Rai sits at the center of Italian television, and RaiPlay, its free streaming platform, puts a huge archive of dramas, documentaries, live channels, and classic shows online at no cost. Cross the border, though, and the service locks you out. Geo-blocking frustrates millions of viewers here. Rai consistently dominates Italy’s prime-time ratings, yet expats and fans abroad have no official way to stream it.
Figuring out how to watch RaiPlay outside Italy takes minutes. We cover the tools you need, the VPNs that work with RaiPlay, and how to set everything up.
How to Get RaiPlay Outside Italy: Stream RaiPlay in USA or Elsewhere
- Subscribe to a VPN with fast Italian servers. I suggest NordVPN, currently at 75% OFF, with 3 free months for 2-year plans.
- Install the VPN on your device.
- Launch the VPN app and log in.
- Connect to a server in Italy from the server list.
- Use the RaiPlay app and watch RaiPlay outside Italy.
Why You Can’t Get RaiPlay Outside Italy
RaiPlay checks your IP address the moment you connect. If it’s not Italian, you get the “This content is not available in your location” screen. Your login and email make no difference. The reason is licensing. RaiPlay only holds broadcast rights to most of its catalog in Italy, so everyone abroad is blocked by default, including Italian citizens traveling or living overseas.
A VPN with servers in Italy, like NordVPN, gets around this by masking your IP and routing your connection through an Italian server. RaiPlay sees an Italian IP and unlocks everything, from Il Commissario Montalbano to Serie A coverage.
How to Watch Rai Outside Italy: Step-by-Step Guide
We used NordVPN for this guide because it was the most consistent VPN in our tests. It unblocked every RaiPlay stream on the first try, kept speeds high, and worked on every device we tried. Setup takes under 5 minutes:
- Get NordVPN: Head to the NordVPN website and sign up. Long-term plans cost the least, and a 30-day money-back guarantee covers you if you change your mind.
- Download and install the app: Available for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Android TV, and Apple TV.
- Log in and open the app.
- Connect to a server in Italy: Pick Milan or Rome from the server list. Skip Quick Connect here; RaiPlay needs a physical Italian server.
- Watch RaiPlay abroad: Head to www.raiplay.it or open the RaiPlay app. Live channels, catch-up, and on-demand content should all load.
- Create a free RaiPlay account (if prompted): Some titles require a login. Registration is free, and no Italian billing address is needed.
The same steps work for any Italian TV channel you want to watch live abroad.
Best VPNs to Watch Rai Outside Italy: Our Detailed List
Not every VPN can handle RaiPlay, even those that claim to. During our tests, several well-known services got blocked outright or slowed the stream until it was unwatchable. We were looking for a VPN that consistently unblocks Rai and delivers the speed, privacy, and ease of use to stream Italian content from anywhere. Here are the three that delivered, with a few little extras on top.
9200 servers
128 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
10 simultaneous connections
9.4 /10
20396 servers
148 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
10 simultaneous connections
9.2 /10
3000 servers
105 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
10 simultaneous connections
9.1 /10
1. NordVPN: Best VPN for RaiPlay Unblocking Overall
If you want to watch RaiPlay outside Italy without broken streams or blocked access, NordVPN is the one to beat. We tested it from Spain, Brazil, and the US (it’s the best VPN to use in the USA), and RaiPlay worked on the first try.
Pros
- Many Italian VPN servers
- Fastest VPN for RaiPlay
- Works on all devices
- SmartPlay for unblocking
- Strong security features
- Blocks all ads and trackers
Cons
- Complex UI for beginners
- Higher prices (but worth it)
Unblocks RaiPlay Without Fail: We connected to multiple NordVPN servers in Milan and Rome, and RaiPlay loaded as if we were back in Italy, with full access to Rai 1, Rai News 24, and Rai Sport. Thanks to NordVPN’s SmartPlay feature, there’s no need to tweak DNS settings or toggle anything. It works out of the box.
Speeds That Can Handle Live TV: With its NordLynx protocol, NordVPN kept speeds close to our base connection even while streaming Rai in HD. Live football ran without a stutter, and long episodes of Inspector Montalbano played straight through. Watching Italian TV from the United States, Australia, or France is no different.
Works on Every Device You Use: NordVPN has a dedicated app for phones, laptops, and smart TVs, including a native Apple TV app, so no more router workarounds. It runs on Android TV and Fire TV Stick too.
Privacy You Can Trust: Beyond streaming, NordVPN pairs AES-256 encryption with an independently audited no-logs policy and built-in Threat Protection, so your connection stays private even on public Wi-Fi.
Pricing: Plans start at $3.49/month long-term (2 years + 3 free months), with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 3-day free trial on Android, so you can get RaiPlay in the USA or abroad risk-free.
3. Proton VPN: Secure VPN to Get Rai TV Abroad
If privacy matters as much as streaming, Proton VPN earns the second spot. The Swiss VPN unblocked RaiPlay outside Italy in our tests, and its apps have become pleasant to use, a long way from the technical reputation they once had.
Pros
- Fast Italian servers for RaiPlay
- VPN Accelerator technology
- Open-source apps
- Stealth obfuscation
- 10 simultaneous connections
Cons
- No SmartDNS
- No streaming in free tier
Reliable Access to RaiPlay: Proton VPN’s Italian servers got us into RaiPlay from every location we tested. Live channels and the on-demand library both loaded without location errors, and the connection held steady through full episodes. Streaming support is a paid feature, so skip the free tier for RaiPlay.
VPN Accelerator Keeps Streams Smooth: Proton VPN’s WireGuard-based connections, boosted by its VPN Accelerator technology, kept our speeds high enough for HD streaming without buffering, even on longer-distance connections from the Americas. Live Rai broadcasts played without interruption.
Apps for Every Screen: Proton VPN covers Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, Android TV, Fire TV, and Apple TV with native apps, and supports 10 simultaneous connections, enough to cover the whole household.
Privacy Is the Whole Point: Proton VPN is built by the team behind Proton Mail, operates under Swiss jurisdiction, and backs its no-logs policy with independent audits. All apps are open source, and features like Secure Core routing go further than most streaming-focused VPNs bother to.
Pricing: Paid plans start at $2.99/mo long-term, with a 30-day money-back guarantee to test RaiPlay access risk-free.
3. ExpressVPN: Fast VPN to Watch RaiPlay Outside Italy
If NordVPN is the all-rounder, ExpressVPN is the smooth operator. In our testing, it took under 15 seconds to go from launch to RaiPlay streaming. It’s the pick if you just want something that works fast.
Pros
- Full HD RaiPlay streaming
- Dedicated Apple TV app
- Blocks trackers and ads
- Lightway Turbo protocol
- User-friendly interface
Cons
- Higher renewal costs
- No multi-hop
Streaming RaiPlay Outside Italy? ExpressVPN Is Built for It: ExpressVPN’s Italian servers, including Milan and Cosenza, got us into RaiPlay every time. Live shows, news segments, and on-demand titles all played without glitches or location errors. No Smart DNS tweaks or manual workarounds needed.
Speeds for HD and Live Broadcasts: With the Lightway protocol, we streamed in full HD from South America and the US at 88–90% of our baseline. Even on mobile data, there were no long load times or buffering loops.
Cross-Device Consistency: ExpressVPN’s apps are sharp and user-friendly across Android, iOS, laptops, and streaming sticks, with a dedicated Apple TV app. You can also set it up on a router to cover multiple smart devices at once.
Security You Can Count On: ExpressVPN runs all servers on RAM, so nothing is stored on hard drives. AES-256 encryption, a kill switch, DNS leak protection, and independent audits by KPMG and Cure53 round it out.
Pricing: ExpressVPN is surprisingly affordable, at only $2.49 per month for 2 years, with 4 free months included on top. As standard, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 3-day free trial on ExpressVPN for mobile sign-ups.
Summary
Whether you’re an expat missing Rai 1, a language learner working through Italian dramas, or just a fan of good European TV, RaiPlay is worth having. The catch is that it locks you out the moment you leave Italy. A VPN solves that, and after testing dozens, NordVPN stood out as the most consistent way to stream Rai TV from anywhere. It’s fast, beginner-friendly, and unblocked the platform in every one of our tests.
Frequently Asked Questions
🗽 Can I watch RaiPlay in USA?
No, you can't since the platform requires an Italian IP address. But with a VPN like NordVPN or Proton VPN, you can get one and unblock RaiPlay in the USA. This unlocks the full library of content: live TV and on-demand series and movies.
✈️ Is the RaiPlay website accessible abroad?
Yes, it is, but when you try to watch anything, you get a geo-restriction message. You can browse content, but not watch it. To fix this, get an Italian IP address from NordVPN and just refresh the page. The content you wanted to watch should now load properly, despite your original location.
🤌 Can I get Rai TV outside Italy?
Yes, you can, with a VPN. Rai TV works exclusively in Italy, so an IP address from there fixes this persistent issue. Keep in mind that RaiPlay (Rai TV) blocks VPN connections, so you need a good one, like NordVPN, Proton VPN, or ExpressVPN. All three consistently bypass Rai TV's detection measures.
🆓 Is RaiPlay free to watch?
Yes, RaiPlay is free to watch. You can access live TV and on-demand content mostly without subscribing. Some content requires an account, but it's free to make and takes a few minutes, so you can get back to streaming quickly.