Kane Dane
Now TV has the same problem as the BBC iPlayer and other streaming platforms: region exclusivity. If you’re not a UK citizen or you’re on holiday outside the EU, you’re basically blocked from the service. Luckily, there’s a way to watch Now TV in blocked countries without much of a hassle.
How? By using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to spoof your location, of course. CHECK OUT the best VPNs for the job and read on to see how things work.
Why Can’t You Watch Now TV Abroad?
The short answer for any streaming platform would be “licensing issues.” It’s an outdated mindset for the Internet age, but it is what it is. You can actually watch Now TV programs abroad – but only in EU countries, for up to 30 days at a time. After that, you’ll need to re-confirm that you live in the UK to reset the roaming period.
As mentioned, however, you can simply trick the Now TV servers into believing you’re accessing them from the UK.
Watch Now TV in Blocked Countries with a VPN
The easiest way Now TV and other platforms can see your location is through your IP address. Your IP identifies your device on the Internet and can reveal anything from your city to your ZIP code. By using a VPN, your real IP is hidden and a new one is assigned to you based on the server you use.
To watch Now TV in blocked countries, all you need to do is connect to a UK-based VPN server. Those of you outside the country might need to find a way to pay for the service with a UK debit or credit card, however. It’s not all bad news, though, as Now TV is going to implement PayPal for new subscribers.
Now, we did mention that checking your IP address is “the easiest” way streaming platforms can block you. They use the same method to block VPNs as well. More specifically, they pay specialized companies to gather lists of VPN IPs to put on their blocked list. Providers need to constantly acquire new IP addresses so their subscribers can continue accessing their favorite geo-restricted content.
Of course, there are more complex VPN filtering methods out there, such as deep packet inspection. Without getting into the technical details, VPNs need to use obfuscated servers to get around these advanced filters.
For these two reasons, free VPNs aren’t recommended if you want to reliably unblock Now TV. Not only can the providers not afford to regularly get new IPs, but obfuscation is also often missing in free VPNs. They still have their uses, of course. But you’re better off with a paid provider if you want a surefire way to watch Now TV in blocked countries.
Why Free VPNs Are a Bad Idea
If you’re not convinced, here are several more reasons why free VPNs are not worth it.
- Security issues – not only can they legally sell your data, but many free VPNs have security flaws or outright contain malware.
- Limited data caps – most free VPNs don’t offer nearly enough monthly data for streaming purposes. Even if you find one that unblocks Now TV, you’re basically limited to a few episodes at most.
- They throttle your speeds – some free providers are nice enough to not limit your data. However, you’re still going to experience massive slowdowns. It’s understandable; they need to make it work for thousands of non-paying users.
Obviously, you can avoid all these issues by going on the provider’s premium plan. But at that point it’s no longer a “free VPN,” is it? Try out the recommendations in the beginning, instead. Their 30 to 45-day money-back guarantees make it easy to decide which provider best suits your needs.
