Is ‘Black Sails’ Coming to Netflix? Star Toby Stephens Says ‘the More People Enjoy It, the Better’
Black Sails premiered 10 years ago today on Starz. The pirate drama built a strong fan base over the course of its four seasons, one that’s still singing its praises today. In December, it was said that Black Sails would stream on Netflix starting January 1, 2024. As of the time of publication, it’s still not available on the streamer, causing confusion among fans. But star Toby Stephens is excited by the prospect nonetheless.
Black Sails is a prequel set 20 years before the events of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel Treasure Island. It stars Stephens as Captain Flint, known throughout the West Indies for being the most brilliant, most feared of all the Golden Age pirates. It also stars Jessica Parker Kennedy as the sharp and seductive Max.
The actors continue the nautical theme as Poseidon and Medusa in Disney+’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, created by Black Sails‘ masterminds Jon Steinberg and Dan Shotz.
Netflix had a Black Sails page in December 2023 that said it would be available to stream on January 1. It was said to be coming to the platform in both the U.S. and the U.K. The series no longer comes up when you search for it on Netflix. Something similar happened with the hit ’90s sitcom Martin, which was supposed to land on Netflix on December 15 but is still yet to arrive. It seems like fans are in a waiting game to see if and when these shows will become available to stream on Netflix.
Fans feel Stephens’ performance in the series is one of the “most underrated performances in television.” For them and for Stephens, getting more eyes on the show would be a win.
“The more people that enjoy it, the better,” Stephens tells TV Insider. “What’s great is that it’s got such a dedicated fan base, which I love and it’s really nice for me. I still get people coming up to me, they’ll spot me and it’s that thing of going, ‘What are you doing here?’ Because it’s something that they obviously love, and they’re suddenly seeing this character standing in front of them, and they can’t quite believe it.”
“It’s become such a cult hit. The people who find it absolutely love it, and that’s wonderful,” Stephens continues. “But if it reaches a wider audience, I’m all for it. It’s great. The more people that get to see it and enjoy it and get to enjoy Jon Steinberg’s vision, the better.”
Black Sails can be streamed on Prime Video and Hulu, but only with the Starz add-ons on each of the apps. It can also be watched for free with ads on The Roku Channel. Fans can cut right to the chase and stream it on Starz’s streaming service as well.
Black Sails, Available now, Starz
