Showtime, founded in 1976, is one of the most well-known cable and satellite television networks in America. Since then, it has grown to near-goliath proportions, with an estimated 30 million homes served in 2016. It’s also dramatically increased its online-only services, with the introduction of sho.com (akin to HBO Now) and Showtime Anytime.
Regrettably, Showtime is only accessible to those with a US IP address. Individuals attempting to log in from another country will be unable to access content. The most secure method of doing this is by using a VPN.
A VPN, short for Virtual Private Network, encrypts all data sent and received by your device and tunnels it via an intermediate server. This creates the illusion that you are accessing the web from a place other than your present locale. Additionally, the program makes it very difficult for ISPs, hackers, and government spying organizations to track your online activity.
Subscribing to and utilizing a VPN is entirely legal. Millions of individuals across the globe use VPNs to access the internet without violating any restrictions.
How to watch Showtime when traveling overseas with a VPN
We’ve reviewed the best solution to unblock Showtime using a VPN below, but the ultimate option is yours. Consider the monthly cost if you can sign up for a free trial and how well the service performs in video streaming testing.
Once you’ve chosen a provider, just follow the steps below to configure your VPN and begin watching Showtime.
- Choose a VPN company that allows you to watch Showtime from a foreign location. NordVPN is recommended.
- Log in to the provider’s website and download the relevant software for your device.
- Clear your web browser’s cookies and restart your device.
- Open the VPN application and choose a server in the United States.
- Visit the Showtime website and you should now be able to view all of the content!
The following are the criteria for selecting a VPN for Showtime.
We’ll walk you through a selection of what we believe is the finest VPN that operates perfectly with Showtime in this section. It is rated according to the following criteria:
- Service reliability and speed.
- Numerous server sites in the United States.
- Standards for encryption that are robust.
- Capability of unblocking stuff that has been blocked.
- Android and iOS applications.
- Convenience of usage.
NordVPN
NordVPN is our number one recommendation for Showtime. It surpassed all its rivals in our speed test, and despite its affordability, it does not sacrifice privacy.
NordVPN maintains a log-free policy. On servers, no user data of any kind is stored. This strategy has aided it in evading formal government demands for user data disclosure. Authorities physically seized servers in one instance, but there was no evidence that they could have been used to identify users.
The corporation maintains over 5,000 servers across several countries. The United States alone has nearly 1,700. Additionally, you may choose a server exclusively for video streaming since Nord is one of the few providers that enables customers to choose servers depending on their intended usage of the web.
NordVPN easily circumvents Netflix’s VPN restrictions and is also compatible with Hulu and BBC iPlayer.
Its encryption standards are often regarded as the industry’s finest. By default, the firm uses the 256-bit AES protocol in conjunction with 2,048-bit SSL keys. By default, DNS leak prevention is enabled.
Android and iOS applications are available, as well as desktop support for Linux, Windows, and MacOS.
Should I use a free VPN to bypass Showtime’s blocking?
On the internet, there are an overwhelming number of free VPNs. They seem to be an excellent alternative at first glance, since they often do not demand a credit card for enrollment. However, we must caution you that you will likely acquire just a fraction of the pleasure offered by premium choices.
Free VPNs lack the wide server networks, sophisticated encryption mechanisms, and limitless bandwidth that premium VPNs provide. Weak encryption standards imply that your connection will be unstable at all times, and bandwidth restrictions will almost certainly result in sluggish video streaming of substantially worse quality.
It’s critical to note that free VPN services are far from charitable. They must generate revenue to cover costs like server upkeep, payroll, and other overheads. Which method of monetization is most likely? The users who are unaware.
That is precisely why your screen is inundated with intrusive advertisements whenever you connect to a free VPN. In other instances, free VPN providers have also recorded and sold customer data for profit. You’re also placing your computer in serious danger of malware infestation. That is why we believe it is better for you to avoid them.
Certain VPNs to avoid
Apart from the general advice to avoid free VPN services, there are a few particular providers that we believe you should avoid. That is because we think that VPN providers have a moral and ethical obligation to protect your data at all costs. When that trust is betrayed, we consider it a red signal. After all, one of the primary reasons for joining up is to retain online anonymity.
Here are two firms whose ideology does not prioritize consumer interests:
Hola VPN
Israel-based Hola is a well-known peer-to-peer VPN provider with a Chrome plugin. It formerly had a user base of around 50 million. Regrettably, it used the PCs on which it was installed as puppets in a vast botnet army.
This meant that a portion of the bandwidth allocated to individual Hola users was utilized to conduct Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, promote illegal content, and distribute pornography. This is without the user’s permission in any way.
PureVPN
Recently, allegations surfaced in the media that a cyberstalking suspect had been apprehended after the well-known VPN service PureVPN disclosed user information to law enforcement authorities. Although the corporation has a no-logging policy, it collaborated with the FBI to identify Ryan Lin, a Massachusetts citizen suspected of stalking an anonymous 24-year-old woman.
Ryan was accused of hacking into the victim’s Apple iCloud and Google Drive accounts, stealing personal data, and using the information to blackmail her. He subscribed to a VPN service in the hope that it would obliterate his trails and render him undetectable to law enforcement officials.
At PrivacyExplore, we categorically oppose the use of a VPN to circumvent laws or commit atrocious activity. However, we believe that VPN companies must be upfront and transparent with their consumers. You cannot assert one thing while doing another, since this is a deception of the truth.
How to watch Showtime on a computer, tablet, or smartphone
Showtime is also compatible with the following devices in addition to PCs, Macbooks, iOS, and Android:
- Roku
- PlayStation Vue
- Amazon Fire TV
- Android TV
- Xbox One
Because these devices by default do not allow VPN applications, there is no native software that you can install and use. To circumvent this limitation, we propose using a VPN on a virtual router. This is feasible because most PCs that are capable of connecting to wifi can also send their own wifi signals—similar to how smartphones establish mobile wifi hotspots.
In our tutorials, you’ll learn how to configure a VPN on a virtual router for Windows and Mac devices.
Additionally, if the firmware is enabled, you may configure a VPN on a physical router. DD-WRT is one such firmware, which is available for free and is compatible with a broad variety of router types.