If you’ve attempted to watch CBC while traveling, you’ve almost certainly encountered one of the following errors: “We’re sorry, this content is not available in your location.” or “Outside of Canada, the full Gem experience is not available.” Fortunately, there is a simple solution to this problem: use a VPN for CBC.
These errors occur because CBC has determined that you are presently located in an unsupported country based on your IP address. While this kind of geo-blocking is necessary for copyright protection, there is no disputing that overseas passengers are disproportionately harmed.
The good news is that there is a rather simple solution. All you need is a Canadian IP address, which you may get via the use of a Virtual Private Network, or VPN. Additionally, these services encrypt your traffic, ensuring that your online activities remain hidden from prying eyes.
How to watch CBC from anywhere through a VPN
While this may seem somewhat sophisticated, the process of using a VPN could not be easier. Simply follow these instructions to watch CBC in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Australia, or anywhere else.
- Begin by registering for the VPN mentioned below (we particularly recommend NordVPN).
- Install the VPN client on any device used for streaming. Do not be concerned if there are multiple, since the majority of providers allow for at least five concurrent connections.
- Log in and choose one of the Canadian servers offered. This will alter your IP address, making it impossible for CBC to determine your real location.
- Log on to CBC or CBC Gem and try to view anything. Videos should begin automatically and without a problem. If not, reset your cookies to remove any previous location data and retry. If the issue persists, contact the customer care staff for further assistance.
Contrary to what their marketing departments may want you to think, not all VPNs are good for streaming. Some are just too sluggish, resulting in stuttering and logging, while others are unable to circumvent the increasingly sophisticated geo-blocking techniques employed by major streaming sites. We’ll discuss this later, but for now, here’s a brief rundown of our most critical criteria:
- Provides high-speed servers in Canada.
- Compatible with CBC, CBC Gem, and comparable platforms.
- Has applications for all major operating systems and mobile platforms.
- Utilizes robust security features to keep your actions concealed from prying eyes.
- Refuses to record any data that might be used to personally identify you.
How we discovered the best VPN for CBC
If you want to watch your regular services while traveling, you’ll need a VPN that excels in a variety of areas. We’ve listed the most critical aspects of a streaming VPN below, along with an explanation of how each of them may help you watch CBC outside of Canada:
- Canadian servers: Because CBC verifies your IP address, we’ll need a Canadian server to fool the network into believing we’re in Canada. We’d want to have a variety of them available, preferably spread around the nation, so that you may use whatever is nearest.
- Streaming ability: You may want to access other Canadian services at some point. As a result, we’ve given preference to VPNs that operate with Crave, Global TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and TSN.
- Security and privacy: To guarantee your streaming experience is secure, we demand our best VPN include 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, DNS and IPv6 leak prevention, and a no-logs policy. Ideally, sophisticated features such as anti-censorship protocols, split tunneling capability, or a stealth mode would be offered.
- Ease of use: We like services that are friendly to newbies. Our preferred usability features include 24-hour live chat, streaming-optimized servers, cross-platform compatibility, and limitless connections.
FAQs about streaming CBC from abroad
Is it possible to watch CBC from overseas using a free VPN?
Free VPNs seldom perform as advertised. To begin with, they often have a very restricted number of servers, and there may be none in Canada. Typically, performance is a problem as well, with low monthly bandwidth restrictions and speeds that are just too sluggish for streaming. Even if you locate a VPN that meets all of these criteria, there is a considerable possibility that it will be unable to circumvent CBC’s geographic limitations, since this requires significant effort and money to do so reliably.
It’s prudent to be cautious of any security assurances made by a free VPN. Historically, huge, free-to-use ISPs have sold their customers’ bandwidth and even lied about their logging policy. To prevent jeopardizing yourself and your system, we highly advise you to stick with trustworthy paid VPNs, preferably those that are routinely inspected by an external authority.
What is the difference between the CBC and the CBC Gem?
The main CBC website only allows for the viewing of brief excerpts from television programs. There are live broadcasts, but they occur quite seldom. Meanwhile, CBC Gem is the network’s primary streaming offering. This service provides free, ad-supported access to previously broadcast television programs as well as a live stream of each regional CBC station.
Is CBC a free service?
With a free CBC Gem account, you can view anything except CBC News. There are over a dozen regional live feeds and hundreds of hours of on-demand programming available. Premium users, on the other hand, pay CAD $4.99 per month to watch almost entirely ad-free and have early access to CBC Gem-exclusive programming.
What is available on CBC Gem?
CBC Gem has a wide content catalog, ranging from current affairs to reality television. The following is a sampling of what you can watch on CBC:
- 2022 Winter Olympics
- Kim’s Convenience
- Normal People
- The Great British Baking Show
- Made in Canada
- Portlandia
- Under New Management
- The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan
- Grand Designs
- Coronation Street