the hunting party becomes a streaming sensation — why now is the perfect time to start
Rebecca “Bex” Henderson’s new case files have found a massive second life online. The Hunting Party, an FBI procedural that premiered on broadcast television in January 2025, has just landed on a major streaming service in the United States and is already climbing viewing charts. With season 1 now fully available and season 2 underway, the timing is ideal for new viewers to catch up.
How the show reached a wider audience
The Hunting Party centers on a former FBI profiler, Rebecca “Bex” Henderson, played by Melissa Roxburgh, who is pulled back into active duty to lead an elite task force. The team’s mission: track down the nation’s most dangerous criminals after a catastrophic breakout from a secret prison known as The Pit. The plot mixes episodic manhunts with a larger serialized mystery tied to a particular escaped serial killer Bex once put behind bars.
Season 1, a compact 10-episode run that first aired on January 19, 2025 (ET), has now been made available on a prominent streaming service in the U. S. as of February 15, 2026 (ET). The move has amplified viewership rapidly. The series currently sits among the top-streamed shows on the service, and audience reception has been strong; it holds an 83% audience score on a major review aggregator. That combination of critical momentum and fresh accessibility explains why the series is experiencing renewed attention weeks after its original broadcast run.
What new viewers should know before jumping in
Season 1 is lean and plot-driven, designed for fast consumption. Episodes build quickly around single-case investigations while advancing the season’s broader conspiracy thread. That structure makes it easy to binge the first season in a weekend, but the show also rewards attention to detail: recurring characters and small revelations in early episodes become important later.
Melissa Roxburgh anchors the series with a performance that balances analytical calm and personal stakes. The dynamic within Bex’s task force—an elite, often fractious squad of specialists—provides much of the show’s energy. The escaped inmates present a rotating roster of threats, so viewers get procedural variety alongside a sustained chase that ties the season together.
For those short on time, the first two episodes establish the core mystery and the stakes rapidly. From there, pacing remains brisk and cliffhangers are frequent, which helps explain the show’s quick adoption among streaming audiences who favor momentum-driven thrillers.
Where the series stands as season 2 returns
The series was renewed for a second season in mid-2025, and season 2 began airing in January 2026 (ET). As of this writing, four of the scheduled 13 episodes have aired, with the next episode set to premiere on February 26 (ET) on the broadcast network that carries the series. That makes the present window an opportune time for newcomers to finish season 1: they can catch up before the serialized plot resumes with new installments.
Industry observers point to the dual-platform exposure—initial broadcast run followed by a streaming release—as a major driver of the series’ current surge. Making a tightly produced procedural available to a broader, on-demand audience can quickly turn a modest broadcast performer into a streaming hit, and The Hunting Party appears to be benefitting from that model.
Whether you’re drawn to tense manhunts, ensemble dynamics, or character-driven mysteries, now is a strategic moment to start the series. Season 1’s 10 episodes provide a complete introductory arc, and with season 2 unfolding weekly on broadcast television, viewers who get caught up will be ready when the new plot threads drop on February 26 (ET).
