VPNs help to keep you anonymous online and maintain your security. They prevent the government, advertisers, and ISPs from monitoring and tracking your online activities. But privacy, security, and online anonymity are not the only reasons VPN services are in demand. They have many uses; the biggest is allowing users to access more movies and TV shows.
But how does this work?
Take YouTube TV, for example. It is one of the most popular streaming services allowing users to access over a hundred channels like FOX, ESPN, CNN, ABC News, BET Her, Animal Planet, Comedy Central, Food Network, etc. The service is one of the best ways to get your daily dose of entertainment, news, and live sports from around the USA. Try this streaming service for free and choose between Base Plan or Spanish Plan.
Although everything sounds wonderful, YouTube TV is only available in the USA because of licensing restrictions. So anybody outside of the USA cannot benefit from this streaming service. But luckily, VPNs can help unblock YouTube TV outside the USA so everyone can access this streaming service. Using a VPN, you can connect to the IP address of the USA and then easily stream YouTube TV from any country.
Steps for Using a VPN with Streaming Services
- Select your VPN network
The first step is to select a quality VPN to download it, and one of the frontrunners for streaming is Surfshark. To learn how to download VPN, you can read more.
- Install and sign up
Once the VPN is downloaded and installed, the second step is to sign up for the VPN service and choose a subscription plan that suits your budget and needs.
- Log into your preferred streaming site
The third step is to sign in to a streaming site of your choice, close the tab and launch VPN. Then, connect to your chosen server and open the streaming service in your browser. Finally, search for your favorite TV and movies.
For example, if you want to watch the current shows on NBC’s streaming service Peacock and you don’t live in the USA, you must change the server location to the USA.
How do VPNs Work with YouTube TV and Other Streaming Services?
The available streaming services geo-block content in various ways. For example, some show different content depending on your location, while others are only available from a specific country. The most popular streaming services are outlined below.
- YouTube TV – YouTube TV is the most significant streaming service for linear, live television in the USA. It offers the best combination of streaming specs and channels. The site boasts over five million subscribers. With a YouTube TV membership, you will get six accounts that can be shared with family members or roommates. Each member gets their own login, individual DVR Library, and customized content recommendations. Membership offers up to three simultaneous streams. The only drawback is the streaming service is not available to anyone outside the USA. So whether you are traveling outside the US or want to access the site from anywhere else in the world, you will need a VPN.
- Netflix – One of the most popular streaming sites is Netflix, and this service has over 231 million subscribers worldwide. The service offers original content and a vast library of movies and TV shows. However, in certain territories, Netflix licenses content that other streaming providers license. For instance, The Silence of the Lambs is only available on Netflix Canada, but Netflix users outside Canada have to take memberships of other streaming sites to watch this content. The best solution is to use a VPN to virtually relocate to Canada and watch The Silence of the Lambs and other content.
- Amazon Prime Video – Prime works differently than other streaming services. Wherever you are in the world, you will get content from the country you signed up in. But if you go abroad, you will find very little content to watch. You can use a VPN to bypass this and virtually head back home to watch all your favorite shows and movies.
- BBC iPlayer – The streaming service of BBC offers a vast amount of global and British TV. However, it is only available in the UK. So if you are in the USA or anywhere in the world, you cannot watch the content on this streaming service. This can be a significant problem for Britishers traveling abroad. Luckily, you can use a VPN to change your location back to the UK when you are abroad, and the issue is fixed quickly. But you must be aware that you must be a TV license holder to watch content on the BBC iPlayer.
- Disney+ – Disney+ does not aggressively restrict content like Netflix, but some content, especially Star content, is restricted in some regions. You can access the restricted content by using VPN and changing the location to a country that offers full access to content.
So this is how you can use VPNs to access YouTube TV and other popular streaming services.
FAQs
- Can you use VPN to stream content on your mobile devices?
A VPN can be set up on almost all devices, including your computer, laptop, smartphone, and even your Wi-Fi router. In addition, VPN services are available for all operating systems and platforms.
So you can watch your go-to American shows and movies while holidaying in Japan.
- Will the VPN slow your Internet speed?
Unfortunately, no VPN service can make your Internet connection faster, and some VPN servers cannot handle your video streaming needs.
However, VPNs like Surfshark, NordVPN, and ExpressVPN offer a wide range of servers to choose from, so the impact on your connection speed is negligible.
It is essential to note that sometimes ISPs throttle data and bandwidth when they notice too much Internet traffic. This may result in buffering issues when streaming content, but VPN solves this problem.
- Is it legal to use a VPN?
VPN is legal in most countries, including Japan, Germany, the UK, the USA, etc. But some countries restrict the use of VPNs like Russia. So you must be aware of the country’s laws before using a VPN.