As The Sopranos celebrates its 25th anniversary, HBO is the one giving a gift to fans of the show, as well as those who never had the chance to watch the acclaimed crime drama. Right now, anyone with an internet connection can watch The Sopranos' first two episodes for free on YouTube.
The Sopranos premiered on HBO on Sunday, January 10, 1999. The series was created by David Chase and starred James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, a New Jersey mob boss that deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business, ultimately leading him to see a psychologist. In addition to Gandolfini the series starred Edie Falco, Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Robert Iler, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Steven Van Zandt, Tony Sirico, Steve Schirripa and more.
Running for eight seasons, The Sopranos is widely considered one of the greatest TV shows of all time (it ranks at no. 2 in What to Watch's 100 best TV shows of all time list). It won 21 Emmys, including two Outstanding Drama Series trophies, and was a key contributor to the reputation of HBO being the home of some of the most prestigious TV around.
Of course, being on HBO meant that it has not always been available to all viewers. You had to have the cable service to watch the original run of the series and since then it has only been available to watch on-demand in the US via HBO's streaming services, the most recent of which is Max. That didn't stop it from becoming a cultural touchstone though, whether it was the iconic theme music to the iconic (but for many infuriating) cut to black in the series finale.
While you're still going to need a subscription to Max to watch the entirety of The Sopranos, if you've never seen the show before the barrier of entry is now an internet connection with the first two episodes available on YouTube.
Here's the synopsis and links for the episodes:
The Sopranos season 1 episode 1, "Pilot"
"After suffering anxiety attacks, New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano agrees to see a psychiatrist."
The Sopranos season 1 episode 2, "46 Long"
"With the family's boss Jackie Aprile deathly ill, Tony prepares to get into a power struggle with Uncle Junior."
In addition to all seasons of The Sopranos, Max also has curated a special 25th anniversary section for the show with quick access to memorable episodes, never-before-seen deleted footage and expanded access to behind-the-scenes content. The streamer also has the prequel movie, The Many Saints of Newark, that saw James Gandolfini's son, Michael Gandolfini, play the teenage version of Tony Soprano.
This isn't the first time that HBO/Max have put some of their TV episodes on YouTube for free. They recently did it with the series premiere of The Gilded Age in advance of The Gilded Age season 2 premiere.
If YouTube isn't your thing, HBO announced they are launching an @Sopranos account on TikTok, where it'll show each episode in 25 second clips. Also, select cable partners' free on-demand platforms will carry episodes of The Sopranos if you prefer a more old-school method.
