How to watch UK TV in the USA and Abroad with a VPN

From hilarious comedies to gritty thrillers, the UK certainly has its fair share of excellent shows. However, many of them are UK exclusive, meaning you can only access them via BBC, Channel 4, Sky, and ITV. The problem is, these services are not readily available in the United States.

Luckily, you can circumvent this issue by using a good VPN service. A good VPN can easily bypass geo-blocking so that you can watch UK TV from America and anywhere else around the globe.

Today, we will teach you how to easily do that. By the end of the article, you will know what are the best VPNs and how to stream British TV in US and abroad.

Why do I need to use VPN to stream British TV in US?

As mentioned, British streaming services use geo-blocking to make sure that you are watching shows from the UK. This is because numerous laws and licensing restrictions prohibit the distribution of the content to foreign residents. Therefore, a solid VPN is absolutely crucial if you want to stream UK TV shows.

VPNs can bypass geo-restrictions by connecting you to a UK server and changing your IP address in the process. This way, streaming services will believe that you are a British resident, and all of the shows and movies will become easily accessible.

Using a VPN to watch UK TV abroad is as easy as these four steps:

1. Choose a good VPN service, such as one of the three we recommend in this guide
2. Download and install the VPN app for your device
3. Connect to a VPN server in the UK
4. Enjoy streaming your favorite UK TV shows as normal

However, there are many subpar VPNs that we do not work well for streaming, so let’s quickly learn how to detect them and save ourselves some precious time.

Note: You will still need to pay for the services that require subscription, but a surprising number of them are offering great deals and discounts.

How to choose the best VPNs to stream UK TV shows

To figure out which VPNs are the best for the job, they needed to satisfy the following criteria:

• Have the ability to easily bypass the geo-blocking of British streaming services.
• Have a strong network of UK servers that are fast enough to stream shows in HD without any problems.
• Be user-friendly and include support for as many devices as possible
• Offer additional safety and privacy tools that will keep your device well protected
• Include 24/7 support from VPN experts that will quickly solve your problems

It wasn’t easy, but we managed to find three VPN apps that met (or surpassed) all criteria above:

---

---

---

---

Let’s jump right in and cover them one by one.

NordVPN is the best VPN to stream UK TV

NordVPN impressed us from the get-go, and it’s easy to see why. This VPN service offers consistent and fast bandwidth speeds, top-notch security features, and 440+ servers in London alone.

NordVPNs headquarters are in Panama, which is an important point from a privacy and security perspective. Since it is not based in the US, NordVPN is able to be a 100% no logs VPN that keeps no data. Furthermore, NordVPN runs all of their servers purely on RAM, so no user data is ever saved. By the way, no-logs policy is a gold standard in the world of VPNs.

Now, let’s look at the streaming quality. Over the years, NordVPN was frequently ranked as one of the fastest VPN services, and for a good reason. The reason is NordLynx – a lightning-fast and safe VPN protocol based on WireGuard – a protocol that is making big waves in the industry.

We were skeptical about this, so we decided to test if NordVPN really has an edge over similar services that use other protocols such as OpenVPN. In short, the answer was yes, and you can read more about it in our NordVPN vs ExpressVPN in-depth comparison. To learn about important differences between the two protocols, you can check out our WireGuard vs OpenVPN article.

Below is a screenshot of a NorVPN speed test that surpassed our expectations, especially considering we were connecting from the USA. Getting 295 Mbps from a US location with a UK server is quite impressive.

Aside from excellent bandwidth speeds, NordVPN comes with many useful tools that will bring your privacy and security to a whole other level. These are…

• CyberSec – a feature that reliably shuts down malware and phishing attacks, blocks trackers, and removes ads.
• Threat protection – a powerful, real-time, anti-malware tool.
• Obfuscated servers are slower but will completely conceal the fact that you are using a VPN. This is crucial if you are living in a country where website access is increasingly restrictive, such as China.
• Double-VPN servers – have the option to divert your traffic through 2 servers, which makes your encryption much stronger. And if that’s not enough we have …
• Tor-over-VPN servers – While VPNs protect privacy by hiding what you do, Tor protects anonymity by hiding who you are. Combining the two is currently the safest way to surf the web. However, these servers are much slower, and we can’t recommend them if you wish to watch UK TV in the USA.
• Dedicated IP addresses – Using a VPN with a dedicated IP can be useful in some specific cases, but this is a paid add-on.

See all NordVPN features here >>

NordVPN also has support for a wide variety of devices, including computers, smartphones, smart TVs, Firestick, and more. By purchasing one account, you will be able to stream British TV shows from up to 6 devices at the same time.

Lastly, we should point out that NordVPN has 24/7 live chat customer service available from their website. If for some reason you are unsatisfied with their service, you can appeal to their 30-day money-back guarantee and get a refund. This way, you aren’t risking anything by checking their service. Check out the coupon below to get 63% off.

Take a look at more test results in our in-depth NordVPN review

There are more than enough reasons to use NordVPN to watch UK TV in the USA, but you might also want to consider some of these alternatives.

---

Surfshark – A good way to Stream British TV in US

If you need a more affordable service that still lets you stream British shows with ease, Surfshark is up for the task. It was launched in 2018 and quickly established itself as one of the best VPN services around thanks to its fast and reliable speeds, high-quality server network, and rigorous privacy standards.

Surfshark is officially based in The Netherlands and maintains a strict no-logs policy. Like NordVPN, all of their servers work in purely RAM-disk mode, leaving no trace of your whereabouts. Also, its intuitive interface makes it very easy to learn how to watch UK TV from the USA.

Both Surfshark and NordVPN offer advanced privacy and security features you don’t often find in other VPNs. Surfshark offers these extra features:

• Wireguard support – while you can also use IKEv2 and OpenVPN protocol, Wireguard will provide you with the fastest bandwidth speeds
• Double-VPN – puts an additional level of encryption on your data by connecting you through 2 servers
• Obfuscation – a tool that fools the services into thinking that you are using regular HTTPS traffic. With this on, no one will know that you are using a VPN.
• CleanWeb will do its best to block all ads, trackers, and malware
• Split tunneling – let certain apps bypass VPN and connect directly to the internet

You’ll only need to buy one account to get unlimited connections. Better yet, they can be used simultaneously, so your whole family can watch UK TV in the USA from multiple devices. Surfshark also has professional 24/7 customer service that you can contact via live chat. A 30-day money-back guarantee serves as a nice safety net if you are having any regrets.

Lastly, we should mention that Surfshark works perfectly with other popular streaming services, such as Hulu, HBO, Netflix, and more.

For more information, take a look at our Surfshark VPN review.

---

Use ExpressVPN to easily watch UK TV in the USA

Lastly, we have another premium service that works well for streaming UK TV and that is ExpressVPN. This VPN has a solid network of fast UK servers and adheres to its no-logs policy. This claim is backed up as the service was audited. ExpressVPN is available on all popular devices, and each version utilizes the highest encryption standards.

Instead of building its service on Wireguard, ExpressVPN created its own protocol called Lightway. In our ExpressVPN vs NordVPN comparison, we found that Lightway was not quite as fast as WireGuard, but it also was not slow by any means.

Aside from being a great VPN for Mac OS, Windows, and mobile phones, ExpressVPN also supports less popular devices like Kindle Fire, Amazon Firestick, and Nook Fire. You can easily navigate it even if you are not tech-savvy, due to its straightforward minimalistic design.

When it comes to technical problems, ExpressVPN has your back with 24/7 live support. They also have a ton of guides on their site, which are really useful. If you are still not convinced don’t worry, as you can test ExpressVPN for 30 days. If it doesn’t suit your needs you can simply use their money-back guarantee and get a refund.

You can learn more about the service in our ExpressVPN review.

---

Now, let’s cover some problems that you might encounter with using VPN.

My VPN doesn’t let me stream British shows

Since streaming services are constantly improving their protocols to detect VPNs, it is possible that your VPN just stops working. There are several reasons why this might have happened and you can’t stream British TV in US.

The streaming site has blacklisted all servers that your VPN uses

If that’s the case, your only option is to switch to another VPN service, or wait until your VPN service gets things sorted out.

There are cookies on your device that reveal your true location

To solve this scenario, clear the cache and cookies in your default browser. However, keep in mind that this will also erase saved passwords and various preferences. If the problem persists, you should try using a different browser.

GPS location doesn’t match your new IP address.

You can either try manually changing location in the device settings or use a VPN like Surfshark to do the heavy lifting for you.

Your true IP address is somehow leaking

Look in the settings for leak protection and make sure that it is turned ON.

Note: If none of these solutions work, we recommend that you contact your VPNs customer support. All three of the VPNs we recommend in this article offer 24/7 live chat support.

My streaming device doesn’t have a VPN support

Some devices still don’t let you download or even connect to the VPN directly. But, there’s a workaround you can use to watch UK TV in the USA – simply connect your device with a VPN router. This is an elegant solution if you are looking for a VPN for Apple TV or a Smart TV.

They are usually inexpensive and user friendly. To find the best ones, we recommend that you read our VPN router guide.

You might also be wondering if you really need a premium VPN to stream British TV in the US. Let’s explore this issue in depth.

Can I use a free VPN to watch UK TV in the USA?

In 2022, there are a ton of free VPNs you can try, but we wouldn’t recommend them for streaming shows. The biggest reason is the lack of funding, which, in turn, limits their scalability. That’s why free VPNs frequently have a subpar network of servers, and their download speeds simply can’t match that of paid competition.

This can result in constant buffering when streaming shows, which is really annoying. Additionally, free VPN services frequently put a monthly bandwidth limit, so you can get cut-off mid-episode and ruin your viewing experience.

And let’s not forget that streaming sites are in “war” with VPNs. The providers are constantly looking for new ways to limit their use by blacklisting suspicious domains. Unfortunately, free VPNs don’t have a huge backlog of IP addresses that they can provide if their servers get banned.

Lastly, we believe that using a free VPN can actually have a negative impact on your privacy and security. Many of them have a history of monitoring user activity, usually by installing cookies in your browser, and then selling sensitive info to the ad companies.

Where can I watch UK TV for free?

Surprisingly, there are many services that let you stream British shows in US without paying a dime. For one, BBC iPlayer lets you watch 8 BBC channels, including BBC 1, BBC 2, and BBC4. There, you can find shows like Killing Eve, Blue Planet, and Eastenders. (We also have a guide on the best VPNs for BBC iPlayer.)

ITV is an independent British network that offers 6 of its channels for free, providing that your IP is from the UK. We are talking about ITV 1 – 4, ITVBe, and CITV. These channels have a wide-variety of content, spanning from news and talk shows, to comedies, dramas, and cartoons.

Channel 4 is a public and completely free netwok that you can access from anywhere, along with Sky News, a popular British news channel. They even have a Sky News YouTube channel that lets you watch content live without using VPN.

If you are more into UK sports, we recommend Eleven Sports, not to be confused with Eleven Sports Network, which is a US service. If you have a Pluto TV, you will be able to stream Eleven Sports without connecting to a UK server.

Note that we recommend paying for a premium VPN if you want a smooth streaming experience.

How can I get UK TV channels in the USA?

British services like Channel 4, BBC, and Sky all have geo-blocking, so you will need to use VPN to start streaming UK shows.

1. Find a VPN service that suits your budget

We highly recommend using Surfshark, ExpressVPN, or NordVPN since they have a large network of UK servers and are easy to use. For our top recommendation, you can get this deal: 63% off NordVPN >>

2. Download VPN

Each provider on our list will work on PCs, Macs, Androids, iPhone, SmartTVs, and other popular devices.

Note: If you want to stream British TV in the USA with a mobile device, you will first need to make a mobile hotspot by installing a VPN on your router or computer.

3. Connect to a server that’s in the UK

You will get the best performance by choosing the server that is closest to you.

4. Log–in or register to a British streaming service

Note that these services are not free, so you will still need to buy a subscription. When registering, make sure that you type in a UK zip code or you will get blocked.

5. Find favorite shows and movies and stream British TV in US

You can watch UK TV live or browse through huge libraries of services like BBC.

FAQs