Can you guess what was my favorite television show in 2017? La Casa De Papel. Or more popularly known as Money Heist. It is still top on my list of the best ongoing series. The show gave me a taste of what Spain has to offer in terms of entertainment. And I have to admit I was blown away.
Elite and El Chapo are two other Spanish shows that I loved.
But even with such amazing prospects for awesome movies and shows, Netflix Spain still cowers in the presence of Netflix US.
American Netflix is where all the action is. Not only can you access all the shows that I have mentioned in the US but also there are tons of other titles to choose from. I am therefore not surprised that everyone, not just in Spain, wants to have a piece of American Netflix.
And in this post, we will be showing you how to do exactly that. It’s a very simple process once you have the right tools.
The Easy Way to Watch Netflix US in Spain
To access the Netflix US library, all you need is a VPN software. It works by changing your IP address so that it looks like you are accessing Netflix from the US. Though that’s the easy part.
Choosing the best VPN to use is the tricky part. There are more than 60 options to consider and it does not help that they all claim to bypass the Netflix geographical restrictions.
Luckily, we have tested all the popular VPN solutions and we can thus recommend one that works best. Express VPN. It surpasses all the other VPNs in every aspect.
It has the best speeds, has multiple server locations in the US and it has had the most success avoiding detection by Netflix.
We will discuss these features in detail later in the post.
Netflix Spain vs Netflix US
It’s not until you have done an actual comparison of both regions that you begin to realize how limited the Spain Library is. Netflix does not provide you with a way to do this so we use Unogs. An unofficial platform where you can search for Netflix titles.
The last time I checked, Spain had a total of 3628 titles in its library. Not a bad number but it’s 2,159 fewer than the US which has 5,787 titles. These numbers are always changing and different sources may have different figures but the bottom line is that there is a huge difference.
You would think that Netflix will try to compensate for this by lowering the prices for Netflix Spain but, Nope. Both the US and Spain standard subscriptions cost about the same price.
And something else you have not considered is that a significant number of titles in the Spanish Library are exclusive local content. Which means that the number of shows and movies that can be viewed on Netflix US but are unavailable on Netflix Spain is even bigger than 2,159.
Why Does Netflix Block Content in Spain
The most prevalent reason is because of legal obligations. Since Netflix does not own most of the titles in their list, they have to approach the owners and buy the streaming rights. These could be Movie Studios, Television Networks, or independent producers.
Since content licensing and copyright laws vary in each country and most of these production companies are based in the US, they may impose geo-restrictions so that their content cannot be viewed outside the US.
Now when Netflix buys the right, they have no choice but to implement the restrictions.
Another possible reason is that another company already owns the exclusive rights to stream a particular title in Spain.
The streaming rights are sold on a country by country basis. So, it’s possible for Netflix to win the streaming rights for a movie or show in the US but then another streaming service wins the rights to stream the same title in another country like Spain.
In this case, the title would be available on American Netflix but blocked in Spain.
And finally, Netflix may block a title simply because there is no demand for it in Spain. It does not make economic sense for them to buy the streaming rights to a country where only a few people will watch the title.
Is Unblocking Netflix Using a VPN Illegal
I am yet to encounter anyone who has been arrested for using a VPN to bypass the geo-restrictions. Also, Netflix won’t take any drastic measures like blocking your account.
However, it is against their terms of service so they can’t take it lying down.
Therefore, Netflix has come up with an algorithm to detect when you are using a VPN connection and they will consequently block you from accessing the site until you have disconnected.
Choose the wrong VPN software and this is the message you will be met with any time you try to connect to Netflix.
How Does a VPN Software Unblock Netflix
First, let’s look at how Netflix is able to block content in the first place.
They check your IP address which contains information about the region you are connecting from. It does not pinpoint your exact location but Netflix can tell which city in Spain you are connecting from.
And once they have that information, you are automatically directed to the Spanish Netflix.
So what a VPN does is plant their servers as a middleman between you and the web. Now when you send a connection request it has to pass through the VPN server in the location that you chose.
In our case, it’s the US Server. The VPN will then hide your real IP address and assign you a new US-based IP address. That is the IP that Netflix will see.
And just like that, you are in the American Netflix Library.
In case you are a little confused, an IP address is a unique identification number that is assigned to your device when you connect to the internet.
Why is Express VPN the Best for Accessing American Netflix in Spain
Express VPN is not the only VPN that can unblock Netflix but from past experiences, it is the most consistent.
While other VPN solutions are getting blocked, it still remains undetected. And even in those instances when it has been discovered by Netflix, Express VPN is very quick to update its IP addresses allowing its users to continue viewing the US Netflix.
These are some of the other reasons I think you should consider using Express VPN.
Ease of Use
Once you have installed the Express VPN application on the device you will be using to stream Netflix, you just need your intuition to navigate through its interface.
The location selection button is clearly labeled and so is the connect button. Or you can just double-click on the location you want to use and it will connect automatically.
Multiple Device Compatibility
Express VPN is available for all the popular devices. In addition to computer and mobile phone applications, it can also be installed on Samsung smart tv, Amazon Fire Stick, Playstation, Xbox and other similar devices.
It can also be manually set up on a router, on chrome cast and NVidia shield.
Excellent Streaming Speeds
Considering the bandwidth-intensive nature of video streaming, your VPN of choice should have a minimal effect on your connection speeds. Which is what Express VPN promises.
It allows you to stream in full HD and you don’t have to worry about constant buffering unless it’s a problem you have been experiencing.
Multiple Server Locations
This is a critical feature as it helps to avoid detection by Netflix. The more server locations a VPN has in a specific country the more IP addresses they can allocate their users. This consequently makes it harder for Netflix to flag down the IP as originating from a VPN server.
Express VPN has 28 servers in the US.
30-day Money-back Guarantee
From the moment you purchase Express VPN, you have 30 days to change your mind about the purchase.
So, if you cannot unblock Netflix during this period or you are unsatisfied with any other aspect of the product you can request a refund. But before you do, try and contact their support team to see if they can resolve the issue.
They have a live chat option that is available 24/7. And even better, their agents respond in less than a minute.
Unblocks other Streaming Services in Multiple Locations
If you are subscribed to other streaming services like Prime Video or Hulu, Express VPN will also allow you to access their US library. The VPN also has servers in other countries like Canada, UK, France, and Germany that you use to access exclusive content in these countries.
Increased Security
The added advantage of using Express VPN or any other VPN for that matter is that it encrypts your internet traffic thus preventing hackers and advertisers from accessing your personal data.
Express VPN uses OpenVPN connection protocol and AES 256 bit encryption, which is the best in the industry.
Conclusion
Netflix Spain has a decent amount of titles but still, it’s nothing compared to Netflix US.
Therefore, if you are looking for a deserved break from the limited content in the Spain library, a VPN is your best bet. And there is no better software than Express VPN that we can recommend for the unblocking task.
