Sérgio F.
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Verified by
Richard C.
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Last updated:
July 24, 2024
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(0)
Featuring fantastic films, fascinating documentaries, and full TV boxsets on demand, the BBC iPlayer is one of the most popular streaming services in the UK. The iPlayer also provides live streams of all of the BBC channels, which often broadcast some of the biggest live sporting events in the world. The BBC iPlayer is technically only available to people in the UK who have paid for a TV license which means the iPlayer blocks any IPs from outside the UK from logging in. This means that British people abroad, or anyone around the world who wants to watch iPlayer, will need a have VPN service installed. With a VPN you’ll be able to trick the website into thinking you’re based in the UK and you can enjoy the best of British TV.
The BBC iPlayer blocks all connections it receives located outside the UK because legally the service is only available for UK residents who have paid their annual TV license. Of course, there are ways of getting around that. Switching on your VPN and choosing a UK IP address will get past BBC’s geoblocking and let you sign up for a free account on the iPlayer website. You’ll be asked for an email address and to provide a UK zip code, this zip code is what the TV license company uses to check if an address has paid its license fee, but it’s a system that is easily gamed with a randomly selected postcode. The iPlayer will then ask you if you have a TV license which by law you should have.
One important thing to note is that although there’s technically nothing wrong with watching BBC iPlayer through a VPN, the BBC will try to block any IP addresses it finds suspicious. So, depending on your VPN provider, you may need to try again if your IP has already been uncovered. It’s not uncommon to experience this with any VPN but the best VPNs always make sure their servers are working.
It’s surprisingly simple to unblock the BBC iPlayer App with just a VPN. The iPlayer app is available on a huge number of platforms including all the major desktops, mobiles, tablets, and video game consoles. With your VPN turned on you should be able to easily find the iPlayer on your chosen app store. Android users should take note that to play videos properly using the iPlayer app they will also need to download the companion BBC Media Player app.
If you want to set up iPlayer on more than one device then there’s an easy way of doing that too. You can set up your VPN service on your router so that any device connected to that router will be by extension connected to the VPN IP address of your choice. So, every computer, phone, or tablet in your house is ready to go with a UK IP address and you can watch the BBC iPlayer to your leisure without ever having to do anything else.
A veteran service from the British Virgin Islands, ExpressVPN is renowned for having lightning-fast internet speeds, which is great when you want to be streaming something at high resolution. The service has seven servers located in the UK, which doesn’t sound like a lot but ExpressVPN constantly checks to make sure at least one server is working with iPlayer at all times. A great benefit of using ExpressVPN is the wide range of devices that you can use it with, which is especially useful for a platform with as many options as iPlayer.
Don’t worry about finding a working server for the BBC iPlayer with CyberGhost. The Romanian VPN has 414 UK servers to choose from but unlike some other VPNs it has servers optimized especially for using the BBC iPlayer. CyberGhost is available for all the major platforms and even compatible with Amazon Fire Stick and Android TV. When you add the fact that CyberGhost also supports seven simultaneous connections it means you’ll be able to watch the BBC iPlayer any way you want to, all at the same time.
Since its release in 2012, NordVPN has become a real favorite among VPN users. The Panama-based service is an excellent choice for anyone wanting to use the BBC iPlayer because NordVPN boasts an enormous 817 UK servers. So, should the BBC block one of NordVPN’s IP addresses then you’ll know that you have hundreds left to choose from. NordVPN also has great apps for iOS, Android, Android TV, as well as browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox giving you the flexibility to watch the BBC iPlayer in any way you want.
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