Watch BBC iPlayer Outside the UK with a VPN
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. A VPN creates a shielded tunnel between your device and the internet. As a result, nobody will be able to see where you are and which websites you visit. If you set up the VPN in the right way, which is very easy to do, BBC iPlayer won’t be able to see you aren’t in the UK, so you can simply gain access. A VPN provides more online privacy, security, and freedom. In the case of BBC iPlayer, the latter is especially important. A VPN gives you the freedom to watch your favorite programs anywhere in the world. This is possible, because a VPN hides your IP address. Instead, you’re assigned the IP address of the VPN server you’re using. Because of this, watching BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world will become easy with a VPN connection. All you need is a subscription to a good and reliable VPN provider with servers in Great Britain. VPN providers usually work with simple apps and software that allow you to make your internet connection anonymous. Most VPNs have software you can use on all your devices, from Mac to Windows and iPhone to Android. Once you have a good VPN, you’ll be able to watch BBC iPlayer in no time.
Watch BBC iPlayer with a VPN: A Quick Step-By-Step Plan
Do you want to watch BBC iPlayer right away, without actually being in the UK? You’ll need a VPN for that. Here’s a short step-by-step guide that will give you free access within minutes.
TV License BBC iPlayer
Recently you can officially only watch BBC iPlayer if you have a “TV License”. When you want to create an account on the BBC iPlayer website the message “Got a TV License?” appears on the screen. BBC does not check if you actually have a UK TV License. It is possible to continue and watch BBC iPlayer without a UK TV license.
The Best VPNs for BBC iPlayer
Not all VPN providers are suitable to watch BBC iPlayer with. You’ll need a VPN with servers in the United Kingdom, first of all. Besides that, you might want to choose a VPN provider that offers decent speeds, so you don’t have to wait for your show to buffer while streaming. Finally, it’s important that the VPN you choose has software that matches your operating system, for example, Windows or iOS. Here’s a list of VPN providers we recommend for watching BBC iPlayer.
NordVPN: dedicated servers for BBC iPlayer
NordVPN is arguably one of the best VPN providers for BBC iPlayer. It has thousands of servers, including many in the United Kingdom. Not all of these servers work with BBC iPlayer, but new ones are often added. Therefore, perhaps with a bit of looking, you’ll always find a server that works, even if iPlayer blocks some of them. Furthermore, NordVPN offers special servers you can use to enable the download function of BBC iPlayer. These are the following British servers: 481, 483, 717-720, 745-752, 757-764, 974-977, 1022-1025, 1044-1045. To choose one of these servers, go to the list of server locations in the NordVPN software and click on the three dots behind “United Kingdom”. NordVPN is a fairly fast VPN and works for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android as well as Linux. In addition, NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. You could use this to try out the service before getting yourself a long-term subscription.
ExpressVPN: fast streaming without buffering
ExpressVPN offers servers at different locations in the UK, so you can easily switch to a different one if a server doesn’t work. Besides the fact that this gives you plenty of choice, all servers are also very fast: ExpressVPN was the undisputed winner of our speed tests. This top speed makes ExpressVPN a suitable provider for streaming in general, not only for BBC iPlayer. Also streaming with Kodi, for example, is easy with ExpressVPN. ExpressVPN is available for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux and has a 30-day money-back guarantee. Furthermore, you can use the service on up to five devices at the same time.
Other providers: CyberGhost and Surfshark
Various other VPN providers are trying to make BBC iPlayer available to their users as well. However, at the time of testing, these did not work for us. The IP addresses of VPN servers often change once in a while, because providers keep adding new servers and replacing old ones. This means there is a chance that the providers listed below will work again soon. First of all, there is CyberGhost. Previously, CyberGhost was known as one of the better free VPN services, but it has since turned into a fully paid service. Still, CyberGhost is a very decent option. They offer specialized servers for all kinds of streaming services, including Netflix USA, Disney Plus, and, of course, BBC iPlayer. Although this VPN couldn’t unblock BBC iPlayer for us at the moment of testing, they are working on this issue and a working server should be up again shortly. The second option that unfortunately didn’t work for us at the moment is Surfshark. Surfshark is a cheap and good alternative to more expensive VPN services, such as ExpressVPN. In many cases, Surfshark is perfect for streaming. When it comes to Netflix, for example, this provider gives you access to various libraries all over the world. We expect that Surfshark will soon be able to unblock BBC iPlayer again, too.
The Best Series on BBC iPlayer
Now that you’ve got free access to BBC iPlayer, you might be wondering what to watch. Here are some of the best and most recent BBC shows we recommend:
Doctor Who: One of the longest-running and most successful sci-fi shows in existence Strictly Come Dancing: A real-life dancing competition not unlike Dancing With the Stars His Dark Materials: A new fantasy show based on the wildly popular books by Phillip Pullman The Capture: A show about deepfake technology that is surprisingly realistic Luther: The hit show about a detective solving crimes, starring Idris Elba Peaky Blinders: A crime and drama show about a gangster family in the 1900s
Of course, BBC iPlayer hosts a league of non-British content as well, and you can use it to watch live television, too. In short, it has more than enough entertainment to fill your evenings. Enjoy!
BBC iPlayer Restrictions Explained
Maybe you’re wondering why you keep running into those geographical restrictions when visiting BBC iPlayer. The truth is this: BBC has the rights to broadcast certain series and films within the United Kingdom. If people from outside the UK try to watch these shows, they won’t get access to the BBC iPlayer. Elsewhere in the world, other television stations have the rights to these series and programs, so BBC can’t show them to you. BBC checks your IP address to determine your location when you visit their iPlayer. If your IP address is located outside of the United Kingdom, you will be denied access. This is where a VPN steps in: it changes your IP address so the BBC thinks you’re in Great Britain. In other words, you’ll be able to get around the block and access the content you want anyway. This doesn’t only work for BBC iPlayer. There are lots of online platforms, services, and websites that are only accessible from certain locations. Perhaps the country you live in uses censorship to hide away large parts of the internet. In such cases, a VPN can help as well. You could use it to get access to Facebook, for example, or to watch football matches anywhere in the world. As mentioned before, a VPN can also give you access to a bigger Netflix library.
Final Thoughts: Watch BBC iPlayer with a VPN
Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN work perfectly with BBC iPlayer. When using one of these VPN’s, you’ll be able to watch all your favorite series, like Eastenders, Masterchef, and Peaky Blinders, on BBC iPlayer. Other providers, such as Surfshark and CyberGhost, also promise to provide access to BBC iPlayer, although these services didn’t work for us when we tested them. Please note that these VPNs might be able to give you access, but aren’t guaranteed to work. If you’d rather look for a good VPN to watch BBC content yourself, take a look at our VPN reviews.
