NordVPN not working with Showtime? Try these EASY fixes! (September 2023)

If you’ve been watching Showtime with NordVPN and it’s suddenly stopped working, Showtime has managed to identify the IP address NordVPN has given you and has blocked it.

This has happened because the measures NordVPN uses to ensure it works reliably with Showtime are no longer working.

Although this can be frustrating, the good news is there’s a number of fixes you can try to resolve the issue.

This article will explain how to fix NordVPN not working with Showtime.

See also:

• How to watch Showtime outside the US: The EASY method! (September 2023)
• Showtime not working with VPN? Try these EASY fixes! (September 2023)

NordVPN not working with Showtime: Fixes

Here’s a list of steps you can try to fix NordVPN not working with Showtime.

Try them in order. If one doesn’t work move on to the next one until you can watch Showtime with a VPN reliably again.

Why isn’t NordVPN working with Showtime?

Showtime is constantly trying to block VPNs from accessing its service. It does this because it only has the rights to broadcast its content in the US.

Because VPNs are a well-known and effective way of watching Showtime in countries where it doesn’t have the rights to broadcast its content, Showtime tries to block them.

If it didn’t do this, it could face severe fines for making its content available in a location where it doesn’t have the rights to broadcast its content.

NordVPN isn’t working with Showtime because it is no longer able to get around Showtime’s VPN blocks.

How does Showtime block NordVPN?

Showtime constantly scans the IP addresses that connect to its service. It does this because it’s looking for an abnormal amount of connections coming from the same IP address.

Usually, only a household of devices will connect to Showtime via the same IP. This equates to roughly 8-10 connections.

Because NordVPN is a very popular VPN, it has a lot of customers. When this happens, it struggles to keep up with the demand and can’t provide private IP addresses for every customer. In this case, NordVPN forces its customers to share IP addresses.

When all these users connect to Showtime via the same IP address, Showtime sees it as abnormal and knows it’s an IP address provided by NordVPN. In this case, it blocks the connection.

Does Showtime still work with VPNs?

Yes, it does, but you need to use a VPN that can get around Showtime’s VPN-blocking methods.

To do this, the VPN needs to be fast, needs to be secure, and it needs to have measures that are currently working to ensure it stays one step ahead of Showtime’s blocks.

The best VPN for this is ExpressVPN ($6.66/month). I’ve been using ExpressVPN ($6.66/month) to watch Showtime reliably outside the US, and I have never come across any issues.

It has several fast servers based in the US, it’s incredibly secure, and it has reliable measures in place that ensure it works reliably with Showtime.

These measures will ensure you can watch the streaming service anywhere in the world, and you won’t come across the same issues you’ve run into with NordVPN.

Disclaimer: Showtime is getting better and better at identifying and blocking IP addresses provided by VPNs. The best practice for being able to watch Showtime reliably is to have multiple VPNs. Even the best VPNs get blocked by Showtime from time to time. Subscribing to two VPNs will ensure that you can continue to watch Showtime while the other VPN fixes the issues on its end if needed. 

The best VPNs for Showtime

Is watching Showtime with a VPN legal?

Yes, streaming Showtime with a VPN is legal, so long as you aren’t in a country where using a VPN is prohibited. Currently, China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, North Korea, Iraq, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Egypt, Eritrea, Seychelles, Suriname, Namibia, Slovenia, Nicaragua and Tajikistan are the countries that heavily restrict or outright prohibit VPNs.

So long as you aren’t in one of these countries using a VPN with Showtime is legal, however you should know that using a VPN does go against Showtime’s terms and conditions.

When you sign up to Showtime you automatically agree to the terms and conditions. This is a contractual agreement that outlines the conditions and rights you have when using Showtime. In here it says “The Services are intended solely and exclusively for residents of the United States, its territories and possessions (“U.S.”) while they are located in the U.S. Use of and registration for the Services are void where prohibited. We may use technology to limit access to the Services from outside the U.S. Your location may not be identified accurately by the technology we use, so you may be unable to access the Services or parts thereof even if you are located in an area in which we intend to provide access. You consent to Provider and its third party providers determining your location for purposes of providing the Services. Software available in connection with Services may be subject to U.S. export control laws. You agree not to export or re-export such software in violation of U.S. export control laws.”

What this means is, if you’re using a VPN to watch Showtime outside the US, you’re going against the terms of use and Showtime is within its rights to ban your account for doing so.

However, given the wide-spread use of VPNs, plus the many legitimate and legal use cases for VPNs, it’s fair to suggest that banning customers for using a VPN would be an extremely costly policy for Showtime to enforce.

In theory, if you’re trying to watch Showtime outside the US, you risk having your account banned. However, as the best VPNs use military-grade encryption, it’s impossible for Showtime to trace where you’re physically accessing its content from.

There’s also one final thing to note on the subject: Showtime has never banned anyone for using a VPN to access its service.

For more information you can check out our article answering Is streaming with a VPN legal?