How To Watch The Diamond League Matches From Abroad

In its quest to “enhance the worldwide appeal of athletics”, the 2019 Diamond League series includes events in Asia, Europe, and America, making it tricky for those who want to enjoy all the action.

Geographical restrictions often make it difficult for sporting enthusiasts to get their fix and, with meets scattered across the world, the Diamond League presents a unique set of problems.

Although some broadcasters will be covering all the events, regardless of location, they can only broadcast within the country they’re based in. So you can watch all the Diamond League events on NBC Sports as long as you’re in the US but, should you pop over to China or Portugal for a quick holiday, you’re out of luck unless you have a way of creating a US IP address from a different country.

Sounds complicated, doesn’t it? Fortunately, we’re here to show you exactly how to watch the Diamond League from abroad with a VPN.

To watch the Diamond League without delay, get ExpressVPN now.

How to Live Stream the Diamond League

With seven meets already done and dusted, athletes are halfway through the 2019 Diamond League series and more records look set to be broken. Not long ago, South Africa’s controversial women’s middle-distance runner, Caster Semenya, set a new meet record as she sprinted to victory in the 800m at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting in northern California.

So, if you haven’t yet tuned in, its time to get started before more history is made without you watching. As the Diamond League series is an international competition, there are broadcasters all over the world, each one restricted to showing live coverage, news, and reports within its own country.

If you happen to be traveling over the next few months, that means you could watch a race or two on Canal+ in Monaco, a few pole vaults on the UK’s BBC iPlayer, and witness some great leaps of faith by catching the high jump on CCTV in China. The only problem occurs when you need to sign up and hand over a subscription fee for each of these services, making your investment into watching the Diamond League events from abroad, pricier than it needs to be.

Rather than skipping between broadcasters while you travel the world, a VPN can help you stay at home while flexing those itchy feet just as easily as it can help a couch potato travel the world without leaving the couch.

As a VPN has servers in numerous locations, if the user connects to a server in the US, for example, all the sites that user then visits will assume they’re inside the US. Similarly, should you decide you’d rather watch the Diamond League on BBC iPlayer, a VPN can give you a fake UK IP address that gives you license to watch as much athletics as you want.

Where to Watch the Diamond League 2019

As we mentioned earlier, NBC Sports is one of the easiest ways of getting your track and field fix this year. If you haven’t already, you could sign up with an OTT service provider like DirecTV Now, FuboTV, or SlingTV, and get a subscription that includes NBC Sports, or you can simply subscribe to NBC Sports directly and watch via the relevant NBC Sports app. With a range of apps compatible with almost every connected device imaginable, whether you want to watch the Diamond League series on your smartphone, Roku or Xbox, NBC Sports has the answer.

With the likes of SlingTV, FuboTV, and DirecTV all offering seven-day free trials, you could spend from now until the climax of the Diamond League in September, trying out each service for a seven-day period. Finding enough services to provide you with live coverage of all the remaining Diamond League meets could be a bit of a challenge but with initiative and perseverance, it’s also manageable. Don’t forget, you also get a free trial with the NBC Sports app so, in a sense, most of the World’s Best Athletes’ Showdown is your oyster.

If you’re willing to part with a few dollars to make sure you can enjoy all the Diamond League action, then the NBC Sports app isn’t a bad option at all. A track and field pass will set you back $64.99 but lasts until 31st December, meaning you’ll get a lot more than just Diamond League live coverage for your money.

Alternatively, if you’re only really interested in seeing how the Diamond League meets pan out, then you could opt for the IAAF Diamond League app instead. This is only available for Android devices and iPhones so is a little more limited. It also won’t have the same breadth of live coverage as NBC Sports viewers will enjoy.

Why You Need a VPN to Watch the Diamond League Abroad

Even with the NBC Sports or IAAF Diamond League app installed on your mobile device, you won’t be able to simply stroll into another country and maintain the same level of access. The site you’re streaming from will automatically detect that you’re connecting from another country and prevent you from accessing content.

Each of us has a designated IP address that specifies our location so the only way to keep your Diamond League coverage active from outside the US is by making it believe you haven’t left the country at all. Using a VPN, you can connect to a server in the US, thereby creating a fake US IP address and maintaining all the same connectivity and access as you would at home. Clever, hey?

Sadly, although most VPNs claim to be able to do among other things, not all as effective as they need to be. To get truly awesome coverage of the upcoming Diamond League fixtures, you need a VPN with multiple US servers and high speeds. A commitment to user privacy wouldn’t go astray either.

To save you the hassle of working out which of the many VPNs to opt for, we’ve come up with a handful of the best.

Best VPNs to Watch the Diamond League

#1 ExpressVPN – The Fastest Diamond League VPN

Faster than Noah Wyles, ExpressVPN sprints ahead of the competition with super-fast speeds. As powerful as a shot-putter and as agile as a pole-vaulter, ExpressVPN has the best of all digital worlds. Not only does ExpressVPN use the latest innovations in cybersecurity, providing virtually undecipherable encryption for all your internet traffic while maintaining consistent speeds, but it throws in a veritable bounty of additional features into its subscriptions.

While not the cheapest VPN around, ExpressVPN offers excellent value for money for users who want high-speed international connections and the freedom to access any content they like from any location in the world. With servers in 94 different countries, wherever you go with ExpressVPN, you’re pretty much guaranteed a reliable connection.

Some VPNs struggle to perform when it comes to gaining access to blocked content, especially from within a heavily restricted or censored region. ExpressVPN, however steps over such obstacles as though they were mere bumps in the road meaning that users can enjoy access to live sporting events and even the tightly guarded US library of Netflix, without a problem.

By utilizing tools like split tunneling, ExpressVPN gives users the ability to adjust advanced settings according to their individual needs. Split tunneling means you can choose which traffic needs to travel through your encrypted VPN tunnel and which is safe enough to allow direct access to. This is a great tool as it means you can ensure other traffic doesn’t throttle your live stream when watching the Diamond League from overseas.

The efficiency of ExpressVPN’s apps is complemented by the company’s commitment to online privacy and its no-logging policy is second to none. While you may not mind your ISP, a hacker or a government spy or two, knowing how much you love athletics, being able to stay anonymous online has many benefits. For one, your ISP won’t throttle your bandwidth simply because it sees you streaming live sports while another bonus is being able to browse online without being tracked or inundated with adverts.

ExpressVPN has everything you could want from a VPN and remains one of the best VPNs for streaming live sports, including the Diamond League. Sign up for ExpressVPN today to take advantage of a 49% discount or check out its track record by reading our full review here.

#2 Surfshark VPN – The Best Newcomer

Like Sydney McLaughlin, the young star of the 400m hurdle track, Surfshark VPN makes up for its lack of experience with some impressive speeds and breath-taking performances. Like McLaughlin, Surfshark hasn’t been around for long but has proved its mettle over the past couple of years. Using the same cutting-edge encryption as ExpressVPN, Surfshark offers consistent speeds and top-class security.

While Surfshark’s server network appears tiny in comparison with ExpressVPN with just 800 or so servers worldwide, it does an impressive job of delivering competitive speeds and has some handy tools available to enhance the service. Surfshark offers split tunneling just as ExpressVPN does but augments its user experience even further with features like MultiHop and CleanWeb.

Surfshark’s MultiHop feature gives users the option of an additional layer of protection by redirecting their traffic through two secure servers rather than one. This can have a negative impact on speed so isn’t ideal for streaming the Diamond League from abroad. The CleanWeb feature is useful to have in any situation, however and will prevent your online activities from being tracked and block unwanted adverts.

One of the biggest bonuses of Surfshark is that you can connect as many devices as you like at any one time. With ExpressVPN permitting just three simultaneous connections, this is a real plus point, especially for the gadget geeks among us.

A strict no-logging policy will reassure the most anxious of users, although the lack of clarity in certain sections of its privacy policy is a little unnerving. Surfshark admits to collecting some “aggregated performance data…. unsuccessful connection attempts and other similar information” but doesn’t go into much detail about what that really entails. It sounds safe enough but a little more clarity would go a long way to giving its users true peace of mind.

Nevertheless, like ExpressVPN, Surfshark has opted for the British Virgin Islands for its home base, which means it’s under no legal obligation to retain data. With seriously impressive speeds and competitive prices, Surfshark VPN is a great choice for those wanting to save money while watching the Diamond League fixtures from abroad. Not convinced? Check out exactly what makes Surfshark tick by reading our full review here.

#3 CyberGhost VPN – Most User-Friendly VPN

As stealthy as its name suggests, CyberGhost VPN has a cute, friendly design that sees helpful ghosts invisibly guiding you through cyberspace. While more serious tech geeks may find CyberGhost’s apps over-simplified, the truth is, its colorful interface belies the power behind the scenes. CyberGhost’s encryption is as strong as any other and strong enough to give US shot putter Ryan Crouser a run for his money.

With over 3,600 servers scattered around the globe, CyberGhost has no shortage of high-speed connections available and is one of the best VPNs when it comes to accessing US content from overseas. CyberGhost has the US all sewn up with nearly 700 servers so finding one with minimal traffic and high speeds isn’t an issue, especially as CyberGhost users can see exactly what each server’s doing and how many people are using it before they connect.

CyberGhost has simplified things for its users by installing a set of pre-configured settings for specific activities. In other words, if you click on the streaming button, the best profile is automatically put in place, so you’ll automatically be connected to a streaming-optimized server in the correct country for that specific service.

While CyberGhost won’t give you unlimited simultaneous connections like Surfshark, it’s nonetheless twice as generous as ExpressVPN, allowing users to connect up to six devices at any one time. This makes it excellent value for money, especially for users willing to make a commitment of one or two years. There’s certainly not much to worry about when it comes to privacy either, and CyberGhost has gone to great lengths to prove it’s a reliable and trustworthy service, producing transparency reports each month, and undergoing an independent audit as well.

CyberGhost hasn’t always had the easiest of times navigating the geographical restrictions on streaming sites like Netflix, but it delivers a workaround in record time so any problems that do arise are quickly resolved. Similarly, it may not be quite as fast as ExpressVPN but if you’re looking for an app that holds your hand and guides the way, CyberGhost is well worth investing in. If you’re tempted but not quite sure, find out more about CyberGhost’s hauntingly good service in our full review.

#4 NordVPN – Strongest VPN for Diamond League

Just as some of the shot putters and discus throwers look like they’re built of steel, so NordVPN service looks similarly robust and unbreakable from the outside. From the inside, it looks pretty unbreakable as well. The reason for that is that NordVPN uses some of the best encryption and security technology around to make sure its users remain protected and anonymous.

While CyberGhost and ExpressVPN both have impressive server networks, NordVPN’s takes the virtual biscuit with over 5,000 servers worldwide. This is a useful perk for those traveling regularly for work as it means you should be able to connect regardless of where you find yourself – whether you’re in a meeting in downtown Shanghai hotel or on a team-building exercise in the Swiss Alps, NordVPN will keep you connected.

In some respects, NordVPN is more like Surfshark than the other rival VPNs in our top VPN section, offering a similar collection of tools. Instead of MultiHop, NordVPN has Double VPN; instead of CleanWeb, Nord has CyberSec. This Panama-based VPN provider also offers split-tunneling and an unusual feature which enables users to connect anonymously to the anonymous TOR network.

NordVPN had its work cut out for it a couple of years ago when allegations of logging hit the headlines. It managed to deal with the problem effectively, however, and has since had its no-logging status audited to prove how serious it is about user privacy. While it lacks some of its rivals’ oomph when it comes to speed, its widely distributed servers provide consistent connections in areas where the likes of ExpressVPN and CyberGhost have none at all.

If international travel and top-class security are essential to your existence, then NordVPN is a reliable choice as a VPN that will unblock content from overseas and provide a high-quality streaming experience. What its lacking in speed, NordVPN more than makes up for in agility and its ability to get around government censorship blocks and geographical restrictions is second to none.

It may not be sitting in the number one slot, but NordVPN is a powerful piece of cybersecurity software that we recommend trying out. Sign up for NordVPN and make the most of its 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, find out more about the pros and cons by checking out our full review.

Conclusion

Whether you want to cheer on the home team or simply enjoy the spectacle of the world’s best athletes giving it their all, a VPN can unlock all the live Diamond League action. Not only can the best VPNs give you access to the Diamond League fixtures from overseas, but it can also facilitate streaming live sports within the US.

By hiding your IP address and keeping your traffic invisible within an encrypted VPN tunnel, services like ExpressVPN make it possible to hide your activities from your ISP and thereby boost your speed and bandwidth. If you’re lucky, you’ll get a connection that’s fast enough to rival the likes of Christian Coleman!

While it may be tempting to opt for a free VPN to facilitate streaming the Diamond League action from abroad, such services usually come with serious restrictions and limitations that make streaming of any kind virtually impossible. If you want to guarantee a track-side seat for the Paris meet in August and the conclusion of the Diamond League 2019 season in Brussels in September, one of the top VPNs featured here is the best way to go.

Now you know how to watch the Diamond League fixtures from abroad, all you have to do is sign up for one of our best VPNs and away you go – just do it!

To watch the Diamond League without delay, get ExpressVPN now.