Why Did Rizzoli and Isles Get Removed from Max?

Popular crime drama Rizzoli & Isles was recently removed from Max, and fans are very upset.

By Nathan Johnson Posted:
Rizzoli and Isles, Max logo

Many fans do not understand why Rizzoli & Isles was suddenly removed from the Max streaming service library.

First premiering on TNT in 2010 and running until 2016, Rizzoli & Isles was an episodic crime drama that followed a detective and a chief medical examiner as they solved crimes in Boston, Massachusetts.

Before its removal, Max was the only place to stream the show at no additional cost.

Why Max Removed Rizzoli & Isles

Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander as Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles in Rizzoli & Isles
TNT

On June 30, many noticed that Rizzoli & Isles was mysteriously no longer available to stream on Max.

Those familiar with the way streaming services work will know that they tend to cycle content to and from the platforms fairly regularly, and, despite its popularity, Rizzoli & Isles was no exception.

The show was part of Max's content removal process and just happened to be taken off of the streaming service on June 30 alongside many other big titles such as Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars.

It is important to note that streaming services come to certain agreements with distributors and other parties for films and TV shows to be added to those services, and, by removing them after a certain amount of time, the streaming services can avoid residual payments and licensing fees.

So, Max likely saw Rizzoli & Isles as a show that would not make as much money as it would cost them to keep it on the platform, resulting in it and other titles getting removed on June 30.

Where Can Fans Watch Rizzoli & Isles?

As of writing, Rizzoli & Isles is not available on any streaming service since its removal from Max.

However, it can be purchased on digital platforms such as Amazon Prime Video. On that platform, each season will currently cost an Amazon accountholder anywhere from $14.99 USD to $29.99 USD, but those prices could go up since some seasons are on sale.

It is important to note that the show is available to stream at no additional charge on Prime Video in other areas such as the UK, so it would be able to be accessed in the United States if a Prime Video subscriber used a VPN.

A VPN is a tool that allows the user to change their IP address to appear in other territories around the world. Some popular VPNs include NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark, but each of those cost money.

However, if one were to be installed on a laptop or smartphone, the user would simply have to change their IP address to the UK, which would then allow them to stream Rizzoli & Isles on Prime Video.

Of course, another potential option for fans to be able to watch Rizzoli & Isles is to find physical DVD copies of each season.


Read more about other projects on the Max streaming service:

The Dragons of House of the Dragon: Visual Guide to Every Dragon and Their Rider (Photos)

Full Cast of Hacks Season 3 Episode 9 (Season Finale) - Every Main Character & Actor Who Appears (Photos)

Big Little Lies Season 3 Gets Exciting Update: When Will It Release?

Who Are Rhaenyra Targaryen's Children? Fathers & Family Tree In House of the Dragon Season 2

- About The Author: Nathan Johnson
Nathan is a writer at The Direct where he covers Star Wars, the MCU, and DC news. He joined The Direct in April 2021 and currently writes news and feature articles about all three brands mentioned above, but his main specialty is his knowledge about anything and everything Star Wars.