How to watch UK TV in Australia
Heidi Finigan | Last Updated:
VPN Streaming Expert
Whether you reside in Australia or just spending your holiday there, accessing popular British TV channels from this country is practically impossible. For example, to stop anyone from outside the UK from viewing their content, BBC iPlayer and Sky TV are often geoblocked, and they aren’t the only ones. In fact, due to licensing rights and privacy laws, many British streaming services, financial cities, and even sensitive search engine results will stay hidden from everyone outside the UK.
Fortunately, your problem could be resolved with a Virtual Private Network or VPN for short. It works by masking your IP address and creating another one, making it appear like you are browsing from a different location. VPNs often offer physical geolocation for a new IP address from another country, which can come in handy when traveling or trying to obtain information that’s blocked in your country. So if you want to watch UK TV in Australia, all you have to do is get a VPN and let it generate you a UK IP address, which will allow you access to any website from the UK.
QUICK TIPS: Follow these steps to get up and running with UK TV while in Australia:
- First and foremost, find the best and most reliable VPN service— we strongly recommend ExpressVPN due to ability to successfully unblock UK streaming websites.
- Subscribe to a VPN service (start with a 1 month subscription to see if you like it)
- Login to the VPN service, download and install the vpn app for your device (e.g. pc, mac, android, ios, tablet)
- Open the vpn app, and select any UK server and hit the Connect button.
- Once connected, open your preferred UK streaming app or website. (i.e. either BBC iPlayer or Sky TV UK).
- You’ll now be able to watch all your favourite British TV channels while located in Australia – without being geoblocked!
Our Top Recommendations
Not all vpn service providers are able to get around the restrictions that BBC iPlayer and Sky TV put in place to prevent you from accessing their streaming service while outside of the UK. It really is a game of cat and mouse. Some vpn service providers are better than others when it comes to staying one step ahead of these UK streaming companies. If you want to make sure that you can quickly and easily connect and start streaming without any issues, we suggest that stick to the well-known vpn service providers – quite simply, they have the technical expertise and resources to get around any restrictions that BBC iPlayer and Sky TV UK try and put in place. Here are our current top recommendation for a hassle-free UK content streaming experience:
1. ExpressVPN
- Supported Devices:
ExpressVPN is one of the most popular choices, as it works on a wide variety of devices and provides several useful features. Here are some of the reasons you might want to choose ExpressVPN:
- You won’t have to compromise speed: Accessing a website through a VPN server can sometimes cause this site to load a lot slower, but with ExpressVPN, you will never have this problem. Streaming a UK channel from across the ocean will work just as fast as it would in the country of origin.
- You can use it on up to 5 devices at a time: Another great thing about ExpressVPN is that it can be used by several different devices simultaneously. You can use it to binge on your favorite TV show, while your friends or family are watching something else on their gadget.
- Works with the major streaming services: Besides TV channels such as BBC or Sky, this VPN can be the perfect option for accessing online streaming services, including Netflix UK. Whats more, some of its features will even allow you access to sites that look for VPNs and block them.
- Compatible with most devices: Although it’s mostly recommended to provide the ultimate experience when used on smart TVs, this VPN is compatible with almost any mobile you can think of, including smartphones, PCs, and game consoles.
- Has several servers in the UK: If you are going to watch a TV channel from another country, you will need to have connecting servers in the original country. Fortunately, ExpressVPN has four servers located in the UK, so you will for sure find the one that works best for you.
1. NordVPN
- Supported Devices:
NordVPN is another reliable network you can use to access streaming or other restricted websites from anywhere around the globe. These are the top reasons to opt for NordVPN:
- Allows streaming at unlimited speeds: Regardless of the content you are accessing, fast loading will always be guaranteed. As long as your smart device supports it, NordVPN will work on an unlimited bandwidth so you can get the most out of your experience.
- Capable of breaking any geoblock: Some UK channels use very complex geoblocking methods and are hard to access even through VPNs. However, NordVPN knows how to get around all these measures and will grant you a pass to these sites.
- A wide selection of UK servers: Smaller networks are sometimes even harder to access due to the lack of server proximity. However, with over 450 UK servers, NordVPN will have no trouble connecting you to any British TV or website.
How to Watch UK TV in Australia – FAQs
What’s the purpose of geoblocking in the UK?
Every content produced by a UK channel has to be licensed out to be reproduced by another country. The official channels in the countries pay for these licenses, but the free UK streams aren’t obligated to do that. And because these streams don’t provide revenue for the channel, they end up being blocked.
Is accessing a British channel through VPN legal?
While in some countries around the world using VPNs is considered illegal, fortunately, this is not the case in the UK. You can use VPNs to legally access any British website while vacationing in a foreign country, whether you want to unlock a streaming channel or browse a search engine.
How to use BBC iPlayer VPN?
Using the BBC iPlayer is pretty simple, although you will only need to create a user account for it. For this, you will need to possess a British TV license and allow your postcode to be used when you are making the account. Once you are done with this, streaming UK channels will be free of charge and stress.
How does BBC iPlayer block VPNs?
BBC iPlayer is one of the hardest UK streaming channels to access because its capable of detecting and blocking many lower-quality VPNs. For some free VPNs, even one strong geoblock can present an enormous roadblock, let alone multiple. It’s advised to use VPNs that have several different servers to access streaming channels, such as BBC iPlayer, so if one gets blocked, the VPN automatically moves onto another server.
What other streaming services can I access with a VPN?
Besides BBC iPlayer, through VPNs, you can watch several other popular online streaming services provided by a wide variety of channels as well. By choosing a VPN with a capability of unlocking different types of geoblocking services, you can access popular services like BT Sport, Sky Go, All 4, Eurosport Player, or ITV Hub.
How to avoid buffering with a VPN?
The best way to avoid the annoying buffering of your favorite videos is by connecting to a VPN server that’s close to your physical location. The farther the VPN server is from you, the more additional servers your connections go through, slowing it down. Opting for a VPN with extended server locations around can prevent you from waiting for steams to load.
PRIVACY ALERT: Websites you visit can see your current IP Address:
- Your IP Address: 43.250.140.30
- Your Location: Beaconsfield, AU
- Your Internet Provider: Synergy Wholesale PTY LTD
* Scammers, Governments, and Advertisers can use this information to track and target you.
Our recommended vpn service provider for general all-round internet security and online privacy is ExpressVPN. It offers an excellent selection of online security and internet privacy features, excellent speed, and the ability to unblock your favorite streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer).
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