that. The performances, particularly Stallone's surprisingly nuanced portrayal of a fish-out-of-water mobster, benefit from breathing room between episodes.

That said, if you're strategic about it, you could sign up for the trial when a season finale is approaching, catch up on the whole season, then decide if you want to continue. Just remember to set a calendar reminder to cancel if you decide it's not for you—these services count on our forgetfulness.

International Viewing Considerations

The international distribution of Tulsa King gets complicated, and frankly, it's a mess that reflects the fractured nature of global streaming rights. In Canada, the show airs on Paramount+ just like in the States. The UK and Australia also get it through Paramount+, though the release schedule sometimes lags behind the US by a day or two.

Some European countries have different arrangements entirely. In parts of Scandinavia, for instance, the show appears on SkyShowtime, a joint venture that sounds like a law firm but is actually a streaming service. The point is, you'll need to check what's available in your specific region, and the answer might surprise you.

Technical Requirements and Quality Considerations

Streaming quality matters more than ever with a show like Tulsa King, where the cinematography captures both the grit of mob life and the unexpected beauty of Oklahoma landscapes. Paramount+ streams up to 4K HDR on compatible devices with the Premium plan, though in my experience, the 4K content is limited and Tulsa King maxes out at 1080p for most users.

Internet speed becomes crucial here. You'll want at least 25 Mbps for smooth 4K streaming, though 1080p works fine with 5-10 Mbps. I learned this the hard way trying to watch on sketchy hotel WiFi—nothing ruins a dramatic scene quite like buffering right as Stallone delivers a punchline.

The Bundle Game

Here's where modern streaming gets clever, or annoying, depending on your perspective. Paramount+ is included in several bundle deals that might make more financial sense than a standalone subscription. The Disney Bundle, for instance, can include Paramount+ along with Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for a price that's less than subscribing to each individually.

Walmart+ members get Paramount+ Essential included with their membership, which is an odd pairing but hey, if you're already paying for Walmart's service, free streaming is free streaming. Some mobile carriers also bundle Paramount+ with certain unlimited plans. T-Mobile, for example, includes it with some of their packages, though these deals change frequently enough that what's true today might not be tomorrow.

Watching on Different Devices

The Paramount+ app is available pretty much everywhere—smart TVs, streaming sticks, game consoles, phones, tablets, and web browsers. But not all experiences are created equal. The Apple TV app, in my experience, offers the smoothest playback and best interface. The Roku version works well enough but feels clunkier. The web browser option is perfectly functional but lacks some features like easy episode navigation.

Mobile viewing deserves special mention because Paramount+ actually does this well. The app allows downloads for offline viewing (Premium tier only), and the video quality adjusts pretty seamlessly to your connection speed. Watching Dwight navigate Tulsa's underworld on a phone screen isn't ideal, but sometimes you take what you can get.

Is It Worth the Subscription?

This is the million-dollar question, isn't it? Tulsa King alone might not justify a permanent Paramount+ subscription for everyone, but the service has been building an impressive lineup of originals. If you're a fan of Taylor Sheridan's other work—Yellowstone, 1883, 1923—then it becomes a no-brainer. Add in Star Trek's new series, some solid true crime documentaries, and a surprisingly deep movie catalog, and the value proposition improves.

My personal approach? I subscribe when shows I want to watch are actively airing, then cancel during the off-season. Streaming services have made this easy enough that there's no reason to pay for something you're not using. Just keep track of what you're subscribed to—I once discovered I'd been paying for three different services I'd forgotten about for months.

Final Thoughts on Access

The beauty of Tulsa King is that it works on multiple levels—as a crime drama, a fish-out-of-water comedy, and a meditation on aging and relevance. Stallone brings a vulnerability to Dwight that I didn't expect, and the supporting cast, particularly Max Casella as Armand Truisi, creates a world that feels lived-in despite the sometimes absurd premises.

Getting access to the show shouldn't be complicated, but the current streaming ecosystem makes it more complex than necessary. Your best bet remains a Paramount+ subscription, whether standalone or bundled. The free trial gives you a risk-free way to test the waters, and the weekly release schedule means you're not missing out by joining mid-season.

What strikes me most about the streaming situation is how it mirrors the show's themes—an old-school guy trying to navigate a new world with different rules. Dwight Manfredi would probably have some choice words about needing three different apps and two passwords just to watch a TV show. But like Dwight adapting to Tulsa, we adapt to the streaming landscape we have, not the one we want.

Just remember to actually cancel those free trials if you don't want to continue. Unlike Dwight's protection racket, these subscriptions are entirely voluntary—even if they sometimes feel just as inevitable.

Authoritative Sources:

"Paramount+ Streaming Service Overview." Paramount Global, 2023. paramountplus.com/streaming

"Digital Entertainment Trends Report 2023." Deloitte Insights. www2.deloitte.com/insights/digital-entertainment

"Streaming Video Services Market Analysis." Federal Communications Commission, 2023. fcc.gov/media/streaming-video-services

Littleton, Cynthia. "The Business of Streaming: How Studios Navigate the New Distribution Landscape." Variety Intelligence Platform, 2023.

"Television Streaming Rights and International Distribution." Harvard Business Review, September 2023. hbr.org/2023/09/streaming-rights-distribution