If you try and access BritBox in NZ, you will run into an error that says, “Unfortunately, BritBox is not currently available where you are.”
This is annoying, and the reason you’re running into this error is because BritBox hasn’t been officially released here, and it doesn’t have the rights to broadcast its content in New Zealand.
The good news is you can easily watch BritBox in NZ right now. All you need is a reliable VPN that is compatible with BritBox, and you’ll be able to stream its content from anywhere in the world. This article will explain how you can get a VPN that will allow you to watch BritBox reliably in NZ.
See also:
- How to watch BBC iPlayer in New Zealand (March 2021)
- How to watch ITV Hub in NZ: Get ITV Player in New Zealand (2021)
- Betfair not working with your VPN? There’s a simple fix!
How to watch Britbox in NZ: Video Guide
Countries where BritBox is available
BritBox has been officially released in the following 5 countries:
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Canada
- Australia
- South Africa
How to watch BritBox in NZ
In order to watch BritBox in NZ, you need an IP address based in one of the countries where the service is available. Without one, BritBox will be blocked, and you will not be able to stream any content on the platform.
The easiest way to change your IP address is by using a reliable VPN like NordVPN ($3.49/month) or Ivacy ($1.33/month). These VPNs will allow you to change your IP address to one based in a country where BritBox has been released. This will unblock the content, and you will be able to watch BritBox in NZ.
Total Time: 5 minutes
Get a VPN that works with BritBox
To stream BritBox reliably in NZ, you need to get a VPN that is compatible with the service. A compatible VPN will have a network of fast servers all around the world, and it will have measures in place to stay one step ahead of BritBox’s blocking measures.
We recommend NordVPN ($3.49/month) or Ivacy ($1.33/month). These are two of the best VPNs on the market. They have reliable servers in all the countries where BritBox is available, and they allow you to stream BritBox in NZ consistently.
Download and install your new VPN
This part is easy. All you need to do is install the VPN on your device. For those who are using a VPN on a PC or Mac, the download link can be found on the website where you signed up. For those using tablets or phones, these VPNs have apps on the Apple Store and the Google Play Store.
Connect to a server based in a country where BritBox is available.
BritBox is currently available in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and South Africa. Good VPNs like NordVPN ($3.49/month) or Ivacy ($1.33/month) have servers in all of these countries. Select a server-based in one of these nations and connect to it.
Watch BritBox in NZ
Now that you’re connected to a VPN server, BritBox will no longer be blocked, and you’ll be able to stream the content in NZ. You’ll have to sign up for an account with BritBox. Make sure you have your VPN on and connected when you do this, otherwise it won’t work.
Why can’t I access BritBox in NZ?
BritBox hasn’t been officially released in NZ. You’ll be able to go on the platform. However, you will run into an error that says, “Unfortunately, BritBox is not currently available where you are.” The content will not be available to you.
The reason for this is all to do with content licensing. BritBox does not have the broadcast rights to stream its content in NZ. The only countries where it has these rights are the UK, US, Canada, Australia and South Africa.
Because of potential copyright and licensing issues, BritBox blocks anyone outside of the countries where it has broadcasting rights from accessing its content. It does this using geo-blocking technology, and its the reason why you are running into errors when trying to stream BritBox in NZ.
Why do I need to use a VPN?
BritBox blocks your connection if you’re not connecting from a UK IP address.
Whenever you connect to the internet, your device is given a unique IP. This is very similar to the area code on a landline phone. It identifies where in the world, you are connecting to the internet.
BritBox scans your IP address when you connect to its service, and if it finds you are outside of its broadcast zone, it blocks your connection. The easiest way to get around this is to change your IP address to one that is based in a country where BritBox is available. This is what good VPNs like NordVPN ($3.49/month) or Ivacy ($1.33/month) allow you to do.
NordVPN ($3.49/month) and Ivacy ($1.33/month) allow you to trick BritBox into thinking you are trying to access the content from a country of your choice. If you connect to a server where BritBox has been released, the content will be unblocked, and you’ll be able to watch BritBox in NZ.
Will any VPN work?
The quick answer is no, not every VPN will work. This is because BritBox tries to block VPNs, and not all providers have measures in place to get around these blocks.
BritBox isn’t able to blacklist an entire VPN service, but it is able to block the IPs that VPNs provide. It does this by monitoring for an abnormal amount of connections coming from the same IP address. VPNs have more customers than they do IP addresses. This can often cause situations where IP addresses are shared between customers. When BritBox identifies hundreds or thousands of connections coming from the same IP, it knows that that is an IP provided by a VPN, and it blocks it.
Lesser VPNs struggle to keep up with BritBox’s blocking techniques, and often, VPNs won’t work with the service. The good news is that good VPNs like NordVPN ($3.49/month) or Ivacy ($1.33/month) have measures in place to make sure you can consistently watch BritBox in NZ. When BritBox identifies a VPN provided IP and blacklists it, NordVPN ($3.49/month) and Ivacy ($1.33/month) close that IP address and open a new one. It allows them to stay one step ahead of BritBox, and it ensures you’ll be able to watch BritBox in NZ reliably.
The Best VPNs to watch BritBox in NZ
1. NordVPN
The best (& fastest) VPN of 2021!
Pros
- Fast servers
- No logs
- Thousands of IP addresses
- 6-simultaneous connections
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Easy-to-use app
Cons
- No refunds for purchases from iTunes/App store
SPECIAL OFFER – $3.49/month
Number of servers: 5,000+ | Speeds: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 62 countries | Devices supported: 6 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
NordVPN is the most widely-used VPN in the world. And its easy to see why. It’s a polished app that delivers fast connections (more on this later) to a massive network of VPN servers.
It’s the most reliable at unblocking popular streaming services too – US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. This is because NordVPN hired full-time technical team (that’s responsible for monitoring its servers connections with popular TV streaming services) and has been aggressively investing in its network of IP addresses in key locations.
Another interesting thing to note is that NordVPN is an industry leader in its development of Nordlynx technology. Nordlynx is built using the WireGuard, a new VPN tunnelling protocol designed to outperform current standards (OpenVPN and IPSec). The benefits, according to NordVPN, are dramatically faster transfer speeds while connected to a VPN. My tests – New Zealand to London – confirm that Nordlynx is currently the fastest VPN on the market. However, the difference isn’t dramatic, a few Mbps is all.
2. Ivacy
The BEST low-cost VPN
Pros
- Fast servers
- Thousands of IP addresses
- Dedicated streaming servers
- 5-simultaneous connections
- 24/7 Live Chat
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Only 5 devices
- Sometimes runs slow
- Occasionally blocked by streaming sites
SPECIAL OFFER: 7-DAY TRIAL ($0.99)
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
If you’re looking for an excellent VPN, with an even better price tag, Ivacy ($1.16/month) is a great option.
This VPN has all the features you need to stream BBC iPlayer, in HD, from any country in the world. I’ve been testing the app recently on Mac, PC, Android, iOS and FireStick and the results have been impressive – unlocking BBC iPlayer, US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. with ease.
The Ivacy app is a little different in regards to its UX (user experience). Instead of just selecting a UK server, you need to select the specific BBC iPlayer server. Don’t worry, this isn’t a bad thing – by connecting to a dedicated BBC iPlayer server, it simply means that you’re connecting to an IP address that Ivacy knows works with BBC iPlayer.
For an extra $1.99/month (£1.74) you can add-on a dedicated IP. This will buy you sole access to an IP address in a country of your choice, meaning you won’t have to share your IP (and speeds) with any other use. I don’t recommend this though, using the regular Ivacy servers is enough 95 per cent of the time.
3. ExpressVPN
A very reliable and fast VPN
Pros
- Fast servers
- Thousands of IP addresses
- 10-simultaneous connections
- 24/7 Live Chat
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Easy-to-use app
Cons
- Expensive
SPECIAL OFFER – 3-MONTHS FREE!
Number of servers: 3,000+ | Speed: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 160 in 94 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
ExpressVPN is still one of the best VPNs you can buy. However, we’ve got it ranked in the number three spot for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s the most expensive VPN on the market. This was understandable when it was also the fastest and most reliable VPN too. But now it’s not. NordVPN is. ExpressVPN has recently been struggling to unblock some big streaming sites – BBC iPlayer and BeIN Sports – too.
And importantly, it ALWAYS has servers that are open with major streaming sites such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video etc.
ExpressVPN is usually very good at playing Cat and Mouse with online streaming sites (apart from BBC iPlayer). Meaning, whenever one of its servers is blacklisted it creates a new one – giving its users a constant stream of servers that aren’t blocked. Needless to say, this is a valuable attribute if you’re looking for a VPN to unblock streaming sites.
Its app is easy-to-use and free to download on pretty much any device you can think of. Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, FireStick, Android TV, Roku, PS4, Xbox, Linux, even Apple TV (with a workaround). It’s got it all covered.
The app is another main reason this VPN is so good at unblocking TV streaming sites (that claim they block VPNs) is that its software takes a pragmatic approach to user management. While other VPNs tempt customers by promising them access to hundreds/thousands of servers in multiple countries, ExpressVPN does things differently.
With ExpressVPN you only have a handful of server locations to choose from. Once you select your location the app takes care of the rest. Assigning you to the fastest available server that’s not oversubscribed. This simple technique is so important, as it keeps ExpressVPN’s servers operating at lightning-fast speeds and prevent its IPs from getting blacklisted for “abnormal” usage in the first place.
4. Private Internet Access
The BEST mid-range VPN for streaming!
Pros
- Fast and reliable servers
- Thousands of IP addresses
- 10-simultaneous connections
- 24/7 Live Chat
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Only 48 server locations
SPECIAL OFFER – SAVE 82%!
30-day money-back guarantee
Number of servers: 25,000+ | Speeds: >75% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 70 in 74 countries | Devices supported: 10 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
Private Internet Access is one of the leading no-log VPN services with over 1 million paying customers.
This VPN is one of the best in the industry at beating streaming sites’ VPN bans. It provides reliable connections with US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ Amazon Prime Video, etc. It also allows 10 simultaneous devices to be connected to its servers at the same time, so you can share the account with your close friends.
If, for whatever reason, you’re not happy with Private Internet Access, there’s a 24/7 live chat support available to assist you with your problem. PIA also offers the industry-standard 30-days money-back guarantee.
From my tests (from New Zealand) I was able to get download speeds of 70 Mbps while connected to a UK server using the Private Internet Access VPN (my non-VPN speed is 100 Mbps).
5. CyberGhost
Pros
- 1-day free trial
- Reliable servers
- Thousands of IP addresses
- 7-simultaneous connections
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Easy-to-use app
Cons
- Expensive
- Average speed scores
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
30-day money-back guarantee
Number of servers: 6,000+ | Speeds: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 200 in 90 countries | Devices supported: 7 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
CyberGhost is one of the more established VPNs on the market. It has a well-established, and well-tested global network of servers that perform well.
From my tests over the past several months, CyberGhost has no trouble at unblocking major streaming services – US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max etc. This VPN performed well at maintaining download speeds, well above 65 per cent of my regular (non VPN) ISP speed.
That said, there’s nothing really unique about the service. Which forces you to look at its price-point. And there’s nothing special here. Its short-term $12.99/month price tag puts is well above the industry average of $10.10/month. Similarly, its long-term $2.75/month for 3 years deal isn’t much of a “deal” either.
Oddly, CyberGhost’s most unique feature is its a 1-day, no obligations, free trial. This is an appealing offer to customers who are new to VPNs. However, it’s important to remember that most reputable VPNs will offer customers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so try not to be too seduced by the offer.
