When talking about streaming platforms and TV channels, there’s no better country than the United States. Starting with Netflix US, it’s perhaps the best catalog to watch blockbusters and intriguing series that millions of people adore.
The same could be said about US TV channels that quickly got popular due to their diverse content. Channels like The CW, HBO, Peacock TV, ABC, MSNBC, ESPN, and others are unfulfilled dreams of users across the planet who don’t live in America.
Unfortunately, people are also wondering how to watch US TV in Australia, bearing in mind that Australians can’t access these channels either. If you live in the land of kangaroos, consider yourself lucky because I’ll show you a trick to unblock and watch US TV channels live and on-demand in Australia.
Why Can’t I Access US TV in Australia?
If you’re into streaming on a variety of platforms, you’ve most likely heard and experienced geo-restrictions. As the name implies, it’s a form of restriction on the website based on your geolocation, which is often prevalent on streaming platforms, TV channels, and even online bookies.
That’s why many people fail to unblock and watch HBO Max overseas or gain access to any other foreign TV channel. This happens because of the licensing rights that each channel has. These rights allow the channels to broadcast their content in a particular country.
In pretty much every case, we’re talking about their native country, which makes the content unavailable for people without a proper location. In other words, if it’s a US TV channel, it can show its content ONLY in the United States, so it blocks users who try to watch it abroad.
The same applies to Australian TV channels like 10Play or SBS – both of which can’t be accessed in the US, the UK, Italy, or anywhere else. To prove that you can’t watch US TV in Australia, I will try to access some of the American TV channels.
Here’s my attempt at watching ABC, for example:
And if I try to watch HBO Max, which is another popular channel, I’ll get this error:
As you can see, it’s pretty clear that geo-restrictions prevent me from watching US TV live in Australia, which begs the question if it’s possible to fix this issue. Well, it is – keep reading.
How to Watch US TV Live in Australia? A Step-by-Step Tutorial
A proper solution to this problem can be found in two ways. You can either travel to the US and watch these channels, which is very expensive, especially from Australia. Or, you can simply trick US TV channels into “believing” that you’re located in America by changing your IP address.
This can be done by using a VPN like NordVPN, which lets you change your IP to one of the 105 countries that it offers. Once you connect to a server in the US and obtain an American IP address, every channel in this country will see you as if you’re located there.
As a result, you’ll be able to access US TV in Australia as if you were a resident of the United States. I just want you to know that not every VPN will let you unblock these channels, as many of them are detected by their anti-VPN measures. That’s why I decided on NordVPN as the most reliable pick.
Let’s see how to use it to watch American TV channels in Australia.
1. Get Your Subscription
To use NordVPN, you’ll have to subscribe. Now, it’s not a free VPN obviously, but I guarantee you this is the only surefire way of unblocking foreign TV channels. Free providers offer limited bandwidth and slow speeds, which makes them useless for this purpose.
Besides, there’s currently a great incentive on NordVPN in the form of a 73% discount and 3 free months for the 24-month plan. Not only that, but you get a 30-day money-back guarantee for ALL of its plans, making it risk-free if you want to test it out.
For example, if you’re on a vacation in Australia for less than 30 days, you can get NordVPN, watch US TV channels, and get a refund when you get back home. That way, you lose no money, yet, you get to enjoy its benefits for days.
Just use the red button above to subscribe, choose the plan, and follow the steps – it’s quite simple.
2. Install NordVPN
It’s simple to install NordVPNas well. Just download the application for your platform, install it, and you’re good to go. Keep in mind that it supports all platforms and even offers a great VPN extension for Chrome that functions as a full-fledged application!
Nevertheless, install NordVPN on your device, open the application, and sign in using the credentials you provided when purchasing the subscription. This is easy, as NordVPN guides you through the process, so there’s no room for mistakes.
3. Obtain a US IP
With all of these steps completed, it’s time to open up NordVPN. It looks like this on every platform (Windows, iOS, macOS, Android, Fire TV Stick, Android/Smart TV):
Now, open the server list by clicking on “More Connection Options.” Scroll down, find the United States, and click on it to connect.
Either way, the app will display “Connected” in green, which indicates that the connection is successful.
4. Watch Any US TV Channel in Australia
Now, it’s finally time to watch US TV in Australia since you’re a proper American resident – at least in the online world! Visit any channel you want and enjoy the content on display. Here’s proof that NordVPN works:
And below, you can see that I unblocked HBO Max using NordVPN.
As expected, everything works smoothly and with no problems (live and on-demand). Just know that some US TV channels require a so-called TV license or subscription to a TV provider in the United States. Without a subscription to a TV provider, some channels can’t be watched, unfortunately.
The good thing is that you can still watch channels like The CW, Peacock TV, HBO Max, and ABC (selected content) in Australia. These channels offer a fine selection of shows, movies, and entertainment programs that you otherwise won’t get in your country.
Are Free VPNs Good for Watching US TV in Australia?
Paying for a VPN subscription might not sound very attractive because… well because it’s not free. But if you take a look at what free providers can offer, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a good one. First, they’re known for outdated server infrastructure and 1 Gbps servers that are painfully slow.
This means that your streaming experience is going to suffer, as you’ll experience constant buffering and stuttering. Often, this slow performance is accompanied by limited bandwidth, which we can see in quite a few VPNs like Windscribe, PrivadoVPN, and others.
In fact, I recently reviewed Windscribe VPN and its free version which isn’t as impressive as NordVPN or even ExpressVPN. On top of that, free providers won’t unblock geo-restricted TV channels and streaming platforms because they’re detected by them and blocked.
If you’re looking to enjoy streaming, free providers should be the last thing on your mind. That especially rings true in terms of security, where non-paid providers lack seriously compared to NordVPN or any other paid provider.
They use outdated protocols and weaker encryption, making your online experience not as safe. Many free providers also store logs of your activities and personal data, which is a glaring issue because they put your privacy in jeopardy by selling your personal info to the highest bidder.
On the other hand, we have NordVPN with 6,300+ worldwide servers, unlimited bandwidth, the fastest speeds, and a no-logs policy, making it a far better choice. I actually recommend testing a free VPN of your choice and then trying out NordVPN risk-free for 30 days.
I’m sure you’re going to see a big difference in performance, security, privacy, and streaming. With 10 Gbps RAM-based servers and other cutting-edge technology, this provider is the most advanced VPN your money can get.
So, can you watch US TV in Australia with a free VPN? In 99% of the cases, the answer is NO. And should you use free VPNs? Once again, NO. Paid providers are much better in every sense. Feel free to try out NordVPN or even CyberGhost which you can use for free for 45 days.
Conclusion
Despite annoying geo-restrictions on US TV in Australia, all American TV channels can be accessible in this country by using a VPN like NordVPN. The trick is to change your IP address to the United States and trick the channels into “thinking” that you’re located in that country.
In doing so, you’ll get access to any channel you want no matter your location. However, a VPN like this doesn’t offer just one benefit like unblocking foreign TV channels. Aside from that, you can watch various Netflix libraries, enjoy safe and secure torrenting, and even save money on flight tickets.
These benefits are surely worth the few-dollar price-a-month that you’ll pay.
FAQ
Accessing US TV in Australia is simple enough. Still, some of you will have doubts after reading this article. Let us answer a few more questions to ease them.
How to watch US TV in Australia for free?
Our advice is to use NordVPN if you’re willing to make everything go smoothly. Despite being a paid service, this doesn’t mean you can’t watch your favorite channels for free. The trick is to use a 30-day money-back guarantee that NordVPN offers.
In this case, you’ll obtain a refund in the first 30 days and by extension, not lose money in the end. Of course, when you get a refund, your subscription will be halted but that’s the only option if saving cash is your priority. Free VPNs like PrivadoVPN and Windscribe VPN can also work.
But they offer 10 GB of bandwidth a month, which translates to only 1-1.5 hours of streaming a month. If you find that good enough, here’s your answer!
Can I use other VPNs to watch American TV in Australia?
Yes, NordVPN isn’t the only one that works. We found ExpressVPN sufficient, as it offers many special streaming services in the United States. CyberGhost will also work with servers in 100 countries optimized for streaming and unblocking content.
These VPNs aren’t better than NordVPN but they’re still used by millions of users worldwide.
Do I need a VPN for American channels in the US?
You don’t need them in this case. Some channels might be restricted to particular cities/states, in which case, a VPN for California or any other state can come in handy. These restrictions are very rare and in 99.9% of the cases, you’ll be free to watch any channel, no matter the state/city you’re in.
If you’re in the US, a VPN is pretty much a necessity for other reasons. They include government surveillance, copyright trolls, and unblocking foreign sites. At least, you’ll be able to access American TV channels but that’s a minor thing in comparison to privacy issues in the country.
