9Now, 10Play, and SBS are among the best TV platforms Australia has to offer. But as soon as you leave the country, watching Aussie TV becomes a challenge. Why? Due to geo-restrictions that block access to these platforms from outside Australia.
Whether you’re an Aussie expat, a traveler on vacation, or just someone abroad who loves Australian shows and live sports, it’s frustrating to be cut off from your favorite content. Here’s the good news: you can watch Australian TV channels from overseas, and the solution is simple — just use a VPN.
Why You Can’t Watch Australian TV Channels Abroad?
Geo-restrictions are maybe the most annoying thing on the internet. They prevent you from accessing content based on your location. However, geo-restrictions don’t exist just like that. They have a good reason and the background is usually cemented in various agreements.
To be accurate, we’re talking about licensing agreements that every channel or streaming service has to sign. SBS, 9Now, and other Australian TV channels don’t own all of their content. Most of their content belongs to copyright holders who dictate the game.
If a copyright holder doesn’t want their content broadcast abroad, the channel must sign an agreement and comply with the conditions. However, it often goes beyond that. Australian TV channels are made for the local population — not for Europeans or Americans.
This subsequently means you can’t watch Australian TV abroad, as almost all channels are purposefully restricted overseas. If you’re an Australian on vacation in a faraway land, you can use a VPN service to claim an Australian IP and pretend you’re back home – clever!
As a result, you can access all Australian TV channels outside Australia and watch them limitlessly. At the moment, VPNs are your best bet because no other service lets you alter your IP address and efficiently access geo-restricted content. We’ve got that sorted out.
How to Access Australian TV Outside Australia?
One thing we haven’t sorted out is the VPN part. Many VPN services have Australian servers but that doesn’t make them otherworldly. Some, however, like NordVPN, excel in speed, stability, and streaming prowess, in addition to offering thousands of Australian IPs.
Such services are your best bet to watch Australian TV live anywhere. In this guide, we’ll explain how to use NordVPN, change your online location, and access SBS, 9Now, 10Play, 7Plus… Of course, you can also count on this VPN in order to watch Kayo Sports outside Australia.
However, you can use any provider befitting for the purpose – we’ll give you a few down the line.
VPN Setup Guide
NordVPN isn’t free but we’ll explain why free providers aren’t great in a minute. Let’s for now go over the setup process, which is extremely simple. The button below takes you to NordVPN’s site where you can “steal” its 2-year deal with a 70% discount. Click it.
Now, provide your email address, select the payment method, and you’re almost done. Once you pay for NordVPN, you get a 30-day money-back guarantee for a full refund in 30 days if you find it lacking or you need it no more for watching Australian TV abroad.
The next step is to download and install NordVPN, which works on all devices. Once you sign in with your email and password, the dashboard will greet you. It should look like this.
As said, your mission is to get an Australian IP address. Open the server lists, press “More Connection Options“, and then click on “Countries” to unwrap the list. Australia should be up there, so tap or click once on it, and voila – the connection will be active in seconds.
Unblocking Australian TV Channels Abroad (Proof)
Even if you’re not an Aussie natively, now you are. You’re “teleported” (not literally) to this beautiful land where you can watch Australian TV overseas thanks to your new IP address. If you don’t believe us, we’re ready to give you some proof.
Here’s 9Now:
As you can see, it works like a charm. Interested in 10Play? Here you are:
It would be crazy to go through all Australian TV channels because there are dozens of them. However, you have to be blind not to see that our workaround works as intended. We’re in Europe, for your information, but with a VPN, even these channels can be accessed.
Best VPNs for Watching Australian Television Live Overseas
An exceptional streaming experience is a result of fast speed and unblocking abilities. If you need a provider for streaming, or specifically to watch Australian TV outside Australia, you can rely on these three, all tested and evaluated by our team.
7492 servers
118 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
10 simultaneous connections
9.4 /10
3000 servers
105 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
8 simultaneous connections
9.1 /10
27000 servers
91 covered countries
30 days money-back guarantee
Unlimited connections
9 /10
1. NordVPN
It’s no surprise this provider ranks first — NordVPN delivers where it matters most. With hundreds of high-performing Australian servers, it’s perfect for accessing local TV channels, streaming services, or even the Australian Netflix catalog from abroad.
NordVPN isn’t just about access; it’s also one of the fastest VPNs available, letting you stream on multiple devices at once without lag or buffering. Thanks to 10 simultaneous connections, it’s ideal for households or anyone juggling several devices.
Being a premium VPN, you’ll benefit from unlimited bandwidth, fast and secure server switching, and access to NordLynx, NordVPN’s next-gen protocol built on WireGuard. It also includes Meshnet, a smart way to bypass restrictions and unblock websites effortlessly.
Streaming is further enhanced with Smart DNS — easily set up on virtually any device to improve compatibility and speed. Whether on a smartphone, tablet, or smart TV, watching Australian TV abroad becomes incredibly simple with NordVPN.
Security-conscious users will love its bonus features: double VPN, Threat Protection, Dark Web Monitor, and more. And with a 30-day money-back guarantee plus a 7-day free trial, you can test it risk-free. All in all, NordVPN sets the bar high, and disappointment isn’t part of the deal.
2. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN does ample things right and very little wrong. It breezes through geo-restrictions and successfully unblocks Australian TV anywhere. We love its 3,000+ servers with staggering speeds thanks to Lightway, a protocol developed by ExpressVPN’s experts.
The provider won’t limit your bandwidth and thanks to streaming-optimized servers, your possibilities are endless. We tested this VPN provider on Netflix with astonishing results, as it unblocked catalogs from Australia, the USA, Canada, Japan, and plenty more.
Torrenting and Onion-over-VPN connections are also standard in every plan. Plus, you’ll be enjoying Advanced Protection that keeps ads, trackers, and malicious sites out of your reach. ExpressVPN’s apps are even simpler than NordVPN, so beginners will likely rejoice.
While 8 simultaneous connections aren’t groundbreaking, we think they’ll suffice for the most part. ExpressVPN lacks Double VPN support but it’s safe and secure, which can be seen in its third-party audits from KPMG, PwC, Cure53, and other respectable firms.
The only downside is the price, which could be arguably lower. As always, you can use Gizmodo to get the best deal on this service, which is a 61% discount thanks to 4 free months for ExpressVPN’s 2-year plan. Yup – a 30-day money-back guarantee is a part of it.
3. Private Internet Access
This provider offers servers in the entire USA but also the majority of Australia. It’s ideal to watch Australian TV channels overseas because of its fast speed and connection stability. Our tests, especially with WireGuard, showed that PIA performs almost like Formula 1.
It’s slower than NordVPN but almost as fast as ExpressVPN. Nevertheless, PIA introduces many amazing features, one of which is Smart DNS that you can set up for free. There’s the MACE ad blocker that also keeps at bay malware and trackers. What about bandwidth?
As expected, it’s unlimited because this is a premium VPN. Private Internet Access has awesome apps with streaming-optimized locations in a few countries. P2P is fully allowed and you can use its selection of security features, including SOCKS5 to aid your torrenting.
If that’s not enough, consider PIA’s cheap price of around $2.2 a month for the 2-year plan with 4 free months. This deal is already amazing on its own. However, we can add to that a 30-day money-back guarantee plus a 7-day free trial for Aussies who want to try it.
We just want to warn you that it lacks a dedicated Firestick TV app. You can get this app in NordVPN and watch Australian TV abroad on this device. Apart from that and its sluggish Windows client, there’s not much to dislike about PIA. Go ahead and try it below.
Watching Australian TV Channels Overseas for Free
You can – with a risk-free VPN like NordVPN. Other than that, you can try your luck with free VPNs, which we don’t recommend. They’re often lacking Australian VPN servers, making them practically useless. Without this IP address, you can’t access Australian TV, so yeah…
Even if you find one with servers in this country, you’ll come across obstacles like limited bandwidth and slow speeds. Both are detrimental to your experience. We love Proton VPN, which is a pretty good option overall but without servers in this country. That’s a pity because it’s safe, secure, and reliable.
You can opt for Hola VPN, which covers dozens of countries but stores logs and isn’t very secure. There’s also TunnelBear that will work but with 2 GB of bandwidth a month, you’ll hardly manage to watch 15 minutes of anything, let alone Australian TV live.
To cut it short, we don’t think free providers are optimal. Premium options can also be used for free, and as you saw, all our preferred picks have a 30-day money-back guarantee plus a no-quibble 7-day trial. While it’s free for a limited period, such a VPN is far ahead of its free counterpart which doesn’t serve its purpose properly.
Final Words
That wraps up our guide on how to watch Australian TV channels live from abroad. Whether you’re in Europe, North America, Asia, or anywhere else in the world, accessing Aussie TV is as easy as changing your IP address.
The VPN you choose is ultimately up to you. But if you want our recommendation, NordVPN is the safest and most effective option. Still curious? Feel free to test other VPN providers with free trials or money-back guarantees.
Either way, you’re now ready to unlock the full range of Australian TV content (from 7Plus and 10Play to ABC, SBS, 9Now, and more) wherever you are in the world.