How to Watch UK TV Abroad : How To Watch Free TV Abroad
Just want a solution quickly? Here’s the summary
- Choose a VPN with fast UK servers – E.g. NordVPN
- Scroll down and watch the videos if you want help
- Install the VPN Client Software
- Enable the software and connect to a UK Server (for NordVPN use the BBC ones below)
- Login Using Your Free Account if required(Just create one if you need)
- Say \”Yes\” to the TV license question (there’s no check!)
- Enjoy the BBC , ITV Hub and all UK TV channels etc exactly like you would from the UK.
The Easy Way to Enjoy British Television in Any Country
There are a few ways of being able to watch British TV overseas, but by far the simplest and cheapest is to access the online services of the main channels. The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and 5 all have excellent websites and stream the majority of their programmes online. Indeed if you include the subscription channels like Sky Go, Netflix and BT then there’s really no need to deprive yourself of the best in British television.
Unfortunately Most UK TV is Blocked Abroad?
The problem is that all these channels operate something called region locking which means that if you try and access from a ‘non-UK’ location then you’ll be blocked from streaming all the programmes. So if you try and visit the BBC website from a French internet connection for example you’ll be redirected to the international version of the BBC. The focus on this version is more global news stories but there is another crucial difference – you can’t watch any TV programmes on it! Here’s a screen shot of the BBC International page and you’ll see it’s missing the radio and TV buttons at the top of the pages.
Other TV channels simply block access to any of the videos when you try and play them which is perhaps even worse. All the UK channels do this, even the subscription models i.e. you might pay Sky for your subscription but Sky GO won’t be accessible when you’re physically outside the UK. It doesn’t matter which country you’re in, the block applies to any non-domestic internet connection – BBC iPlayer is not even accessible from Ireland.
First of all, it’s important to remember that it’s not just British TV stations that does this. Virtually every major media site does exactly the same from ABC in Australia, CTV in Canada to the many US TV stations like NBC. Every single one of them restricts free access (plus usually even the premium too) to domestic customers. Can you believe the internet was meant to be like this? We’re all basically restricted to content in our home country and everyone else blocked !
Why Do These TV Stations Block Access ?
Well it’s basically about money or specifically because of copyright and rights restrictions. These are normally allocated on a per country basis, so to allow access to the world then you need to have rights for all content in every country. Companies like the BBC could possibly do this to some extent (if they wanted to) as they own and produce the majority of their content. However most TV stations buy in lots of their shows and thus have limited broadcasting rights and only in specific countries.
How to use a VPN to watch UK TV abroad
The technology is called geolocation or geotargeting and it’s becoming more and more common online. Basically when you visit a website it checks where you are located and customises what you can (or cannot) access. The media firms usually use it to restrict their streams to domestic customers. Other companies tailor their sites for different preferences based on your location. Sometimes this is actually beneficial for example when you’re redirected to a matching language variant.
So it’s not all bad, yet there seem to be more negative implementations appearing than positive ones. There are so many restrictions based on your physical location appearing it’s difficult to keep track of them. You’ll find many companies offer different prices depending on your location, maximising their profits – a method called price discrimination.
The secret is to take back control of your online identity and location, instead of websites controlling your access based on your location. So you can access the same web sites like the BBC in France, in UK or any other country in the world.
Fortunately the technology that implements these restrictions is rather easy to bypass and simply involves hiding your real location. You can do this by routing your internet connection through something called a VPN server. When you do this the web site sees the IP address of the VPN server and not your real one. If you ensure that this VPN server is based in the UK with a British IP address then everything will work perfectly.
How to Watch British TV Overseas
Choosing the right VPN is crucial though as unfortunately in 2022 not all of them work with the larger TV stations. BBC iPlayer is particularly good at blocking VPN services connecting to their site.
One of the Earliest VPNs for the BBC Streaming Service – Identity Cloaker
Let’s have a look at some options – this is the first VPN service I used over 15 years ago on holiday in Turkey.
It’s primarily a security program, with some very advanced features. However there are many people who have been using this for over a decade to access BBC iPlayer and the other British TV channels. It costs a little more than most of the mainstream VPN services but it’s extremely reliable for watching British TV.
NordVPN – Great for British TV Show Access From Any Location
Another option that works well with all the British TV channels is called NordVPN. It’s one of the biggest names in VPN services and has an impressive number of servers plus applications that support most devices. One of the best feature is that they maintain a set of servers configured for UK television access primarily the BBC iPlayer. These servers have their IP addresses switched routinely and are monitored to ensure their addresses are not blocked.
Nord VPN BBC Servers – Recommended for All UK Streaming Sites
If you want to access BBC iPlayer or ITV Hub then use the following servers. Don’t use the auto-connect feature, they might work but these are more reliable. You should add the servers which work best for UK Television to your favourites.
UK# 1840-1847, 1850-1863, 1865, 1869, 1873, 1875-1878, 1880-1881, 1900-1901, 1903-1904, 1911, 1913, 1917, 1919-1920.
Here you can see how easy it is, a method which works for anyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re on holiday, enjoying an expat retirement or simply love British television if you can hide your IP address you can watch UK TV abroad free online whenever you like.
Simply ‘bounce’ your internet connection through a UK based VPN server and you’ll not only get complete privacy but also the ability to access any UK only based content. You’ll have full access to all the delights of all the UK TV Channels such as the BBC iPlayer including live TV and radio, the BBC News channel, BBC iPlayer archive and the ability to download programmes to watch offline. As long as the VPN server is based in the UK and you have a reasonably fast internet connection then you won’t see any difference than connecting from the UK.
Simple Way to Watch British TV Online from Any Country
The same technique works with the ITV Hub and channels 4 and 5 online. Also if you have an active Sky subscription then connecting to the UK VPN will allow you access to Sky GO also. It’s also useful for controlling regional variations too, if you enable the the US connection before you access Netflix you’ll get the USA version instead of the local one. This is worth the subscription cost on it’s own as the US version of Netflix is by far the best. So remember to switch your VPN connection to a US one so you can get even more films and TV shows on Netflix too.
For many people the ability to enjoy the BBC and watch ITV player abroad is much better value than paying for a domestic satellite or cable account. If you travel a lot then there’s even more reason to take control of your own internet connection too.
Hang On ! Don’t I Need a UK TV Licence?
If you’re living in the UK and accessing the BBC in any form then yes you absolutely should have a TV license. For UK citizens there are big fines for those who are caught without one. However if you’re outside the UK then you can’t actually buy a TV licence anyway. It’s true that when you use the BBC iPlayer application you will be asked occasionally if you have a UK TV licence.
BBC TV Licence Request
It looks a bit scary but you just have to say – “I have a TV Licence. Watch Now’ and you’ll be fine. There are no checks, no request for licence numbers or any sort of validation at all. So if you can cope with this little fib then you’ll have complete access from abroad as long as you’ve hidden your IP address using a VPN or similar.
If you say you don’t have a TV license then you’ll be routed away to the International Version which has no TV streaming functionality at all. So if you’ve invested in a VPN subscription you need to pretend you’ve got a TV licence. Of course many people travelling or on holiday from the UK will have one anyway, so can answer yes completely legitimately.
What is the best VPN for Watching UK TV abroad?
A VPN subscription opens up the internet and provides a valuable level of security for anyone especially when travelling. If you use a VPN it’s actually safe to check your webmail or online banking from various Wifi access points across the world. The VPN demonstrated in the first video is called Identity Cloaker and has been providing this low key service for well over a decade now. You can even connect the VPN from other devices like tablets and smartphones just follow the instructions in the members areas – it’s the easiest way to watch UK TV free of charge from anywhere.
It’s very simple to use, but it’s always best to try out the short trial first to see how it works. You’ll be impressed and remember it enables all the other UK channels too like ITV, Channel 4 and 5. Even use it to watch Sky Go abroad and UK Netflix, although you’ll need subscriptions to those.
Identity Cloaker Trial
The second video demonstrates another VPN program called NordVPN. They are probably the largest VPN provider and one of the few bigger companies to support access to both BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub in the UK. It’s much cheaper if you select one of the longer subscription plans and there’s always some sort of offer on, check the link below. For using on devices other than computers and laptops then NordVPN is your best option. There are apps for most devices and even a Smart DNS version you can use on devices like media streamers.
Latest NordVPN Offers
FAQ – UK TV Questions
Here’s a few additional questions that have been sent to this page over the years.
Can I Watch UK TV Abroad Legally?
Amazingly some people worry that they’re doing something illegal when using a VPN in this way. However, you’re not breaking any law in the country you’re in but simply breaking the BBC’s (or ITVXs) terms and conditions about using their site (along with literally millions of other people!). So you can’t get fined, arrested – you can just get blocked which is what the TV channels try to do. Potentially you could get your BBC or ITVX accounts deleted but I’ve never heard of this happening and they’re free anyway so you could create another one. You can watch individual UK TV programmes abroad when they’re licensed to different companies but nothing close to the real BBC and ITVX site.