7 Best VPNs to Watch UK TV Abroad in 2024 [Free and Paid]
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British channels such as BBC, Sky Go, ITV, NowTV, and others are geo-restricted in many locations, including the USA, Australia, Spain, UAE, Canada, France, and New Zealand.
However, if you use a VPN you can replace your real IP address with a British IP. This will make it seem you’re browsing from within the country and grant you access to UK TV platforms.
Access content across the globe at the highest speed rate.
70% of our readers choose Private Internet Access
70% of our readers choose ExpressVPN
Browse the web from multiple devices with industry-standard security protocols.
Faster dedicated servers for specific actions (currently at summer discounts)
Can I watch UK TV from any country legally?
Yes, you can. Using a VPN to bypass geo-restrictions is not illegal.
The platforms restrict access, but cannot take legal action against people that use VPNs to get past the blocks.
That being said, using a VPN for any purpose, not only to watch British TV from countries where VPNs are banned is punishable by law.
Luckily, there are VPNs that are untraceable which you can use in such regions without getting in trouble.
How can I watch UK TV abroad?
- Decide on a VPN client and get a subscription. We use Private Internet Access because it has 4 different server locations in the UK, some of which are optimized for streaming.
- Install the VPN client to your device and log in with your credentials.
- Open the VPN app and click on VPN Server.
- Type UK in the search bar and you’ll get a list with all UK server locations. Connect to one of them. We picked London-streaming optimized.
Now you will be able to bypass geo-blocks and watch British TV abroad as if you were browsing from inside the country.
What are the best VPNs to watch UK TV out of the country?
1. Private Internet Access – best overall
User-friendly, extremely fast, and secure, Private Internet Access from Kape Technologies has all chances to win you over.
PIA has server locations in London, Manchester, and Southhampton. Additionally, along, with these regular VPN servers, it has specialized streaming-optimized servers in London.
This makes it a great choice for watching UK TV from abroad because you have plenty of options to choose from. Plus, you can switch between servers as much as you want, without limitations.
Additionally, Private Internet Access uses industry-leading AES-256-bit encryption to make sure none of your traffic data is visible to trackers.
On top of that, it has a security killswitch which stops all traffic if you lose connection. This means you won’t leak your real location even if your VPN stops for a couple of seconds,
All PIA’s servers have unlimited bandwidth, so no worries about running out. That along with the fact that it has the PIA MACE adblocker feature makes it ideal for uninterrupted streaming.
Moreover, Private Internet Access is compatible with the most popular platforms. That includes Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and Android.
Along with its cross-platform dedicated apps, PIA also offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera.
Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access is your top VPN choice to watch British TV. Now available at a major discount!2. NordVPN – great UK server base
NordVPN is yet another privacy-focused VPN with up-to-date features that allow it to bypass strict geo-blocking on UK TV streaming sites.
It has over 400 servers in the UK, located in Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, and Manchester which gives you plenty of options to watch UK TV outside the UK.
In addition to that, they have over 5000 servers in 59 countries. This makes NordVPN a versatile choice if you want to use it to unlock sites outside the UK as well.
It’s also worth noting that NordVPN has a strict no-logs policy, meaning they don’t keep track of any of their subscriber’s online activities.
Moreover, NordVPN is headquartered in Panama which doesn’t have any data-retention laws. This means they won’t be forced by the authorities to log or share any of your data.
Another thing NordVPN uses to protect this data is the AES-256-GCM encryption algorithm. Thanks to it, your queries and history become undecipherable.
We must also mention that NordVPN has a clear interface, which you can easily use to enable its advanced features like the obfuscated servers, the security killswitch, or the onion over VPN servers.
NordVPN
Watching the best British TV has never been easier! Get the 3-year NordVPN deal now!3. ExpressVPN – optimized for streaming
ExpressVPN is one of the veterans on the market, but it’s always staying up to date to provide its users with the best experience.
It’s one of the best VPNs for streaming UK TV at high quality, without interruptions. That’s because it has high-speed rates, with upgraded servers that can easily reach 10Gbps.
The VPN has a wide server coverage all around the world, with over 3000 servers in 94 countries. When it comes to the servers located in the US, it does not disappoint.
It has hundreds of servers in n London, Wembley, and the Docklands.
We can confirm ExpressVPN’s claims that it can unblock various British TV services, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Channel 4, NowTV, and many more.
It is also reliable, and your internet speeds remain consistent while you stream HD shows.
Moreover, your history is not recorded as it has a strict zero-logs policy.
When you connect to ExpressVPN, all of your traffic activity, including the streaming of UK TV is encrypted with AES-256 bit. No one can know what you do online.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN can help you bypass geo-restrictions and watch British TV shows online.4. Surfshark– the most budget-friendly option
Love streaming? Consider Surfshark’s LTD VPN! It offers fast speeds and top-tier security and privacy. Its wide server coverage and fast speeds make it an ideal VPN for British TV.
Surfshark users have access to over 3200 servers, which are located in 100 countries.
In the United Kingdom, Surfhark has servers in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, and London. Just type UK in Surfshark’s search bar and click on whichever location you want to quickly connect to.
Once you do, it will seem as if you’re browsing from the UK and you’ll be able to watch Netflix UK, Now TV, BBC iPlayer, and many more local services from anywhere in the world.
There’s no way you’ll be tracked when connected to Surfshark.
Their no-logs policy, AES 256-bit encryption, and secure tunneling protocols all make for an untraceable and unblockable connection.
Keep in mind that Surfshark has some of the cheapest subscription plans. They offer 3 types of plans and you can connect as many devices as you want, without limitations.
Surfshark
Want to watch British TV shows but you’re facing geoblocking? Surfshark can help you bypass it.5. CyberGhost – great for mobile and smart TV
CyberGhost is a reliable VPN that offers everything you need to watch English tv abroad
With CyberGhost, your computer will appear as if it is located in the UK. It works well for channels like Sky Go, UKTV Player, and BBC iPlayer.
Streaming TV providers are always on the lookout to spot IP addresses that are used by VPNs as endpoints, but CyberGhost is ahead of these as it regularly changes these endpoint IP addresses to stay ahead of detection attempts.
CyberGhost has 790+ servers located in London, Berkshire, and Manchester. With so many options, you’ll always find a fast VPN server to watch UK TV abroad.
Moreover, it has over 9000 servers worldwide, so you can unlock geo-restricted sites from anywhere in the world, not just the UK.
Another great thing about CyberGhost is that it’s compatible with all major operating systems, supporting Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, and Android (including smart TVs).
This gives you the possibility to install and use it on any device of your liking and keep up with your British TV from home, or on the go.
CyberGhost
Discover British TV with CyberGhost VPN. Claim the best deal now!6. VyprVPN – increased DNS security and speed
This is a Swiss-owned VPN service developed by the Golden Frog company that’s big on privacy, and security. It has up-to-date features that allow it to bypass region locks.
VyprVPN offers advantages such as fas dedicated DNS. Both their DNS and VPN servers are privately owned so you can rest assured that they’re not monitored by any third party.
Like the other mentions on this list, VyprVPN uses up-to-date encryption, namely AES-256 bit to make sure your traffic is completely scrambled and unreadable.
To help you unlock restricted content, VyprVPN has 700 servers in over 70 countries, having its UK server base located in London.
So you can easily watch Channel 5 outside the UK, unblock BBC iPlayer, Netflix UK, and ITV Hub, just to name a few. All you have to do is launch the app and pick the United Kingdom From the server list.
The VPN allows you to watch British TV from any device. You can install it within minutes on a Windows PC, macOS, smart TVs, mobile devices, and even some game consoles.
Once you install it, just connect to a London server to easily unlock any UK TV platform you want.
Vypr VPN
Chat on Omegle without getting your data leaked with this secure and fast VP with privately owned servers.7. PrivadoVPN – excellent free plan
Another great VPN to watch UK shows outside the country is PrivadoVPN.
It uses advanced AES-256-bit encryption and is capable of removing strict restrictions without detection.
This provider also offers 300+ servers in 48 countries. It has one location in the UK – London, which is more than enough for unblocking British TV.
Furthermore, this VPN showed excellent support for video streaming in all our tests. Therefore, you should be able to enjoy all the programs you want without any interruptions.
If you opt for a free plan, you’ll be limited to 10GB of data per month. Once you purchase a subscription, you won’t have to worry about running out of it.
Best of all, the London location is available to free users.
One-year and two-year deals come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test them without risk.
Finally, PrivadoVPN is very versatile. It has dedicated apps for a wide range of platforms, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
PrivadoVPN
You can stream British TV in HD without any lag even with Privado’s free plan.What apps can I use to watch UK TV overseas?
Depending on the media company you wish to watch British TV from, you have the option to stream content from the official websites or through the corresponding desktop or mobile apps.
For instance, if you want to watch BBC, you can do it via the very popular BBC iPlayer, either on the website or via the BBC iPlayer app for mobiles and tablets.
In the above image, you are shown the BBC iPlayer web version as well as a message informing the user that the service only works in the UK. But don’t worry, a VPN will easily get you around this:
As you can see, once you connect a good VPN for UK TV, the error message is gone and you’re free to watch all content from BBC iPlayer.
If you want more in-depth info about how to set up your VPN for BBC content and other alternative solutions, check our guide on how to watch BBC One outside the UK.
The same goes for all other UK TV streaming sites and applications.
To watch your favorite Sky content, you can head to their official website or download their apps to your device.
For Virgin Media, you have Virgin TV Go, which you can also access through the website for PC users or download from the store if you want to use it on your phone or tablet.
ITV allows you to watch its channels via ITV Hub. All you need to do is access it through the main ITV website or get it from the official store for your iOS or Android devices. Also, check the following guides dedicated to ITV streaming outside the UK.
Similarly, if you want to access NowTV from abroad, you’ll have to use a VPN. After that, you can signup for an account and download the dedicated apps to your devices.
Additionally, if you want to watch UK TV on your Smart TV and don’t know how to access the required apps, check out the articles below:
- How to change the Samsung Smart TV region
- How to install VPN on LG TV
- Fix Android VPN not working
- Smart View not working with VPN (Fix)
Can I use a free VPN to stream UK TV from anywhere?
Unfortunately, when it comes to geo-unlocking, free VPNs aren’t the best option.
That’s because most free VPNs have data caps and a smaller server base. Plus, most of them are easier to detect and block.
Additionally, many free VPNs have confusing privacy policies. Many of them make their money by selling user data to third parties, which kind of defeats the purpose of a VPN.
Nevertheless, there are some options that can work.
Is there any good free VPN to watch UK TV?
Good VPNs with decent access to UK servers include Windscribe, and Tunnelbear.
They have data caps and are slower, but can bypass restrictions nonetheless. Windscribe offers 10GB of free VPN data monthly, while TunnelBear offers 500MB.
As mentioned before, they’re not as good as premium VPNs, but they can help if you just want to access content one time.
How to watch UK TV abroad on Smart TV?
If you want to watch UK TV on Smart TV, install suitable VPN apps and access your favorite UK TV channel. Android TVs and Amazon Fire TVs support VPN apps and connections.
All VPNs on this list have dedicated apps for Smart TVs. Just install them, log in with your credentials, and pick a VPN server located in the UK.
However, if it does not work properly from the first attempt, try to switch to a different UK server.
Finally, now you should know how to watch British TV abroad with a suitable VPN and never get kicked off a streaming platform again.
Which VPN service will you use to watch British TV? Or which one do you currently use and it probably didn’t make the list? Let us know in the comments section below.
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