
The Best VPNs for Unblocking Sling TV
Sling TV was one of the first ever live TV streaming services on the market and it’s down there with the cheapest. Sling TV has a variety of some of the best channels and for much less than your cable bill will cost you. With different sporting and TV channels, there are also add-on packages with various channels available. However, if you head overseas, do not be surprised when you’re met with the following message,
“We’re Sorry. Sling TV is only available inside the US. Thank you for your interest.”
This can be particularly frustrating, especially for those people who have paid their bill for the next three months, but will not be able to take advantage of their Sling TV due to its content being restricted to users within the US only. So, what do you do? Invest in a VPN and enjoy your Sling TV subscription from any corner of the globe. Keep reading to find out how.
What is Sling TV and How to Watch from Abroad
So, what is Sling TV and why do people love it so much? After all, there are quite a few other options when it comes to streaming shows, right? Well, that might be true, but at the moment Sling TV is probably cheaper than most other cable and streaming providers. Additionally, it requires a minimum of 5.0 megabits per second when it comes to your broadband connection.
Your Sling TV subscription can be accessed not only from your television but also from your computer, tablet or smartphone from any location, whether you’re home or away.
Another positive aspect about Sling TV is that you are not tied down by contracts of any kind, meaning you can cancel and resume this service whenever you want without any penalties.
Best VPNs for Unblocking Sling TV
#1 ExpressVPN
Not only is ExpressVPN our top pick for unblocking Sling TV, but it is also the winner hands down for streaming in general. Unlike other VPN companies, ExpressVPN will have no trouble getting around blocked content, which includes platforms such as YouTube TV, Hulu, Sling TV, iPlayer, ESPN, BBC and everyone’s favorite, Netflix.
When it comes to servers, ExpressVPN have you covered, with around 2,000 servers in as many as 100 countries. Connecting to Sling TV will not be a problem because 30 of those are in the US. You don’t have to worry about any third parties monitoring your online activity because their jurisdiction lies well outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance, in the British Virgin Islands.
If you’re after fast speeds, this is something that ExpressVPN can deliver time and time again. Constantly bringing you fast speeds is not an issue, which is ideal for streaming and torrenting. ExpressVPN supports P2P connections with all their servers and even offer a Smart Location Feature, which will choose the best server for you depending on your needs.
Setting up this VPN will take only a matter of minutes and with a one-click startup, things cannot get much easier than that.
Protecting your internet connection is vital especially if you are outside of the US. This is why ExpressVPN offers military-grade security as well as OpenVPN support, DNS protection as well as a Network Lock which acts as a kill switch. In other words, if your VPN connection should drop, all your internet activity will also stop.
As you can see, ExpressVPN is undoubtedly the best choice for unblocking Sling TV. Here are some more features that we think make ExpressVPN unbeatable:
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Ultra-fast streaming speeds
- Compatible with Android TV (Box) and Fire TV
- Apps available for every device
- Hides your streaming activity
- No connection logs
- No activity logs
- P2P possibility
- Ping times that are minimally affected
- ExpressVPN works extremely well in high censorship countries
- Military-grade encryption
- Large international server network
- 30-day money back guarantee
- Outstanding customer service
- 99% uptime guarantee
- Up to three simultaneous connections
ExpressVPN also offers a special deal, get 3 months free and 49% savings with their annual subscription plan!
Starting from as low as: $6.67
Want to find out more? Check out the full review here.
#2 Surfshark
Voted as the best VPN newcomer in 2019, Surfshark is swimming circles around its fellow competitors. Although they are new, they are a force to be reckoned with their numbers growing. Just a little while back we wrote about them having 500 servers in 50 countries, but the number of servers has now grown to 800. This might still not be on par with ExpressVPN, but this company is visibly evolving.
Fast speeds are also not a problem for Surfshark, which they deliver with complete anonymity. They do not collect incoming or outgoing IP addresses, browsing activity, used bandwidth, downloads or purchasing information, VPN servers you use, session information, or connection timestamps.
If you want to take your security to the next level, you can, with their MultiHop feature which allows you to connect via multiple countries at once. Should your internet connection drop there is a kill switch that will back you up, stopping all your internet activity.
The best feature that Surfshark offers is undoubtedly the unlimited number of simultaneous connections you can take advantage of with the same VPN subscription.
Here are some more reasons that got them to the top of our list:
- Great download speeds
- Zero logging
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Unlimited platform protection
- Unlimited Server Switching
- Some servers work with Netflix
- Strong encryption
- Torrenting allowed
Starting from as low as: $1.99
Want to find out more? Check out the full review here
#3 CyberGhost
Having over 3,000 servers in 58 countries means that you can have access to Sling TV with absolutely no trouble at all, especially since there are 701 servers in the US that you can choose from to connect to.
If you want to try out a VPN, but still unsure if you need one, CyberGhost is the way to go. When you sign up with their three-year subscription you have 45 days to change your mind. This is fairly generous considering some companies offer a 14 day or a 30-day money-back guarantee.
With their HQ in Romania, you know that there are no issues of your internet data getting back to any third parties or even your ISP.
Here are some more reasons why we recommend CyberGhost for Sling TV VPN:
- Strict No Logs Policy
- High speeds
- Automatic Kill Switch
- Simultaneous connections on up to 7 devices
- Easy to use
- 256-bit AES Encryption
- Unlimited bandwidth and traffic
- OpenVPN, L2TP-IPsec and PPTP protocols
- Apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Routers
Starting from as low as: $2.75
Want to find out more? Check out the full review here
#4 NordVPN
With their jurisdiction in Panama, NordVPN is the VPN company to choose when it comes to securing your privacy. Nord has various obfuscation settings which will ensure that your VPN connection works in the most censored countries. With the DoubleVPN feature, know that your traffic will be encrypted twice, which is great for security, but it might slow down your connection.
With over 5,000 servers in 60 countries, you can be sure your Sling TV needs are covered. Here are some cool features NordVPN have on offer:
- Over 5000 servers in 62 countries
- IP Leak protection
- Double VPN
- CyberSec
- Onion over VPN
- Simultaneous connections on up to 6 devices
- Automatic Kill Switch
- 30-day money back guarantee
- Set-up and installation takes just minutes
- 24-hour customer support
Starting from as low as: $2.99
Want to find out more? Check out the full review here.
Why a VPN is Needed for Sling TV
Sling TV is a lifesaver for anyone who doesn’t want to commit to cable TV, but the problem is that you cannot access Sling TV’s website from outside the US, but luckily there is a solution and it comes in the form of a VPN.
How to Use a VPN with Sling TV
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.
Before you start sweating about difficult setups and configurations, just relax because most reputable and popular VPNs have an extremely easy configuration process. All you have to do is 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.
What Makes a Great VPN
But which VPN service provider should you go for?
Firstly, let’s look at what is most important in a VPN when it comes to Sling TV. After all, there are a lot of services out there promising a lot of different things. You really need to know what you are looking for before you can make your mind up. Here are some aspects of a great VPN that you need to take into consideration.
Speed – This is one of the most important elements of a reliable VPN. Although many companies promise a lightning-fast connection, the fact of the matter is, you need a constantly fast connection, not one that is fast for a few minutes and then lags. You should also never purchase a VPN that will slow your internet speed down to less than 70% of what it is right now. The best VPNs won’t even be noticed when you’re streaming.
Safety and Privacy – Another important aspect of purchasing a great VPN is their privacy policy. You do not want any of your internet movements or data being handed over to authorities or third parties. This can be avoided if your chosen VPN has jurisdiction outside the 5/9/14 Eyes Alliance. Look for VPNs with headquarters in the British Virgin Islands or Panama for example.
Server Number of Locations – Make sure your VPN has server locations in countries that you want to connect to. For Sling TV, you need at least a number of them to be in the US. If there is an overflow of users on one server, you can choose another one.
Accessing Blocked Content – Don’t be fooled by what they promise. Only a select few VPN companies can get around geo-blocked content. For example, many companies have trouble accessing US Netflix, but ExpressVPN does not and this is why it is one of the best in the business.
Customer Service – Excellent customer service is vital for people attempting to access blocked content, especially with international internet laws which are constantly changing. Customer service representatives need to be available as often as possible.
Here is the list of features your chosen VPN should be able to provide:
- Unlock gaming and TV show streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime
- Strong encryption
- Bypass ISP throttling
- Fast performance
- Avoid ISP monitoring and tracking
- Easy setup
- Trusted military-grade protection
- Circumvent any campus or office firewall
- Malware protection
- Supports numerous devices
- Protect your data from hackers
- A large number of servers
- Transparent privacy policy
- No logs
- Fantastic customer service
The Bottom Line
As you can see ExpressVPN is the winner in our books when it comes to having the best VPN for Sling TV. Not only can you not watch your favorite channels whilst outside of the US, but you cannot even access their website without the help of a VPN.
Making the right choice for streaming US TV abroad can be a difficult one, but choosing any of the above-mentioned VPNs should have you covered.
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