the hunting party: FBI Procedural Surges on U.S. Streaming Charts
Fresh off a network run, the hunting party has become a breakout streaming hit in the United States, drawing viewers with a fast-paced FBI procedural premise and character-driven suspense. The series’ first season is now widely available on a major streaming platform, and its renewed momentum arrives as season two continues to roll out on linear television.
Why viewers are tuning in now
The hunting party centers on Rebecca “Bex” Henderson, an ex-FBI profiler who is pulled back into service to lead an elite task force tasked with hunting down the nation’s most dangerous criminals. The inciting incident: a group of inmates escaped from a secret penitentiary known as The Pit, including Richard Harris, the first serial killer Bex ever put behind bars. That personal connection fuels a narrative that mixes serialized mystery with procedural case-of-the-week beats, making the show both bingeable and conversation-ready.
The series premiered on January 19, 2025 (ET) and later became available on a major streaming service in the United States on February 15, 2026 (ET). Since the streaming release, it has climbed into the top tier of the platform’s U. S. viewing chart, sitting near the very top. Early audience reactions are positive; the first season holds an 83% audience score on an established review aggregator, a figure that helps explain the swell in viewership.
What’s happening in season two
Having been renewed for a second season in May 2025, the hunting party returned to broadcast television with a larger story arc and expanded stakes. Season two began airing in January 2026 (ET) and has delivered a serialized throughline that deepens Bex’s investigation while introducing new threats connected to the escape from The Pit. As of this writing, four of thirteen episodes have been broadcast, and a new installment is scheduled for February 26 (ET).
The combination of an ongoing mystery, episodic captures, and the personal stakes surrounding Bex’s past crimes keeps momentum steady. The show’s structure allows new viewers to jump into single episodes without losing the larger plot, but dedicated viewers are rewarded with twists that build across episodes—one reason why catching up on season one feels timely for anyone following season two.
What this means for the series’ future
The hunting party’s arrival on a major streaming outlet expands its audience beyond the network that originally aired the show, exposing the title to millions of potential new viewers. That increased exposure often translates into stronger metrics for renewal and continuation, and the early streaming chart success is likely to bolster the creative team’s negotiating position for future seasons and international distribution deals.
Beyond ratings, the show’s mix of serialized plotting and procedural payoff appears to be resonating with fans who favor high-concept crime dramas. The central performance by Melissa Roxburgh as Bex anchors the series, providing an emotional throughline amid serial-killer chases and task-force dynamics. For viewers curious whether to start, season one’s compact ten-episode run makes for an easy weekend binge ahead of each weekly release in season two.
With season two already unfolding on television and season one newly available to stream, now is an opportune moment for audiences to catch up and join the conversation around the hunting party as it targets a bigger audience in 2026.
