In this article I will explain how to watch Australian TV in the UK.
If you’re an Australian expat living in the UK, you may be missing some of your favourite Australian TV channels. Unfortunately, if you’re in the UK, you can’t just login to your favourite Australian TV websites and watch content like you do back home. Even if you pay for them. You’ll come across an error that says something like, “this content is only available in Australia.”
Fortunately, there is a straightforward fix for this. You need a VPN that will spoof your location and make it appear as if you’re using an Aussie internet connection. Once you’ve done this, you’ll be able to watch Australian TV from anywhere in the world.
In this guide, I will explain how easy it is to watch Australian TV in the UK using a VPN and also how you can make sure you never run into a “this content is only available in Australia” error again.
See Also:
- How to watch Stan outside of Australia
- How to watch 7plus outside of Australia
- Betfair not working with your VPN? There’s a simple fix!
How to watch Australian TV in the UK: Quick Guide
If you want to watch Australian TV in the UK, or anywhere in the world, you need to spoof your IP address to make it appear as if you’re connecting from somewhere in Australia. The best (and easiest) way to do this is to use a VPN.
VPN’s use a combination of military-grade encryption and a global network of servers that reroute your internet connection to a location of your choice. This simple, but effective, technique is all that’s needed to watch Australian TV in the UK (or anywhere).
Be careful though. Not all VPNs are created equal. Some VPNs will only provide you with old and slow servers that were detected, and blocked, by Australian TV websites a long time ago.
If you want a VPN that provides you with a reliable connection to Aussie TV sites, we recommend ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month). These VPN providers have fast servers all around the world and are compatible with most Australian TV channels.
It is important to know that if the channel you are trying to watch has a subscription fee, you will still need to pay for the service no matter where you are.
If you already have an account for a subscription-based Australian TV channel or you are trying to watch free to air channels like ABC iView, SBS on Demand, 7plus, 9now and Ten Play, the process is simple. All you have to do is follow the steps below, and you’ll be able to watch Australian TV in the UK.
Create a new account with ExpressVPN ($6.67/month)
Download and install the new VPN app
Select an Australian server
Create an account for the channel
Watch Australian TV in the UK
Why can’t I watch Australian TV in the UK?
You run into errors when trying to stream Australian TV in the UK because of copyright and licensing issues.
Most, if not all, Australian TV channels only have the rights to be broadcast inside Australian borders; they do not have the rights to broadcast their content internationally. This is the same for their online streaming platforms.
To avoid potential copyright issues, Australian TV channels block users from accessing their content outside of Australia. They do this using geo-blocking technology which identifies your location and blocks you if you aren’t inside the channels broadcast zone, in this case, Australia.
How do Australian streaming services know I’m not in Australia?
The way Australian streaming services identify your location is all to do with your IP address.
Whenever you connect to the internet, your device is assigned a unique IP address. An IP address is the internet equivalent of an area code on a phone number.
When you connect to a website or online service, your IP address is sent to that service’s servers, and it contains information about your device and your location.
For example, if you go to ABC iView, your IP address will be sent to ABC iView’s servers. This is readable by ABC iView, and it contains information about your location. As soon as the Australian streaming service sees you aren’t in its broadcast zone, it will block your connection.
This is why you need a VPN to watch Australian TV in the UK.
What is a VPN?
A VPN (virtual private network) is a service that creates an encrypted online connection. VPNs then reroute your device’s encrypted data through their own servers (you can select the location). This makes it appear as if your internet connection is no longer coming from your device – rather, it’s coming from the VPN server in a location of your choosing.
To watch Australian TV in the UK, all you need to do is connect to a VPN server in Australia. Your internet traffic will be rerouted through an Australian IP address and this will fool the channel you are trying to watch into thinking you are trying to view the service from within Australian borders.
The best VPNs have servers all over the world. They also provide fast and reliable Australian servers so you can consistently watch Australian TV in the UK. We recommend ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month)
Do Australian streaming services block VPNs?
The quick answer is yes. Sort of. However, they don’t have the capacity to block an entire VPN service, only the IP addresses the VPN provides.
Australian TV channels block IP addresses provided by VPNs using three main methods.
- Streaming services constantly monitor for IP, DNS and WebRTC leaks. This test is basic. But cheaper VPNs will fail it, meaning your connection isn’t fully secure and will be blacklisted. Good VPNs such as ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) will not fail this basic test.
- There are GeoIP databases that collect IP information and verify the IP address you are connecting from. If your VPN is using an IP address that is in one of these databases, you won’t be able to stream Australian TV in the UK.
- Australian streaming services make their own IP checks. If the channel detects a large number of connections coming from the same IP address at the same time, they know that that is an IP address provided by a VPN, and they will blacklist that IP address.
How do I get around Australian TV channels blocking my VPN?
It’s very simple; you need a good VPN provider that stays one step ahead of the checks.
A good VPN like ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) will play a game of Cat and Mouse with Australian TV streaming services. When the channel blacklists an IP address, the best VPNs like ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) will close that IP address and open a new one. This means you will be able to consistently watch your favourite Australian TV in the UK without needing to worry about your service being blacklisted.
Below is a list of all the best VPNs to watch Australian TV in the UK. They all play cat and mouse with streaming services, and they all have fast, reliable Australian servers to use.
VPNs that work with Australian TV
1. ExpressVPN 🥇
Why You Should Use ExpressVPN? It’s the fastest and MOST reliable VPN of 2022
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
Special Offer for you!
Get 3 extra months free when you sign up for a 12-month ExpressVPN plan. That’s 15 months in total for the price of 12.
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
- $6.66/month for 15 months
- $9.99/month for 6 months
- $12.95/month for 1 month
ExpressVPN ($6.66/month) is still the best VPN. And importantly, it ALWAYS has servers that are open with major streaming sites such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, etc.
ExpressVPN is usually very good at playing Cat and Mouse with online streaming sites. 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 prevents its IPs from getting blacklisted for “abnormal” usage in the first place.
Check out our full ExpressVPN review.
Special Offer for you
(30-day money-back guarantee)
2. Private Internet Access 🥈
The BEST low-cost 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 for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 25,000+ | Speed: >75% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 70 in 74 countries | Devices supported: 10 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.03/month for 3 years
- $7.50/month for 6 months
- $11.99/month for 1 month
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-day 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).
Special Offer – Save 83%
(30-day money-back guarantee)
3. NordVPN 🥉
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
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 for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/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
- $3.49/month for 2 years
- $6.99/month for 1 year
- $11.95/month for 1 month
NordVPN is the most widely-used VPN in the world. And it’s 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 a 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 tunneling 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.
SPECIAL OFFER – SAVE 70%!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
4. Ivacy
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ Dedicated streaming servers
- ✅ 5-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
Cons
- ❌ Only 5 devices
- ❌ Sometimes runs slow
- ❌ Occasionally block by streaming sites for several days
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for Ivacy and enjoy a 7-day trial with no strings attached
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
- $1.16/month for 5 years
- $3.50/month for 1 year
- $9.99/month for 1 month
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.
Special Offer – 7-day FREE trial!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
5. CyberGhost
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
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
Take advantage of CyberGhost’s 1-day FREE TRIAL!
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
- $2.75/month for 3 years
- $3.69/month for 2 years
- $5.99/month for 1 year
- $12.99/month for 1 month
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.
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
(30-day money-back guarantee)
