How to Fix NordVPN Not Working with BT Sport [Step-by-Step]

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nordvpn not working with bt sport

BT Sport provides an excellent streaming platform for major sports like soccer, UFC, boxing, and the NBA. However, its content is geo-blocked to anyone outside the UK.

If you are a sports fan in Europe or the US you’ve probably tried using NordVPN to unblock BT Sport in your region, but it isnโ€™t always successful. 

If youโ€™re receiving errors saying content isnโ€™t available in your country or it simply wonโ€™t stream, there are several things you can do.

Why is NordVPN not working with BT Sport?

There are multiple reasons why NordVPN might not be working for BT Sport. The primary cause is your real location being leaked or BT recognizing youโ€™re using a VPN, which is against its terms of service. 

Other common issues include:

  • Blocked Servers โ€“ If youโ€™re receiving a TS-003 error code, this means youโ€™re connected to a blacklisted server and BT Sport knows youโ€™re using NordVPN.
  • DNS leaks โ€“ This happens when requests are sent to your ISP, even when the VPN is connected, which can reveal your real IP address and location.
  • IPv6 โ€“ Some VPNs fail to encrypt traffic or experience intermittent leaks when using IPv6.
  • WebRTC leaks โ€“ Using in-browser video or audio conferencing while streaming BT Sport could lead to a WebRTC leak, which exposes your real IP address.
  • Cookies โ€“ If youโ€™ve accidentally signed into BT Sport while not connected to NordVPN, BT might still recognize cookies linked to your real location.
  • GPS โ€“ Your location can be discovered when using a mobile device via location services or GPS.

How to fix NordVPN not working with BT Sport

Now, letโ€™s take a look at the best ways to solve this issue:

1. Change the server

By default, NordVPN will quickly connect to the fastest server in the UK based on your location. 

If the default one has been blacklisted by BT Sport, youโ€™ll need to manually select another UK server:

  1. Open NordVPN and use the arrow to expand the location options.
nordvpn quick connect uk server
  1. Pick the UK and click the three dots to display all the available locations.
  1. Choose a different city in the UK and the VPN will automatically connect.
  1. Log back into BT Sport and check the results.

2. Fix a DNS leak

NordVPN uses its own DNS servers and does a good job of preventing leaks. However, if youโ€™ve set up your VPN manually, itโ€™s possible youโ€™ve made an error along the way.

To check if thatโ€™s the case, simply go to DNSLeakTest.com and if it displays your real IP address, a DNS leak is occurring.

NordVPN works best if you use one of its apps for desktop, mobile, Smart TV, or browser.

3. Disable IPv6

While IPv6 is the newest internet protocol, IPv4 is still the most widely used. Therefore, itโ€™s not a problem to disable it to prevent leaks. 

Hereโ€™s how to do it on different devices:

Windows

windows 10 network & internet settings
  1. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Status.
  1. Select Change adapter options, right-click your current adapter, and choose Properties.
windows 10 ipv6 settings
  1. Uncheck the box that says Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) and click OK.

macOS

  1. Go to System preferences > Network.
  1. Select your desired network and click Advanced.
macos advanced network settings
  1. Click the TCP/IP tab and under the Configure IPv6 drop-down menu, select Link-local only.
  1. Click OK and restart your connection.

Android

  1. Go to Settings > Connections > Mobile networks > Access Point Names.
android mobile data settings
  1. Select your mobile carrier and scroll down to APN Protocol.
android network settings apn protocol
  1. Select IPv4 only.

4. Stop a WebRTC leak

You can disable WebRTC in your browser settings or with an extension, depending on which app you use: 

Chrome

  1. Install the WebRTC Leak Prevent extension.
  1. The Advanced options will automatically appear.
chrome webrtc leak prevent
  1. Under the IP handling policy dropdown menu, select Disable non-proxied UDP (force proxy).

Safari

safari preferences advanced settings
  1. Go to Preferences and open the Advanced tab.
  1. Check the box for Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  1. Open the new Develop tab on the main menu and go to Experimental Features.
safari experimental features develop menu
  1. Make sure WebRTC mDNS ICE is disabled.

Firefox

  1. Type about:config into your address bar and load the page.
  1. Agree to Accept the Risk and Continue. 
  1. Click Show All to get a list of all the settings.
  1. To quickly find the correct option, type media.peerconnection.enabled into the search bar at the top.
firefox about:config settings
  1. On the far right, use the toggle button to set it to False.

Microsoft Edge

  1. Type about:flags into the address bar.
microsoft edge hide my local ip address over webrtc connections
  1. Scroll down and ensure Hide my local IP address over WebRTC connections is turned on.

You canโ€™t always prevent a WebRTC leak, so the best option is not to use WebRTC while streaming BT Sport. This includes any video/audio calling app or similar in-browser feature.

5. Clear cookies

If BT Sport has managed to link any cookies with your real location, youโ€™ll need to delete them and sign back in with the VPN active.

Hereโ€™s how to do it, depending on your browser:

Chrome

  1. Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
chrome privacy and security settings
  1. Scroll down and click See all site data and permissions.
chrome delete bt sport cookies
  1. Locate BT Sport through the search bar and click the Bin icon next to the relevant data.

Safari

  1. Go to Safari > Settings > Privacy.
  1. Click Manage Website Data.
  1. Scroll down or search for BT Sport and click remove.

Firefox

  1. Go to Preferences > Settings > Privacy & Security.
  1. Scroll to the Cookies and Site Data section and click Manage Data.
  1. Use the search function to find BT Sport and remove any cookies.

Microsoft Edge

  1. Click the three dots and go to Settings > Cookies and site permissions.
  1. Click Cookies and site data, then See all cookies and site data.
  1. Locate BT Sport and click the Bin icon next to the relevant data.

6. Turn off GPS

If you must use a mobile device to stream BT Sport, having your GPS on may reveal your true location.

Hereโ€™s how to turn it off on Android and iOS.

Android

  1. Go to Settings > Location.
  1. Toggle Access my location off.
android access my location off
  1. Or tap the second Location button and swipe down to the BT Sport app to revoke its permissions.

iOS

  1. Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
ios location services turned on
  1. Toggle it off or select the BT Sport app to revoke its permissions.

NordVPN still not working with BT Sport?

If youโ€™ve followed the above steps and NordVPN is still not working with BT Sport, it may be time to switch to another VPN provider. 

Here are our top 3 picks:

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN consistently ranks number one in leak tests. By default, it blocks any DNS request that isnโ€™t to its own DNS servers. 

Moreover, your IP is never revealed when using WebRTC. 

You can even turn off IPv6 within the VPN app, instead of having to disable it through your systemโ€™s settings. 

Just go to Advanced options and check the Prevent IPv6 box.

expressvpn advanced options

ExpressVPN offers four locations in the UK, with multiple servers for each. This lets you easily unblock BT Sport if youโ€™re located elsewhere.  

ExpressVPN

Stream BT Sport from anywhere with ExpressVPNโ€™s world-class leak prevention features.

Private Internet Access 

Private Internet Access (PIA) is another VPN with strong leak protection. It uses a kill switch to shut down all internet requests if you lose connection to the VPN.

Furthermore, its multi-hop feature routes your traffic through an additional proxy, which prevents BT Sport from discovering youโ€™re using a VPN.

Making it seem like youโ€™re in the UK is easy via servers in London, Manchester, and Southampton.

Private Internet Access

Spoof your location and enjoy BT Sports wherever you are with PIAโ€™s advanced obfuscation features.

CyberGhost

Like ExpressVPN, CyberGhost does a great job at preventing leaks and has the option to disable all IPv6 connections from within the app.

It offers regular UK servers in London, Manchester, and Berkshire. But it also has eight UK servers optimized for streaming Netflix, SkyGo, ITV, and BBC iPlayer. 

While it doesnโ€™t have one for BT Sport, the regular and optimized servers still work well with the platform.  

CyberGhost

Unlock unlimited access to BT Sport and enjoy the highest quality with CyberGhostโ€™s streaming-optimized servers.

Wrap up

You can fix NordVPN not working with BT Sport by changing servers, clearing your cookies, or being mindful of leaks. The trick is to make sure youโ€™re using a server that isnโ€™t blocked and ensuring BT doesnโ€™t know youโ€™re using a VPN.

However, if you still arenโ€™t having any luck, the likes of ExpressVPN have superior leak protection and fast UK servers.

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