If you’ve been watching YouTube TV with Surfshark and it’s no longer working, don’t panic. There’s an easy way to fix this.
The reason you’re running into problems is because YouTube TV has been able to block all of Surfshark’s IP addresses.
This has happened because Surfshark is no longer able to get around YouTube TV’s VPN blocking techniques.
Fortunately, there’s a number of fixes you can try to resolve Surfshark not working with YouTube TV.
See also:
Surfshark not working with YouTube TV: Simple fixes
Total Time: 2 minutes
-
Delete Cookies
Deleting your cookies is a great place to start when trying to fix Surfshark not working with YouTube TV.
Cookies are small files designed to make your online experience better. But in order to do that, they store information about your physical location. Some websites and apps ask you to accept Cookies when you visit them.
YouTube TV can potentially use these cookies to identify your location. It can do this regardless of if you’re using a VPN or not.
If YouTube TV finds you’re outside of its broadcast zone via these Cookies, it will block your connection. -
Change to a different server on Surfshark
YouTube TV has stopped working with Surfshark because the IP address you have been given has been identified and blocked by the streaming service.
Changing to a different server will provide you with a different IP, and if that one hasn’t been blocked, then YouTube TV will work with Surfshark again.
-
Upgrade to a more reliable VPN
If deleting your Cookies and changing to a different server doesn’t fix Surfshark not working with YouTube TV, then YouTube TV has been able to block all of Surfshark’s current IP addresses.
You can wait for Surfshark to fix the problem on their side, but there’s no telling how long this will take.
The quickest and most effective way to fix Surfshark not working with YouTube TV is to use a VPN that is compatible with YouTube TV.
We recommend ExpressVPN ($6.67/month)
Why isn’t Surfshark working with YouTube TV?
Surfshark has suddenly stopped working with YouTube TV because it has lost the battle in trying to stay ahead of the streaming service’s VPN blocking techniques.
YouTube TV is constantly trying to prevent VPNs from accessing its service. It does this because of broadcast rights.
YouTube TV doesn’t always have international broadcast rights. While some of its content can be accessed anywhere in the world, some of it is restricted to certain regions. These rights are set out via strict licensing and copyright agreements between YouTube TV and its content partners.
If YouTube TV breached these agreements, it could face financial penalties. And because Surfshark is a well-known way of watching YouTube TV outside its broadcast zone, the streaming service tries to block Surfshark.
In doing this, YouTube TV protects itself from the penalties it could potentially face.
How does YouTube TV block Surfshark?
Surfshark has more customers than IP addresses. YouTube TV knows this, and it monitors for an abnormal amount of connections coming from the same IP address.
Because of Surfshark’s model, customers are forced to share IPs. Usually, only a household of devices share the same IP, but with Surfshark, this number could rise into the hundreds or even thousands.
When YouTube TV see’s an abnormal amount of connections coming from the same IP address, it knows it’s an IP provided by Surfshark, and it blocks it.
This happens to all VPNs. However, the best VPNs, ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month), have measures in place to get around this problem. These measures will allow you to watch YouTube TV with a VPN anywhere in the world reliably.
Does YouTube TV still work with VPNs?
YouTube TV still works with a VPN, but you need to use a VPN that still works with the service. You need a VPN that hasn’t had all of its IP addresses blocked by YouTube TV.
You can wait for Surfshark to release more IP addresses, but seeing as you’ve already run into Surfshark not working with YouTube TV, you’ll probably run into it again. This is because it obviously doesn’t have measures in place to stop this from happening.
To fix the problem properly, you need a VPN that plays a game of cat and mouse with YouTube TV. You need a VPN like ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month)
When YouTube TV identifies and blocks an IP provided by ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month), they will close that IP and open a new one. This will allow you to watch YouTube TV from anywhere in the world reliably, and it will prevent you from coming across the same errors you have with Surfshark.
The best VPNs to watch YouTube TV
1. ExpressVPN 🥇
Why You Should Use ExpressVPN? It’s the fastest and MOST reliable VPN of 2023
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. 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.
Read our NordVPN review.
SPECIAL OFFER – SAVE 70%!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
3. 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)
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)
Is watching YouTube TV with a VPN legal?
There are only a handful of countries (spot the authoritarianism link) where using a VPN is illegal; these are: China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, North Korea, Iraq, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Egypt, Eritrea, Seychelles, Suriname, Namibia, Slovenia, Nicaragua and Tajikistan.
If you’re outside these countries and are using a VPN, you’re legally allowed to do so. However, it’s important to know that using a VPN with some streaming services may breach that service’s terms of use.
If you subscribe to a streaming service, you automatically accept its terms of use. If we look at YouTube TV’s terms of use, it doesn’t actually state using a VPN to access its platform is not allowed, however it does say “YouTube TV is only available in the United States.” and “Your current location will find which programs and networks you see. Your access may be limited based on where you’re attempting to use YouTube TV. If you’re traveling, you’ll see the local channels from your current location. YouTube TV is not currently available outside of the United States.”
This means, YouTube TV could potentially stop your subscription and ban you from the streaming service if you try to access its content outside the US with a VPN turned on.
With that said there are many legitimate and legal use cases for VPNs, like online privacy and anonymity. It’s fair to suggest that banning customers for using a VPN would be a heavy-handed and financially costly policy for YouTube TV (and other streaming services) to enforce.
In theory, if you’re trying to watch a streaming service (that you pay for) in a region where it does not traditionally operate, you risk having your account banned. However, the best VPNs for YouTube TV use military-grade encryption, it’s impossible for streaming services to trace where you’re physically accessing its content from. And there’s one final thing to note on the subject: YouTube TV has never banned anyone for using a VPN to access its service.
For more information you can check out article answering Is streaming with a VPN legal?
