You’re overseas and a show you follow airs tonight in the US. The network’s website, however, plays a short message saying the video isn’t available in your location. Americans living abroad see it, and so do travelers and fans of US shows who’ve never lived there.
If you want to watch US TV abroad, most American channels and streaming services won’t play, even for people who pay for them at home. A VPN fixes most of this in a few minutes. Some services also require a US payment card or a TV provider login, and we cover those too. The quick version comes first.
Stream American Channels From Abroad: 4 Easy Steps
- Sign up for NordVPN, then add it to the device you stream on.
- Launch NordVPN and sign in to your account.
- Choose a US server from the location list and connect.
- Open the channel’s website or app and press play. Sign in if it requires a subscription or a TV provider login.
Why Most US Channels Block Viewers Abroad
American networks buy most of their shows for the US market only. Studios sell international rights separately, often to a different broadcaster in each country. So ABC, NBC, and the rest restrict their streams to viewers in the US.
Streaming services such as Hulu and Peacock follow the same logic, and a similar block stops viewers from watching UK TV abroad. The check happens when you press play. The site reads your IP address and compares it with the regions it’s licensed for. When the two don’t match, a region message appears.
How a VPN Unblocks American Channels
A VPN is the quickest way of changing your IP address. It sends your traffic through one of its servers, and websites see the server’s IP address in place of yours. Connect to a server in the US, and American sites treat you as a local viewer. Couldn’t be simpler.
Any US city works for most channels, and picking one close to you keeps the stream quicker to start. Still seeing the region message after connecting? Delete the site’s cookies or use a private browsing window.
Sites can store your earlier location in a cookie, and a fresh session removes it.
US Channels and Services We Tested Abroad
We tested the main US networks and streaming services on New York and Seattle servers in October. The table shows what each one requires besides a US IP address, and which VPNs unblocked it.
| Channel or service | What it requires | Worked with |
| ABC | Free episodes; live TV requires a TV provider login | All three VPNs |
| CBS | CBS News 24/7 is free; most CBS shows stream on Paramount+ | All three VPNs |
| NBC | Many free episodes; live TV and locked episodes require a TV provider login | All three VPNs |
| Fox | Live TV requires a Fox One subscription or a TV provider login | All three VPNs |
| PBS | Free; some shows require a PBS Passport membership | All three VPNs |
| Tubi | Free, with no account required | All three VPNs |
| Pluto TV | Free, with no account required | All three VPNs |
| Netflix US | Any Netflix subscription | All three VPNs |
| HBO Max (US library) | US HBO Max subscription | All three VPNs |
| Peacock | Subscription paid with a US card | All three VPNs |
| Hulu | Subscription paid with a US card | NordVPN, ExpressVPN |
Live sports add league blackouts on top of the location check, and sports streaming with a VPN follows different rules for each league.
What a VPN Can’t Do for US Streaming
Your US IP address takes care of the region message, but some services check more than your location:
- A US payment card: Hulu, Peacock, and the live TV services accept only cards issued in the US, and each paid US service in our tests required one.
- A US app store account: many US TV apps are listed only in the US versions of Apple’s and Google’s stores. Apple and Google tie store regions to a local payment method, so switching to the US brings back the card problem. A browser doesn’t depend on the store, so the channel’s website still works.
Using Your US TV Provider Login Abroad
Americans who pay for cable or satellite at home can watch live channels through the networks’ own apps, a system called TV Everywhere. Sign in with your TV provider account, and the ABC, NBC, or Fox app plays live TV and full episodes.
Logins from live TV services such as Hulu + Live TV, Sling, and Fubo work the same way. A VPN can’t replace that login, and the login doesn’t replace the location check, so abroad the apps work only with both in place.
YouTube TV goes further and checks your device’s location too, so watching YouTube TV abroad takes extra steps.
Free US TV Abroad
Some American TV costs nothing to watch. CBS News 24/7 and ABC News Live are free streams, and PBS and NBC post many episodes at no cost. Tubi and Pluto TV are free too, paid for by ads. Pluto TV’s US version alone has over 400 live channels.
On a US server, these played without an account in our tests. Even a free VPN works for them, as long as it offers US servers.
Among the free VPNs for the US, Windscribe and PrivadoVPN played ABC and CBS on their free servers, but their 10 GB monthly allowances cover only about three hours of HD video.
US TV in Europe and Other Countries
In Europe, availability varies by service. Tubi isn’t offered in the EU, and Peacock has no European service. Services that do operate in Europe, such as Pluto TV, show a local catalog, and a US server switches Pluto TV to its American channel selection.
Payment rules and local apps differ from country to country, so these places have separate guides:
Streaming US TV on a Smart TV or Roku
VPN apps from NordVPN, Proton VPN, and ExpressVPN install directly on Fire TV, Android TV, and Apple TV. Channel apps on those devices then see a US location. Samsung and LG TVs and Roku players don’t support VPN apps.
For smart TVs like these, set up the VPN on your router to protect the whole home network, or cast from a phone. Samsung and LG sets also work with Smart DNS, a setting that moves your streaming location but leaves traffic unencrypted.
NordVPN’s SmartDNS and ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer work with US streaming. Roku blocks DNS changes, so it requires the router method.
US Channel Still Blocked? Try These Fixes
- Switch to another US city. Channels sometimes flag individual servers. In our tests, CBS played on Seattle servers after flagging New York ones.
- Block location access in the browser. Some live TV services request your device’s location, which can reveal your actual country. Deny the permission and reload the page.
- Restart the app after connecting. Apps launched before the VPN connected often keep your previous location, so close the app fully and reopen it.
- Pause the VPN’s ad blocker on free channels. Free, ad-supported services can stall when their ads don’t load.
Best VPNs for Watching US TV Abroad
Any VPN with American servers provides a US IP address, but speed and consistency on US servers vary. Our speed figures come from New York servers, tested from a Windows 11 PC in Europe in October:
| VPN | Download (Mbps) | Upload (Mbps) |
| No VPN (baseline) | 190.36 | 19.37 |
| NordVPN | 179.88 | 18.50 |
| Proton VPN | 145.61 | 17.78 |
| ExpressVPN | 163.66 | 18.49 |
NordVPN, Proton VPN, and ExpressVPN also rank among the fastest VPNs in our tests on other servers, so these New York figures aren’t a one-off.
NordVPN: Best VPN for American TV Overall
Pros
- SmartDNS for TVs without VPN apps
- 10 devices on one subscription
- Obfuscation for networks that block VPNs
Con
- App layout takes some learning
NordVPN topped our New York speed test, and it unblocked every network and service in our table. Its server list covers 55 US cities on both coasts and in between. NordVPN’s pricier plans add security tools.
For streaming, the Basic plan is enough, with the same servers and speeds as the top tier. The app layout takes some learning at first, though the search field finds a US city in seconds.
Proton VPN: Best for Privacy on US Servers
Pros
- US servers in 22 cities
- Netflix US and HBO Max unblocked
- Kill switch included in every app
Con
- No Smart DNS for TVs
Proton VPN revolves around privacy, with Swiss law and regular no-logs audits behind it. Its US servers unblocked ABC, NBC, Fox, PBS, Peacock, and Pluto TV, results that match its place among our top streaming VPNs. Its New York download came in lower than NordVPN’s and ExpressVPN’s, with no effect on playback in our tests.
The VPN Plus plan adds VPN Accelerator, which Proton says speeds up connections to distant servers, such as the US from Europe. Plus also includes Secure Core, which sends traffic through a hardened Proton server first.
So, the US server never sees your own IP address. Proton VPN has no Smart DNS, though, so Samsung and LG TVs require the router setup instead.
ExpressVPN: Best for Local US Stations
Pros
- Router app for whole-home coverage
- Post-quantum protection by default
- MediaStreamer for consoles and older TVs
Con
- Costs more after the first term
ExpressVPN lists servers in every US state, so your US IP address can match the market of a local station. Some local streams also check your browser’s location, and its browser extension sets that location to the server’s city.
We used it to watch a local ABC station that checks browser location. Speed was strong too, and in our New York test, ExpressVPN came second to NordVPN. Renewal costs more than the first term, so check the renewal rate before you pick a plan length.
Verdict
A US server was enough for most American channels in our tests, from the big networks to free services and Netflix’s US catalog. Network apps that require a TV provider login also work abroad, as long as the account is active.
Moving overseas? Sign up for paid services before you leave, so billing and account checks happen while you’re still in the US.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it legal to watch US TV abroad with a VPN?
Yes, in most countries. VPNs are legal across Europe and the Americas, although streaming services' terms may prohibit them, and countries such as China and the UAE restrict VPN use.
Which US city is best for streaming American TV abroad?
The nearest US city usually streams fastest, typically the East Coast from Europe and the West Coast from Asia and Australia. Local stations may require a server near their market.
Can Hulu or Peacock be watched outside the US?
Yes, with a US IP address and an active subscription. Hulu and Peacock sell plans only to customers with US payment cards, so signing up from abroad is the harder step.
Why are US TV apps missing from app stores abroad?
App stores follow the country of the Apple or Google account, and US broadcasters publish most of their apps only in the US stores. A web browser plays the same channels.
What American TV channels can be streamed online?
ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and PBS stream through their own websites and apps. Many full episodes play free, while live network TV is usually reserved for pay-TV subscribers.