‘American Godfathers: The Five Families’ Free Stream: How to Watch a Three-Part Mafia Series

“American Godfathers: The Five Families,” a three-part, six-hour documentary series focusing on the rise and fall of the Mafia families, premieres today, Sunday, August 11, at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on the History Channel.

If you’ve cut ties with your cable provider but want to watch this show, you can do so for free on streaming services like DirecTV Stream and Frndly. Sling is another option, as it has promotional offers for new customers.

The first part, “Death of the Old Rules,” follows the American Mafia from its early days in the boroughs of New York City and how public violence, involvement in the drug trade and appearances at government hearings affected their operations and violated the Mafia’s code of honor, according to the History Channel.

In the second installment, “Rise of the New Dons,” airing Monday, August 12 at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, the show focuses on the conflict between the families’ old guard and a new generation of young, American-born mobsters willing to do anything to defy the bosses’ authority. It also takes aim at the long-established rules for fulfilling ambitions.

The final installment, “The Last Don,” airing Tuesday, August 13 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, explores how an aggressive law enforcement push to wipe out the Mafia forces the families to find truly creative ways to stay in business and out of prison.

The documentary is produced and narrated by Emmy Award-winning actor Michael Imperioli.

Here you can find more information about the streaming service options:

DirecTV Stream offers three plans after you try the free trial: Entertainment for $84.99; Choice for $98.99; and Ultimate for $109.99. It’s a no-commitment service that lets you enjoy live TV and on-demand local and national channels without having to commit to a contract.

Frndly offers live TV and streaming services, starting with the Basic Plan for $6.99 per month after enjoying a 7-day free trial. There are over 50 channels to watch, including A&E, Hallmark Channel, History Channel, Lifetime, QVC, Court TV, ION, and more. You have 72 hours of access to each show or movie after its first broadcast, can record multiple shows and movies at once, and stream recordings from any device. A Classic Plan costs $7.99 and a Premium Plan costs $9.99 and both include unlimited DVR storage.

Sling offers a Blue package for $20 for your first month ($40 thereafter) and an Orange package for the same price and deal. Get both the Blue and Orange packages, which cost $27.50 for your first month ($55 thereafter).

Kaylee Remington is the shopping and entertainment commerce reporter and metro reporter for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. Read her work online.