In this guide you’ll learn how to watch UK TV in the Philippines in the easiest possible way.
There is no exact number of British expats living in the Philippines but it is easily in the thousands, couple that with the temporary tourists and you’ve got a large number of Brits in the Philippines.
As more common expat destination neighbouring countries like Thailand have become more expensive, us Brits have looked to move further to cheaper and more exotic locations. The Philippines is one area that has definitely caught our attention.
But what about British TV? Many Filipino TV shows are not up to the quality of British TV and many of them are in Tagalog. So what do you do if you want to watch good old British TV in the Philippines?
Well, read on below because we’ll show you how in just 5-steps you can watch all your favourite UK TV on both free-to-air and paid-for services in the Philippines.
How to watch British TV in the Philippines
Without question, the easiest way to watch UK TV in the Philippines is to do so on the online streaming services such as BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub (formally ITV Player).
However, if you’ve already tried to visit these websites while in the Philippines then you’ll know that you’re blocked from viewing.
Avoiding this block is easy. All you’ll need to do that is an app called a VPN. A VPN is an app that allows you to alter your online location so to any websites you visit, it looks like you’re somewhere else. Such as in another country.
VPN apps are available for all devices such as Android and Apple phones and tablets and more regular laptops and computers running Windows and Mac OS.
A VPN will set you back about £3 – £4 per month and they’re cheaper the longer you sign up for. If you’re retired in the Philippines or planning to be there a while then it’s well worth considering a 12-month subscription because it can be 50% cheaper than paying monthly.
There are loads to choose from. My personal favourite is ExpressVPN, but you can check out NordVPN and CyberGhost too.
Steps to watch UK TV in the Philippines
To watch UK TV in the Philippines you’ll need to get a VPN app. I’m using ExpressVPN in this example, but you’re free to choose another.
- Visit the VPN provider ExpressVPN and sign up to their service. There’s a massive 30-day money back guarantee giving you plenty of time to test it risk free.
- Download the correct app for your device from their VPN Apps area.
- Install the app and run it. Login with the account details you created when signing up.
- From the country list, select United Kingdom.
- If it doesn’t automatically connect then click the Connect button.
Watch British TV in the Philippines.
It takes about 30-seconds for the ExpressVPN app to get connected to the UK.
Once it’s connected anything you do on the internet will think you’re in the UK. All you need to do now is visit one of the online streaming services such as BBC iPlayer.
You can watch any of the free-to-air services and if you have a valid subscription to services like Sky, Virgin or BT Sport you can also access these via their online streaming websites too.
30-day money back guarantee
What do I do when I’ve finished watching?
When you’ve finished watching you can simply disconnect from the app.
You can however reconnect at any time because once you’ve paid for the service you’re free to use it as much as you want. There are no restrictions on how many times you connect or how long you watch for you.
There are also no additional costs, once you’ve paid for the service, that’s it.
Additional Uses
The main purpose of a VPN app is to protect your online privacy. Being able to watch UK TV is just a side-feature. This means you’re not just limited to watching TV with your new VPN service.
It’s worth using the VPN service to protect your online security whenever you’re out and about. Especially when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks because they’re insecure and some unscrupulous hacker could use it to lift personal details about you.
This is especially true if you’re whiling away the hours in Manila airport waiting for a flight back to the UK. Although Manila airport offers free VPN connectivity the ability for others to snoop on what you’re doing is high. Using a VPN protects you from this.
If you do head back to the UK, you can use the same VPN to watch Filipino TV in the UK, which is great if your wife or significant other is missing their home TV.
Or if you fancy accessing adult content in the Philippines which is usually blocked, you can do that too!
30-day money back guarantee
How good will the quality of TV be?
It’s impossible for us to determine how good the quality of the TV services you use will be.
It’s entirely possible that the quality will be on par with that if you watch the same services in the UK. This is all dependant on your internet connection in the Philippines.
If you live in Manila, Cebu or one of the other well populated areas and have a good internet connection then the quality will be excellent.
If you live in some of the more remote areas or islands that are less travelled then your experience may vary. Standard quality streams from the likes of BBC iPlayer and the other terrestrial channels don’t require super fast connections though.
If you’re trying to access high quality Sky or Netflix streams then you may find this is a little beyond the ability of your internet connection.
In Summary
To watch UK TV in the Philippines the best and easiest way is to use online streaming websites or apps like BBC iPlayer.
To view in the Philippines you’ll need to get yourself an app called a VPN. I recommend using ExpressVPN but there are some other choices which I recommended earlier.
Once you’ve signed up, download their app and connect to the UK. You can the watch all your favourite UK TV wherever you are.
30-day money back guarantee
