
Watch ESPN Stream Overseas
Seeing how many channels and shows broadcasted by ESPN’s network, if you can’t access them, you are missing out on a lot of sports (especially because they hold a monopoly on broadcasting both male college and professional sports).
Because ESPN is a US-based broadcaster, it is assumed that the rest of the world is not meant to watch the matches and games ESPN televises. So while the WatchESPN app makes it possible to watch or stream ESPN when away from home, it is only available in the US.
If you can’t access ESPN, you are missing out on all these channels:
- ESPN
- ESPN2
- ESPN3
- ESPNU
- ESPNews
- ESPN Deportes
- ESPN Goal Line
- ESPN Buzzer Beater
- Longhorn Network
- SEC Network
Dedicated sports channels are a big deal for sports fans, and leaving the country to live or to travel shouldn’t be a compromise for them.
Here is a guide on how to stream ESPN when outside the US.
If you don’t want to read the whole article, here’s our list of the best VPNs for watching ESPN:
How To Choose a VPN
There are lots of different VPN providers on the market that offer varying features. Here we have listed our top 6 – specifically with watching ESPN abroad in mind.
To get into our top picks list, we rated the companies on a number of features that we believe are an absolute must for any VPN:
Number Of Servers – This should be as high as possible. The number of servers available is directly linked to the ease with which users can login and connect to a server. So if users are trying to unblock ESPN from France to stream live sport through ESPN, a quick connection time is a necessity.
The Best Encryption Techniques Possible – VPNs can be brilliant for the added security they provide. However, not all providers lay on the same amount of encryption techniques or have strict privacy policies. All our recommendations make streaming ESPN live extremely safe.
Quick Connections – In addition to having a number of servers to get connected quickly, VPNs must offer a quick connection speed once the initial connection is established. Otherwise, streaming sessions are ruined by constant buffering. When trying to access ESPN from Canada, you’ll want to ensure you have the quickest connection to watch your favorite sports.
Unlimited Bandwidth – Even if a VPN has all of the above features, its overall service can be wrecked if a provider starts to throttle its bandwidth – especially when trying to stream live sports games. It means that the video will start to freeze and pixelate and important stretches of play are totally missed.
Best VPN for ESPN
#1 ExpressVPN – Recommended VPN to watch ESPN everywhere
ExpressVPN is our number one VPN provider when trying to stream ESPN from abroad. It is reliable, consistent, and excellent value for money.
- Unlimited bandwidth – This is ideal when streaming ESPN live, especially if you are trying to watch an important game or match. ExpressVPN does not throttle bandwidth to ensure maximum user enjoyment
- Quick speeds – Watching live sports games online through ESPN and ExpressVPN is easy owing to the VPN provider’s quick connection speeds
- Large Number of Server Locations – This means that ExpressVPN customers can watch ESPN while traveling internationally as well as all the other geo restricted content that is online too
- Strict privacy policies – ExpressVPN has some of the strictest privacy policies around to ensure customer safety
- 30 day money back guarantee – ExpressVPN customers can ask for their money back no questions asked
Price: As low as $6.67 per month for twelve months plus three months free
Read more about ExpressVPN in our expert review.
#2 Cyberghost
Cyberghost is another great option for watching ESPN online. It is known as one of the very best in privacy and keeping your information hidden from prying eyes.
- Vast amount of servers – Cyberghost has a whopping 200 servers in the USA, so watching your favorite sports matches and commentary won’t be a problem at all.
- Competitively priced for customers from the US –If you happen to be in the US, you’re in luck, as Cyberghost’s prices are lower if you’re located in the States.
- Quick connection speeds – CyberGhost has super-fast speeds, so you can be sure you’ll be watching the game, buffer-free.
- Encryption leader – Cybertghost is one of the leading providers when it comes to privacy. Their innovative encryption techniques are reliable, so you can keep your online identity hidden.
- 45-day money back guarantee.
Price: As low as $2.75 month
Read more about Cyberghost in our expert review.
#3 Surfshark
Surfshark makes it comfortably into our list of top VPNs for ESPN for a variety of reasons. Perhaps most notably is its great value, given the amount of features that it provides.
- Large network of servers – VPN users need a large network of servers to access ESPN. Specifically, they need a large number of US based servers to be given a US IP address. Surfshark has plenty based in cities dotted around the States.
- No logs policy – Given that accessing content that has been blocked to users outside of the States is a grey legal area, it’s great to use a VPN provider that does not keep logs. Surfshark does not record online activity which protects user identity.
- Fast connectivity – owing to the large network of servers it has, Surfshark is able to provide users with a fast connection speed that makes watching sports games from ESPN a pleasure.
- Unlimited amount of device connections – Not many VPN providers allow simultaneous connections to their servers. However, Surfshark lets customers connect as many devices as they want, so they can watch several games at the same time, all with the same subscription.
- 30 day money back guarantee – If Surfshark subscribers don’t like the VPN product provided, they can get a full refund with no questions asked from the company.
Price: As low as $1.99 a month
Read more about Surfshark in our expert review.
#4 NordVPN
NordVPN is one of our preferred VPNs for watching ESPN when traveling outside the US. Using it ensures you won’t miss any games or matches when you are away from home.
- Quick connectivity – Little to no buffering is ever seen by NordVPN customers due to the lightning fast connection speeds it has
- 1st Class encryption methods – NordVPN uses a double encryption technique that maintains customer security without slowing down the service it provides
- 1300 servers in 60 locations – This huge and well located network of servers means that customers are rarely kept waiting to connect so they can start streaming ESPN live immediately
- 30 day money back guarantee – Like ExpressVPN, NordVPN offers a 30 day money back guarantee for those rare times that customers are disappointed with the service
Price: As low as $2.99 a month
Read more about NordVPN in our expert review.
#5 ZenMate
Watching ESPN will be a breeze if you sign up with ZenMate, one of the up and coming VPN options available on the market at the moment as:
- A growing number of servers – having hundreds of servers and counting in over thirty countries might seem like quite a bit less when compared to the big guns, but you should keep in mind that this is a new VPN service and its server list is continuously on the rise.
- Complete Privacy – there is a no logs policy that is enforced by this VPN company meaning that whatever you get up to online will remain your information only, saying
“We do not store or log your personal data which can be used to identify you or what you’re doing online. We do not monitor your online sessions. In fact – we can’t! Strict German privacy laws regulate our company’s use of your information. As we don’t store the data in the first place, this also means that we can’t be forced into giving away personal data to any government or sell it to any 3rd parties.” - No billing details needed – To get things started you can enjoy a free seven-day trial and all you need is a valid email address. Any billing information will only need to be entered if you wish to continue using the service.
Price: As low as $2.05 a month when you sign up with the two-year plan.
#6 ProtonVPN
To watch ESPN when abroad you need to be able to rely on a great VPN to ensure you don’t miss any of the big matches taking place whilst you’re gone. We love ProtonVPN for ESPN for the following reasons:
- Unlimited Free VPN – There is a freemium service on offer from ProtonVPN that doesn’t have any bandwidth regulations and you can connect to numerous servers in countries like the US, the Netherlands, and Japan. You can only secure one device, but you should also know that you cannot stream or torrent with the free plan. It is handy to remember if you need a smart device covered for secure online banking when you’re traveling.
- True zero-logging policy – This means that this Swiss company will not retain any of your information other than your last timestamp, “ProtonVPN respects its users’ privacy and enforces a No Logs policy. This means your VPN connections remain private and we do not store information about your connections or the websites you visit.”
- Complete security – Military-grade protection as well as IPSec, IKEV2, kill switch, Always on and Secure Core feature will keep your movements safe. “ProtonVPN’s Secure Core architecture gives our secure VPN service the unique ability to defend against network-based attacks. Secure Core protects your connection by routing your traffic through multiple servers before leaving our network. This means an advanced adversary who can monitor the network traffic at the exit server will not be able to discover the true IP address of ProtonVPN users, nor match browsing activity to that IP.”
- 30-day money-back guarantee – If you’re unhappy with ProtonVPN for any particular reason you can always request for your money to be refunded within 30 days. There is also a 7 day free trial of the Plus plan on offer for potential customers.
Price: As low as $4 a month
Read more about ProtonVPN in our expert review.
ESPN Stream Abroad – Frequently Asked Questions
Bottom Line
Our overriding recommendation is not only to use a VPN if you want to watch ESPN internationally, but to sign up for one of ExpressVPN’s well-priced subscription plans.
You can be certain of a reliable service so that you can watch entire sports games, if not tournaments, without missing a point, touch-down or goal.
How do you get around the location requirements by the app?? It now gets your location via the internal gps and blocks you regardless of your vpn….
Hi Jahonn,
Have you tried turning off your phone’s GPS and then activating your VPN to a US IP address?