How to watch British TV in Australia

UK and Australia flag

One of the most common questions for Brits in Australia is How can I watch British TV in Australia? In this guide we’re going to show you the incredibly simple way how you can do just that and with minimal fuss.

If you’re a British expat in Australia, you’re travelling for any period of time or you’re just a lover of British TV then you’ve no doubt searching for a solution already and been faced with confusing information.

Luckily there is a really simple way to watch British TV via online streaming services such as BBC iPlayer and it’s called a VPN.

Below we’ll show you where you can get the best VPN for the job and also the really easy steps to using it which will have you watching British TV in Australia in no time.

What you need to watch British TV in Oz

The best and easiest way to watch British TV is on the online streaming services such as BBC iPlayer, Sky Go and others.

If you’ve tried to watch on these services while in Australia already then you’ll know you’re blocked from viewing.

You need to get a service called a VPN which will allow you to unblock them. Just follow the simple steps below and we’ll show you how.

Steps to stream UK TV in Australia

  1. Head over to the VPN provider website of ExpressVPN and sign up to their service.
  2. Download their app from your app store or software from the Apps section of their website.
  3. Install it and select the United Kingdom option.
  4. Press Connect.

It takes around 15 seconds for the VPN service to connect.

Once it’s connected any websites that you visit will see that you’re in the UK even though in reality you’re in Australia.

All you need to do now is visit your favourite TV channel’s online streaming service.

You can use both free to air TV services and any subscription services you have access to. We’ve rounded up some of the best at the bottom of this article.

A VPN will cost you around £4 – £6 depending on how long you sign up for which is approximately AU$6 – $10 at the time of writing.

Below is an example of both mobile and computer connection.

ExpressVPN connecting to the UK

Watch UK TV in Australia using ExpressVPN.

Alternative VPN providers

The reason we recommend ExpressVPN is because they’re reasonably priced and they’re one of the fastest VPN service we’ve tested.

Speed is critical because the distance between the UK and Australia is large so transferring video requires a reliable and fast VPN service and is one of the reasons we awarded ExpressVPN such a high review score.

If you want to shop about a few other providers that are suitable are:

What TV can I access

A VPN will allow you to access any UK TV service that has an online streaming website.

The best are the free to air TV services because these don’t require a subscription and even if you’ve never been a UK resident you’ll still be able to access them.

A few of the best are:

If you still have access to subscription services in the UK such as cable then you can also watch these in Australia using your VPN service.

A few of the best subscription services you may have an account for are:

How does a VPN work

Every internet connection is assigned something called an IP Address.

An IP Address similar to a phone number is unique to you at the time you’re connected to the internet. Unlike a phone number though it can change but usually does so infrequently.

An IP Address also gives away your physical location up to a point which is why when you visit a UK streaming service you’re likely to see a block message similar to the one below.

BBC iPlayer Blocked July 2016

A VPN is a tool to protect your online privacy.

One of the ways it does this is by disguising your IP Address and as part of this it allows you to give the impression you’re in another country.

For the purpose of watching British TV in Australia a VPN gives you a UK IP Address so when you visit a streaming site like BBC iPlayer or Sky Go it now sees that you’re in the UK even in reality you’re in Australia.

Watch British TV on a Smart TV or other device

If your device doesn’t support VPN software or apps then it’s still possible to watch British TV in Australia but you’ll need a hardware solution that is more expensive than the solution given above.

To watch on a Smart TV or other device that doesn’t use Windows, Mac OS, Android or iOS you’ll need to purchase an Invizbox 2.

The Invizbox handles the VPN connection and creates a new Wi-Fi hotspot for you to connect your Smart TV or other device to.

Don’t forget, you can get a VPN for your Android, Apple, Windows or Mac device by clicking the link below.

30-day money back guarantee

Author: Christopher Seward

After 25 years of using the internet, Christopher launched one of the very first VPN comparison websites in 2013. An expert in the field his reviews, testing and knowledge have helped thousands of users get the correct VPN for their needs.

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