Are you a lover of travel and American TV? Maybe you’re a US expat? Or just love US programs? Well, no matter your location, you can continue watching your favorite US programs and films.
There are tons of reasons to watch US TV from outside the country. For instance, you might want to binge-watch your favorite series, watch US news and politics, sports, and much more.
Now, you happen to be outside the US, and all you want is catch up on your favorite TV show, then you’re greeted by this: “Sorry, currently our video library can only be streamed within the US.”
Fortunately, there’s an easy way to get around this…use a VPN! How to access US TV abroad using a VPN? Well, read on.
- Unconditional 30-day money-back guarantee
- No activity logs and no connection logs
- Easy-to-use apps for all devices
About US TV
The first TVs were seen in the early 1800s, with the first TV stations in America appearing in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
Commercially produced American electronic TV sets were first released in 1938 and became an instant hit after release. And as of 1947, only a few thousand US citizens owned TVs.
Flash-forward, today, TV is a critical form of communication found in billions of homes across the world. What’s more online television and other broadcasting know-hows are changing the future of watching TV. Thanks to Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming services.
Note that, free-to-air and over-to-air TV don’t need any fees, while cable, virtual MVPD, direct broadcast satellite (DBS), and IPTV all require (monthly) payments.
While the US provides some of the best comedies, action shows, and dramas, they are only available in the USA. And there’s the problem.
Some of the most popular channels in the United States today include ABC, NBC, FOX, Comedy Central, and CBS.
The good thing, you can watch these channels (and more) outside the US provided you’re subscribed and connected to a VPN server in the US.
How to Watch Blocked US TV Overseas?
Currently, thousands of entertainment and informative programs are aired on US TV. Still, the audience for these programs is spreading fast outside the US.
Thankfully, almost all US TV stations put their content on the internet. Much better, NBC, ABC, and CBC offer free live streams. For these reasons, you can watch US TV via live online broadcasts and catch-up services.
While there’s a lot you can watch, viewers outside the US will be blocked. But this isn’t a deal-breaker for fans of US TV—you can still watch your favorite program using a VPN.
To watch geo-blocked US television programs, you need an internet connection and a VPN service installed on your smart device (smart TV, smartphone, tablet, etc.).
The right VPN allows you to watch the restricted US TV programs by virtually moving your smart device’s location to the US. How it does that?
A VPN service assigns your smart device a temporary American IP address—your device connects to a VPN server that’s located in the US, hiding your real IP address.
With the right VPN service, you can not only watch US TV but also stream restricted content (American Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime, etc.) and access region-blocked websites.
Most premium VPNs also hide your online activities. For this reason, your ISP, governments, and hackers can’t access your browsing history.
Which VPN Provider Works the Best?
A VPN isn’t only useful if you want to stream US TV movies and shows from abroad, but can also secure your connection. This is attributed mainly to a VPN’s ability to encrypt your traffic, protecting you from snoopers and thieves.
In as much as VPNs are meant to help you unblock restricted content, and enjoy secure streaming, not all VPNs are created equal.
So, what makes a good VPN for watching US TV abroad? Of course, a good VPN should unblock a wide range of US libraries. Fast. Yes, viewers need fast speeds for streaming, with minimal loss performance.
Note that the more servers a VPN service provides, the quicker you can connect and stream your favorite TV series.
The best VPN providers have multiple US locations and location cloaking abilities. It’s no good subscribing to a VPN service that doesn’t have a server in the US because this will make streaming US TV abroad impossible.
Aside from unblocking and fast streaming abilities, an ideal VPN should offer reliable security and privacy protections.
Staying anonymous while online is important to most folks. As a result, your VPN of choice needs to provide an additional layer of security and confidentiality features.
A Great All-Rounder: ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is our #1 VPN service since it works well with about all (if not all) free and paid-for US streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, Amazon, HBO Now, and Hulu.
The VPN is compatible with numerous devices, including smart TVs and consoles. On the same note, apps are available for macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, routers, BlackBerry, and Kindle Fire Devices.
Plus, the service comes with additional instructions for several other devices. Also, it provides browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.
ExpressVPN packs a whole loooad of US servers. The VPN provider has over 3,000 servers in 94 countries spread across 160 locations and allows you to choose from over 25 servers located in the US. Due to this, the service is awfully fast!
To test their performance, one of the US servers gave us an average speed of 110.43 Mbps. And yes, the VPN automatically connects you to the best server for the fastest speeds possible. Plus, it doesn’t limit bandwidth, as well; the VPN stops throttling.
The software secures your connection using military-grade 256-bit encryption, with a selection of security protocols including OpenVPN, SSTP, PPTP, L2TP, and IPSec. The good thing, these protocols can be selected automatically or manually.
The service comes with Network Lock, which is ExpressVPN’s kill switch. As such, if your connection is interrupted, your personal data isn’t compromised.
ExpressVPN is located in the British Virgin Islands, which is a collection of self-governing Islands in the Caribbean. The best of all, they have no data-retention laws, which further solidifies your data-privacy.
For furthered security, the provider adheres to an audited no-logs policy. This robust security policy warranties that the company doesn’t record or store your connection times and IP address aren’t; as such, your privacy is in safe hands using the VPN.
While ExpressVPN isn’t the cheapest VPN on the market, it offers you extra-strong encryptions, and the much needed unblocking abilities to bypass advanced censorships in places like China.
Notwithstanding the said, out of the 3 subscription plans available. The annual plan is the most affordable. Bonus: it comes with 3 free months added on. What’s more, you can pay anonymously using Bitcoin.
Into the bargain, a single account lets you stream on up to 5 devices simultaneously. Better yet, the provider offers a hard to beat risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
Since not all of the VPN’s US servers work with all American streaming outlets, be sure to ask a customer rep for support via their 24/7 live chat.
How to Watch US TV Overseas Using ExpressVPN
Installing ExpressVPN on your macOS or Windows PC is easy. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to download, install, and set up the VPN on your device.
- Go to the ExpressVPN website, and choose 1 out of its 3 payment plans.
- Sign up for ExpressVPN when prompted, then install the service on your Mac or PC.
- Launch the VPN client on your desktop, then click the “Choose Location” button and select a US server.
- Hurray! You’re now ready to watch US TV in a foreign country.
Conclusion
Many popular American TV stations offer a large selection of the latest hit series streaming on their online platforms.
While these streaming services are only accessible by residents in the US, top-rated premium VPNs can help you bypass this barrier, allowing you to stream US TV anonymously and securely. No matter your location.
ExpressVPN is our top recommendation for users seeking private streaming and supreme unblocking abilities.
Among the popular US channels available to ExpressVPN users include movie channels, CBS, FOX, HBO, US Netflix, Hulu, and Disney.
Are you only abroad for about a month? Get ExpressVPN’s 30 days money-back guarantee. This is enough period to thoroughly check the service to establish how simple it is to watch US TV from overseas. Even better, you can cancel it anytime and get a full refund.
