How To Stream US Television Shows While Traveling Overseas
In this day and age, not being able to stream and binge-watch your favorite series whenever you want seems like a distant memory.
But if you happen to be travelling abroad, you might run into this exact problem in the form of: “‘unfortunately, this content is not available in your country.”
Fortunately, there is a way to get around this through the use of a USA VPN – a small application that is a frequent traveler’s best friend.
The best way to stream US television shows abroad is to “trick” the streaming services into thinking your in the United States. A VPN will allow you to “fake” your location by changing your IP address and tunneling your date through their servers.
VPNs can unblock content that is otherwise restricted by content providers. This is due to VPN providers giving users the appearance of an IP address in a country where that blocked content is not restricted. Content providers are therefore unaware that users are accessing content from somewhere they should not be.
For example, if an American Netflix customer is trying to stream US television shows abroad, it is possible to do so by establishing a VPN that connects to a server in the States. This means that the user and its VPN gives Netflix the impression that they are actually in the US where content from the provider is accessible.
Why Do You Need a VPN?
There are several reasons why a VPN is needed to watch American TV overseas.
Geo-Restrictions – Some streaming services limit where some of the shows in their catalog can be viewed. This can be for legal reasons or because of licensing agreements that the service has with other broadcasting and production companies. They have contracts in place that stipulate exactly where content can be seen
Pricing Contracts – Money is another reason for streaming services to curtail where their shows can be seen. Companies like Netflix charge different amounts in different countries
Government Censorship – In countries with stringent media policies and censorship laws, inhabitants are committing an illegal offense by watching shows that would be banned under that country’s censorship policy. This is an issue in countries like Russia or China
Illegal Content – In a similar vein, but one that is more widely understood around the world is a block on malicious or illegal content. This could be due to the content being inappropriate but also because it could contain hidden viruses that wreak havoc on personal computers and their subsequent wider net.
Having a VPN means you can navigate around these restraints, while also staying safe online.
What Makes a Good VPN?
When we were reviewing the VPN providers, we considered a number of factors.
Connection Speed – Watching your favorite US TV series in chunks of 5-minute intervals so that your show can reload and buffer, is perhaps one of the greatest first world problems out there. A fast VPN is imperative to stop this from occurring
Number of Servers – The more servers a VPN provider offers, the more easily it can connect you so that you can start to stream TV shows quickly
Server Location – It is no good signing up to a VPN provider that does not have a server in the US as this will making watching American TV overseas impossible. The same is true if you want to watch UK TV shows online – your VPN provider will need a UK server
Privacy – Staying anonymous whilst online is important to most people these days so we examined the logging policies, encryption, and confidentiality of providers when weighing up the best ways to watch TV from other countries online
Price – Considering the cost comes into any online purchase, not least for a service that you will repeatedly pay for if the service is good enough. You can, of course, get VPN providers that offer their services for free, but this often comes at the price of speed as well as your anonymity and security VPNs do not have to cost a lot- making watching American TV in Europe via the internet a very real possibility.
Now that you understand how to watch US TV from outside the US, check out our top picks for those much-needed VPNs.
Best VPNs to Stream US TV Abroad
#1 ExpressVPN – Special Deal (49% savings on annual subscription)
ExpressVPN often tops the charts of VPN providers, and for good reason. It allows for streaming blocked content from many locations to pretty much whatever country you are in. It has a robust security policy in place meaning you can be confident that your privacy is in safe hands whilst using the application.
Importantly, it has servers in a massive 94 countries across the globe. The number of actual servers it has is over 2000, which means that it is extremely fast and it offers unlimited bandwidth with absolutely no throttling involved.
Additionally, it offers a 30-day money back guarantee, making it hard to beat.
Price
- $12.95/month for one month
- $9.99/month for six months
- $6.67/month for twelve months plus three months free!
#2 Surfshark
Surfshark is a fantastic VPN provider for a whole host of reasons and purposes. None more so than when you are traveling from outside the USA and want to keep up to date with your favorite TV shows that are subject to geo restrictions on a broadcaster’s website and streaming service. The reason we like Surfshark so much is the vast amount of US servers it has that can provide subscribers with a US IP address every time they log into their account.
It also has a strict and stringent approach to its customer security through the use of a no logs policy as well as an OpenVPN protocol, Kill Switch and other security features. Additionally, it is one of the few capable VPN providers that offers users the ability to connect an unlimited amount of devices at the same time. This is great news for families where members are often abroad but also have a number of different devices that they like to use while traveling.
Finally, its 30-day money back guarantee, which means they refund subscribers in full with no questions asked, is further proof that they have confidence in the product offering.
Price
- Starting from as low as $1.99
#3 Cyberghost
Cyberghost is pretty close to ExpressVPN in the service it provides and if you sign up for 12 months, it certainly is an attractive offer at just $2.75 a month. When compared to ExpressVPN, it only has a slightly lower number of server locations worldwide, and slightly slower speeds to stream TV shows.
However, it is still pretty fastand is also very safe and secure, so it’s a dependable option for those streaming TV in Mexico or anywhere else life takes you. For those interested in the technology, CyberGhost has an incredible 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch and stringent DNS and IP policies so that logging into NetFlix anywhere in the world is possible.
It also offers a 45-day money back guarantee which gives you time to see whether its +3,000 servers in 59 countries are enough for your online streaming TV needs. They also offer a 7 day free trial with no restrictions to see if it works for you with its unlimited bandwidth and P2P file sharing options.
Price
- $12.99/month for one month.
- $7.99/month for 3 months.
- $3.50/month for 12 months.
#4 NordVPN
NordVPN’s longer subscription offers are very good value when the provider’s speed is taken into account. It can just about rival ExpressVPN in terms of quality given that it has nearly 4000 servers dotted around the world.
In addition to its highly reputable speed its service is one of the most secure, as well as having a money back guarantee if you are not happy after a month of use. This is a great option for all those who want to watch American TV overseas.
Price
- $11.95/month for one month
- $6.99/month for 12 months
- $3.99/month for two years
How to Watch SlingTV From Abroad
If you don’t want to purchase a cable TV subscription, you can get Sling TV. Accessing it from outside of the US is easy enough with a VPN.
A VPN will be able to encrypt all of your internet traffic and re-route it through to a different location of your choosing. If you want access to Sling TV, for example, you just have to connect to a server within the US and all your doors will then be wide open. It really is as easy as that.
Using a VPN to watch SlingTV is easy. Simply choose your VPN of choice, sign up with them, install, log in and hit that “connect” button.
From there you will have complete access to both the Sling TV website and all of the channels they offer.
Is It Worthwhile?
A VPN is not only worthwhile, but necessary and invaluable if you want to stream US television shows or movies from abroad. As a side benefit it can also keep you safe from hackers, thieves and unwanted prying eyes by encrypting your traffic so no one can see it.
Article comments
Hi – I’m going to be in Ireland for the last episode of Game of Thrones…which you can understand I CANNOT miss! The hotel unfortunately doesn’t have HBO (another story). Do you know – Will Express VPN work with iPad or laptop versions of FiOS (Verizon’s TV service) or the HBO app?
Hi Paul,
ExpressVPN should work with each of these. Good luck!
I am a US Citizen that accepted a professional opportunity in Singapore a year and half years ago, in the beginning, I was using ExpressVPN with great success, I even purchased two ExpressVPN Routers from Flashrouters.com to provide 1 access point for all devices. My main source for watching tv was Apple TV and then using Provider Apps, originally connected through ExpressVPN Router, but that stopped working so I then I programmed my Apple TV using Express VPN instructions, that still does not work for most Apps. I have reached a point of frustration because most apps don’t work anymore. The Apps I was using that ARE NOW BLOCKING ACCESS: ESPN+, Fox Sports Go, NBC Sports, Direct NOW, Starz, Sundance Now, CBS, NBC, A&E, AMC, TBS, TNT.
Is there any way to invest and create my own personal access point from my house in the US. Connect from Singapore to my Personal Home Network in my house US, providing the perception that I am using my Apple TV in my house in the US? Am I being red flagged by the network apps because I am using a VPN service like ExpressVPN with hundreds of thousand users, is it easy for the TV App providers to now detect services like ExpressVPN?
How can I create my own private network tunnel / path to the USA to have access to all my content. I should note I have subscriptions to all these apps through either direct purchase (ESPN+, Direct NOW, Starz, Sundance Now, CBS) or access through my TV Subscription through Directv NOW).
If anyone has any ideas or can direct me to a site / link on creating my own stand-alone system, I would greatly appreciate it!! I need a solid solution long term.
Hi Jay,
It seems that your problem is coming from your network, and not from the VPN. If you were using a PC, you would be going directly through your browser, giving you full control of your IP address location (which is the only way to locate you). However, when you go through the app store, you now have your Apple ID also giving away your location. Through these multiple location verification points, you are being tracked to your actual location in Singapore.
Hope this helps.
Does this technology – VPN – work while at sea on a cruise ship – especially in Europe or mid Atlantic ocean – using the cruise ships internet? If not do you know of anything that does.
Hi Duane,
As long as your cruise ship has a strong enough internet connection while out at sea, your VPN should work just fine from anywhere in the world. So that will mostly depend on the ship’s internet strength, rather then the VPN.
Which of these will work on a Roku streaming device for NFL channel, Amazon Prime and Hulu? I know that I need to configure the router to the vpn. Nordvpn.com said that I would have to watch through my PC and that are having trouble with Amazon and Hulu.
Hi Bill,
We’d recommend ExpressVPN for streaming NFL, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. You can read more about it here: https://securethoughts.com/express-vpn-review/
The one thing this article does not address is that many TV providers are getting VPN smart and making it harder and harder to stream live TV. Also, if you are into live sports it is even harder.
Hi John,
You’re correct in saying that some providers are becoming smart to certain VPNs. The VPNs we list here are still currently working fine with streaming most TV shows while abroad. But, before purchasing, you should always make sure that your VPN works for what you want to stream.
I am planning on traveling to Israel, will I be able to use ExpressVPN?
Hi, and thank you for your question! One of the best things of any VPN, including ExpressVPN, is that they’re designed to help you remove geographic barriers. VPNs are legal to use in Israel, and there have been no reports of ExpressVPN not working. If you’re planning on keeping up with your favorite US TV shows, then you should definitely keep your subscription and always use your VPN! We hope this helps!
I am a frequent traveller and each time I wish to stream a TV show irrespective of my location, ExpressVPN never disappoints me.
Speed and latency are a deal breaker for many users. So, a top VPN service should never compromise on that part. The overall web browsing experience when connected to ExpressVPN has always been great. I didn’t notice any degradation in browsing speed in comparison to my regular connection.
Also, the availability of 24×7 support through live chat always helps users in need. Netflix and other streaming services too work, which is a must-have for many users travelling overseas like me.
ExpressVPN is the second VPN I’m using. Compared to my previous mediocre VPN, Express, is heaven on earth. It’s really fast and actually quite unbelievable.
I need to know which of these VPN’s DEFINITELY work in Russia. I hear they are getting as strict with blocking VPNs as China and I am getting ready to go there for business soon. I don’t want to get there, find out my VPN doesn’t work and then not be able to download another because the sites are blocked.
Also, are special configurations I need to do to make sure the VPN service works in Russia or is that automatic?
Hi Britney,
I completely understand your concern, especially with all the bans inflicted lately by Russia and China.
The best thing for you to do is contact the VPN provider of your choice – ExpressVPN, NordVPN, SaferVPN – answer their questions regarding your device (OS, version, IP, etc.) and future location plans and they will be able to answer all your questions very effectively.
VPN is a very good technology by which we can easily watch our favorite shows when we travel from one country to other country.I love to watch few TV Shows and by using vpn i don’t miss these shows.
What is the best option if I’m just going to be abroad for a few months? I want to make sure I won’t miss my Netflix shows but also don’t want to have to make a long term commitment because I won’t need a VPN when I go back to school. Leaving soon so need a quick response, thanks
Hi Janet,
ExpressVPN have a 6-month plan if you don’t want to commit to a year. Just FYI, we get a lot of students subscribing to the VPN services once they get to school because of blocked access once in school campus. I would consider taking the 1-year subscription so you won’t have to subscribe again in case you need to access social media or streaming sites in school, plus, you save up significantly.
I am in Pakistan and Express VPN is slow over here, is it normal or I figured it wrong? Please help me out. It was working fine when I was in Russia. Do I need to buy a different service of what?
Hi Faik,
I would just contact them via their live chat for them to troubleshoot with your OS and IP and find the solution for you. ExpressVPN is very quick and effective at assisting.
Thanks for sharing. I actually use VPNs whenever I travel to access Amazon Tv stream and Netflix. I just happen to be a television freak
Why do I need a VPN to stream US televison shows while on travel abroad?
Hi Lizzy,
You need a VPN since depending on your location when overseas, you won’t have online access to the US TV shows you want to stream. The VPN provider will enable you to spoof your location and connect to a remote server, therefore allowing to connect to your show of choice. The service providers listed above, like ExpressVPN or NordVPN, are very reliable in terms of connection speed and support if ever you need help troubleshooting.
I really need this but I need to know the best VPN for US video streaming. A friend reported series of disconnection. Please Tell me the best to use so as not to make the same mistake as my friend. Besides, Can I use it in Spain?
Hi Costa, I would go with ExpressVPN as #1 and NordVPN as second choice, although opinions are mixed with these 2 as to which is the best. They’re both highly reliable and a fast services.
It’s really nice to know that there a lot of options I can use to watch US tv shows when I travel out on trips. Which is the fastest and most secure VPN?
It’s great to see that there are so many options for watching my favourite shows when I’m abroad. Thank you for this information.
I live in the UK and I can already access Netflix. Is there any point in getting a VPN? Can I get different shows?
Yes, exactly. Although UK subscribers enjoy an extensive catalog, it does not match the reams and reams of extra shows in the US. You can also access other Netflix catalogs if you’re interested in foreign film – as well as alternative streaming services that experience content blocks.
Unfortunately, Hulu and HBO apparently have enhanced their ability to detect where you are in the world blocking you even when you have VPN. I use ExpressVPN and on my iPad, the only way I have found to watch Hulu and HBO is to completely disable Location Services in addition to connecting through an ExpressVPN server. If anyone has found a better way, would love to hear from you!
Will I be able to access us tv channels and series?
Yes, as long as they have an online service that you have access to like DIRECTV NOW.
I bought it, it was nice.
Nov 22, 2016 Tuesday
Hello. I have express vpn on my android galaxy note 4. However your company states I can use this product on 3 devices, including my Samsung Smart TV.
However after several attemtd I am unable to get Express VPN into my TV although it is installed on my Galaxy Note 4. Help plz.
Hey Edie,
Did you try contacting ExpressVPN’s customer service department? They’re incredibly helpful and should be able to help you with your problem.
Best,
Lyndon
Thanks for sharing! I love Hulu plus especially because I can watch the latest episodes 1 day after they air.