If you are traveling overseas and want to continue viewing your favorite programs as if you were at home, you will need the assistance of a VPN. A VPN enables you to conceal your true location and access your home streaming services from any point on the planet. We disclose the best VPN for Americans traveling overseas, along with instructions on how to get started, even if you’ve never used one before.
As an American, one of the most difficult aspects of traveling is gaining access to excellent television series. Even in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking nations, access to the newest and most cutting-edge American content is restricted. Most of the world’s countries get US television series one season after the newest US release, if they receive them at all. While American entertainment is distributed worldwide, the audio is often dubbed in foreign-language nations. Therefore, if you’re not a lover of lipreading repeats, you’ll need to brush up on your skills.
The term “VPN” refers to a “virtual private network.” You do not need an information technology degree to use one. While the underlying technology is quite technical, all you need to know is that when you install a VPN, you appear to be in another country to websites, applications, and services on the internet. There are several VPNs available, but only a select few have successfully overcome regional restrictions and unblocked US television channels.
Fortunately, practically all US television stations have made their content available online. You may watch live US television networks such as ABC and CBS or explore on-demand video libraries provided by online video providers and streaming websites such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Sling TV, HBO, and Hulu.
Regrettably, US television streaming services restrict access to internet users outside the nation. Therefore, if you’re traveling outside the United States for a vacation and still want to watch your favorite programs, you’ll need to use technology to keep the entertainment coming. We propose using a VPN to circumvent such limitations. If you’re interested in learning how to stream Hulu in China or how to access Netflix USA in France, continue reading.
Best VPN for Americans living abroad to watch American TV
Our selection of the best VPN for Americans living abroad who want to watch US television is based on the following criteria:
- Fast streaming speeds.
- Capability of disguising one’s whereabouts.
- Compatible with Netflix’s library in the United States of America.
- Numerous sites around the United States offer ways to avoid sports blackouts.
- Strong security measures for usage in authoritarian nations.
NordVPN
NordVPN is another possible option if you’re traveling to a nation with stringent government-imposed restrictions on internet access. This service works effectively in China and can provide access to most US television networks through the internet. Additionally, it enables you to access Netflix’s US collection from overseas. In the United States, the firm operates over 1,500 servers. However, you are not allowed to pick a city while connecting, which may trap you in a blackout if you want to watch US sports such as Major League Baseball.
NordVPN has a lot of intriguing security measures. Through dedicated NordVPN servers, you may access the Tor network. The firm provides “dual hop” connections that send your data via two servers located in separate regions and encrypt your connection twice. Additionally, NordVPN provides additional DDoS protection, which is especially beneficial if you engage in online gaming and are at risk of being targeted by an adversary.
As an additional bonus, you may choose to have a dedicated IP address. This implies that anytime you connect to the service, regardless of where you login from, you will be represented online by the same replacement IP address. In four areas, the firm provides specialized addresses. To have access to US websites, you must request a dedicated IP address from Buffalo. Obtaining a dedicated IP address enables you to host your own media server, such as a Plex Server, on your home network. This means you can save movies and papers at home and then access them all when traveling on a storage-constrained mobile device.
NordVPN’s primary security mechanism is OpenVPN. The company’s implementation protects data using AES encryption and a 256-bit key, while session setup is secured with RSA encryption and a 2048-bit key.
NordVPN apps are available for Windows, Mac OS X, macOS, Android, Linux, and iOS. Manual installation of set-top boxes and routers is possible. If you’re looking for a simple way to protect your browser with a VPN, check out the Chrome and Firefox add-ons.
NordVPN allows for multiple concurrent connections per client.
How to watch US television from overseas
It’s easy to use a VPN to watch your favorite programs. The following is our guide for US expats interested in watching American television overseas through the internet.
- Subscribe to the VPN service of your choice. NordVPN is recommended.
- Appropriate apps for your device may be downloaded through the VPN provider’s website or an approved app store.
- Install the app and log in with your newly created credentials.
- Connect to a server in the United States of America. This will provide you with an American IP address. It makes no difference where the server is located, unless you wish to unblock streaming websites that are limited to a certain US area.
- Navigate to the stream you’d like to watch and enjoy!
If you run into any trouble, you may contact your VPN’s customer service staff for help.
VPN for American TV: Our methods
While there are several VPNs providing servers in the US, many are inappropriate for streaming, whether it is due to sluggish server speeds or poor unblocking capabilities. Our technique helped us uncover the best VPN for US expats to watch American TV from overseas by finding out the following:
- Servers in the US: Of course, the very first thing we look for in a VPN for viewing American TV from abroad is servers in the US. This is how you may get a US IP address from any location in the world. In most situations, the VPN we’ve discussed provides up to 1,000 US servers spread across one or two dozen locations.
- Speed: While having many servers accessible is useful, it means nothing if the connection rates are too poor for streaming. The good news is that we’ve conducted speed testing and discovered the quickest VPN for viewing American television. This VPN provides limitless bandwidth and supports high-definition streaming.
- Unblocking: One area where many VPNs suffer is geo-restrictioned content unblocking. This is especially true for popular streaming services, many of which have anti-VPN procedures in place. By testing them against services such as Disney+ and HBO Max, we discovered the most consistent VPNs.
- Secure surfing and streaming: Whether you’re browsing or streaming, a VPN should encrypt your internet traffic, shielding you from a variety of security concerns. Additional features such as automatic wifi protection and dual VPN servers are available with the VPN we’ve chosen, enhancing your security even further.
- Privacy: Although many VPN providers claim to have no-log policies, this is not always the case. We analyzed over 100 VPN logging policies and their fine print to determine which ones really safeguard your privacy. Under other circumstances, you’ll also be able to sign up anonymously—all you need is a burner email and a Bitcoin payment.
- Ease of use: Regardless of the number of servers or the level of security provided by a VPN service, it should remain simple to use. This entails developing user-friendly applications for both desktop and mobile platforms. Additionally, the VPN included in this article provides live chat and email assistance 24 hours a day.
- Value for money: Even though we have requested the aforementioned, we have not compromised on pricing. The best VPN for viewing US television online from overseas continues to be quite affordable. Choose from affordable month-to-month or multi-year subscriptions and save even more with one of our VPN promo codes.
Our technique for VPN testing includes substantial hands-on time with each VPN. We can then determine whether it provides the aforementioned, as well as to what extent (particularly in relation to speed, security, and unblocking).
How to watch US television from overseas FAQs
How can I access US television when traveling on an Android or iOS device?
In general, the procedures for watching US television overseas are the same regardless of whether you’re streaming on a desktop PC, laptop, or mobile device. Once you’ve installed a VPN and connected to a server in the necessary region, you should be able to access all of your favorite US streaming services regardless of your location.
Having said that, some streaming sites use a technique that is especially intended to identify VPN users on Android and iOS. Certain large broadcasters may cross-reference your IP address with the GPS status of your phone to ensure you are really where you claim to be. A few VPNs enable you to automatically override your GPS location, but more often than not, you’ll need to use a third-party GPS spoofing program.
Can I access Hulu from outside the United States?
Hulu is currently only accessible in the United States and Japan. These nations, however, offer distinct content, so if you’re a US member going to Japan and want to access your home country’s library, you’ll need a VPN.
These services operate by masking your IP address, which is used by streaming sites to establish your location. By connecting to an American server, for example, you may create the illusion of being in the United States, granting you access to services such as Hulu. If you wanted to see the Japanese library, you would simply connect to a Japanese server.
Is it legal to watch American television from abroad?
Obviously, the regulations vary by country, but in the majority of nations, there is no legislation prohibiting the streaming of geo-restricted content from locations outside of its original broadcast region. It’s worth mentioning that doing so will almost certainly violate the terms of service for the service you’re using. This is not a cause for alarm: even if a platform detects your use of a VPN, the most severe result is likely to be an invitation to disable it.
Where can I watch free American television series online?
Numerous American television networks provide free internet viewing of their programming. Indeed, some cable networks have no objection to you streaming recently broadcast shows on-demand for a brief period (usually a week or so). Consider the following examples of some of the most popular American networks that provide a free live stream or free-to-watch episodes:
- CBS
- NBC
- ABC
- FOX
- TNT Drama
- The CW
- PBS
What are the limitations on video access in the United States of America?
It’s fantastic to have the option of watching television through the internet. Certain subscription-based entertainment services, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, are only accessible online. They are, however, not accessible to everyone on the planet.
Certain websites demand that you subscribe before you can view their content. Payments are not, however, the only restriction they impose on viewers. Additionally, you must be at the proper place. If you fly to Hawaii or Miami for vacation, you will be unaware of these access limits. This is because access to video streams is restricted in order to enforce national limits. As a result, when you go overseas, you will discover that all of the video sites you use at home are no longer functional. This might be especially aggravating if you are attempting to access a paid service.
The term “regional restrictions” or “geo-location restrictions.” refers to video access controls. This form of control is used by all legitimate video streaming sites. That implies that not only do video sites in the United States of America restrict access to residents, but practically all video sites worldwide do the same thing—except for pirate sites.
How do they track me down?
Each device connected to the internet must have its own IP address, called an IP address. In most residential scenarios, an internet service provider assigns an IP address to a computer or mobile device. Each IP address on the planet may be linked back to a specific physical location.
Your connection’s IP address is unlikely to be registered to your home address, but it will be registered to your ISP. Your IP address will be traceable to the city in which it is located. If you reside in rural areas, your IP address may be traced to the next large city. Even if the video service you access will not be able to track you to your door, the nearby city provides enough information to the video streaming server to determine whether to provide the video stream to your computer.
Regional limitations often take effect at the time of video distribution. Premium services such as Amazon Prime and Spotify require you to sign up in the country in which you want to use the service. If you are not physically present in that nation, you will be unable to see videos. Netflix is unique in that it allows you to view the services in the nation in which you are now located, regardless of where you subscribed.
How might VPNs be beneficial?
When you connect to a VPN, you must choose a server from a list. The locations of each server will be shown in the list. When you click on a server, your computer’s client software creates a secure connection to that distant computer. All traffic leaving and returning to your computer will indicate that you are talking to the specified server address. This is advantageous if you live in a nation that attempts to block citizens from accessing specific websites located outside the country. In this segment, no one can see that you are really connecting to other addresses over the VPN server. The VPN encrypts all communication between your computer and the VPN, including the address of the service to which you are really connected, making sure that anybody trying to track your activity cannot know who you are speaking with.
When connecting to a US video streaming service from overseas, you must choose a VPN server located in the United States. Once the VPN server receives the video request, it decrypts it and forwards it to the video server using its own address. When the video site’s content server determines your location, it will see a US IP address rather than the real place you are (Paris, for example). The US location indicates that you are allowed to view the video, and hence the server will transmit the stream code back to the VPN server.
All of the data is encrypted and sent to your computer through the VPN server. No one prying on your traffic will notice that a video is being sent to your computer, and they will have no idea where it originated from. Your computer’s VPN client software gathers incoming data, decrypts it, and transmits it to your video player.
Is it possible to use any VPN to get US video streaming?
The technology employed by video streaming providers to determine their location is rather advanced. Free and low-cost VPNs lack the financial resources to spend on evading detection. Thus, although there are some free services available, they will not assist you in accessing American television when traveling overseas.
Another factor to consider when choosing a VPN for foreign video streaming is speed. All encryption, decryption, and traffic rerouting add to the delay in video transmission. Free services often have slow speeds. This is because, like ISPs, they must pay for carrying networks to transport their traffic globally.
These intermediary networks provide varying degrees of service, with faster connections at a premium. VPN providers that are trying to save money sometimes choose for slower, less expensive connection speeds, which may result in video transmission being too sluggish to view.
The location checks that video content servers do also attempt to identify requests received over VPNs. This is because video streaming providers are required to limit access to their content to residents of certain countries. They must use all possible means to implement the ban, which includes disabling VPN assistance.
You’ll note that the VPN suggested as the best VPN for streaming US videos from overseas can get you into Netflix USA. This demonstrates how tough it is to circumvent the site’s VPN detection mechanisms. Free VPNs will almost certainly not get you in.
Does a VPN affect the speed of my connection?
A VPN secures data sent between your device and the internet. These additional steps are common and can cause a slight slowdown in your connection speed. However, if you’re already experiencing sluggish connections due to ISP throttling, it’s possible that a VPN speeds up your connection. The fastest VPN provide limitless bandwidth and are more than fast enough for high definition and even 4K streaming.
How can I access Netflix in the United States from abroad?
Netflix is making a concerted effort to prohibit VPN usage. As a result, many VPNs are incompatible with streaming services. Fortunately, our research uncovered the best VPN for Netflix, which is lightning fast and very simple to use. To access US Netflix from outside the country, connect to a VPN server in the United States to get a US IP address. After that, the content should be available in your location (though you may need to delete your browser’s cookies to see the changes take effect).