How to watch BBC iPlayer from abroad – Get free UK streams for less than the price of a coffee

The black and white BBC logo comprised of the three letters spaced evenly apart.
(Image credit: BBC)

According to a recent report, the BBC reaches over 94% of UK adults a month: thrilling viewers with hits like Traitors and amazing free live sports. But if you want to watch BBC iPlayer abroad, you'll find it blocked. Well, here's a handy fix...

How to watch BBC online from abroad, and keep the Beeb firmly in your back pocket with a VPN.

Established over 100 years ago, the BBC is the world’s oldest and largest broadcaster. It operates a multitude of channels, among them flagship stations BBC One and BBC Two, and is responsible for bringing viewers a treasury of TV series old and new.

Its BBC iPlayer service offers 24/7 live streaming: providing news, sports, scripted drama, children’s programming and much more. And that’s alongside an extensive library of on-demand content.

You’ll find the most comprehensive collection of Doctor Who episodes here, the latest installments of long-running soap Eastenders, sporting highlights and Premier League coverage, in addition to critically acclaimed dramas like The Night Manager and reality TV hits Strictly Come Dancing and The Traitors.

But as BBC content is restricted to UK audiences, if you’re traveling – and just have to know who took home this year’s Glitterball Trophy – you’ll need to download a VPN to appear as if back home in Blighty.

Sign up below, it takes a few minutes and cost less than a coffee. You can then set your location to the UK on your phone/laptop/TV and browse British favorites from anywhere. Details below.

How to watch BBC iPlayer from abroad

If you're temporarily out of the country but looking to stream some top-notch BBC content, you'll likely to face some difficulty. Thankfully, you can solve this exact issue with a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

There are loads around but some are not trustworthy, and others are useless at unblocking streaming services like BBC iPlayer, Netflix, etc.

We know; we tested 'em. NordVPN (try risk free for 30 days) and Surfshark both work brilliantly, and are owned by independently-audited companies with a history of looking after customers' privacy.

Sign up to the VPN, download the app to your device, and choose 'UK' as your location (or any other country). This will magically unblock regional streaming services, including iPlayer, Channel 4, ITV, Netflix, Peacock and so on.

Whether you're on a Spanish villa break, a cruise to New York, exploring Canada or trekking the Inca Trail, NordVPN will put your devices right back in the UK! We use it every day and it works a treat.

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NordVPN is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to watch what you want, from wherever you want to watch it. It's great for BBC iPlayer, ITV, etc – ideal for anyone on holiday abroad (or looking for added privacy in the UK!).

It's straightforward and easy to use, has great security, is available on loads of streaming devices and, best of all, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out 100% risk-free. Give it a whirl and see how it works.

How to use a VPN to watch any stream

  • Download the app at NordVPN
  • Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch (UK, US, etc)
  • Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
Daniel Pateman

Daniel Pateman is a freelance writer based in the UK. He's a regular contributor to the likes of TechRadar and CinemaBlend, but he also writes across the cultural spectrum for magazines such as Aesthetica, Photomonitor, The Brooklyn Rail and This is Tomorrow. He also provides text-writing services to individual curators and artists worldwide, and has had his work syndicated internationally. His favourite film genre is horror (bring on Scream 7!) and he never tires of listening to 80s music on the radio.

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