How to watch Australian TV in America – Beginner’s Guide
Chris
Chris, a UK-born media connoisseur, is an expert in watching international TV. Known as "The Global Screen Wanderer", he has travelled extensively across the globe with long stints away from home. With over 10 years of experience he has become the go-to guru for streaming content from home and abroad.
In this guide we’re going to show you the easiest and fastest way to watch Australian TV in America.
The best way to watch Aussie TV overseas in the USA is to use the online streaming services such as SBS On Demand, ABC iView, Foxtel Go and others.
However, if you’ve already tried to access them in America then you’ll know you’re blocked from viewing.
To unblock Australian TV in America you’ll need to get yourself an app called a VPN which is available for mobile phones, tablets and all regular laptops and desktops.
Below we show you how within just a few minutes you can be signed up for a VPN and watching Australian TV in America with minimal effort.
How to watch Australian TV in America
If you’ve already tried to use one of the online Australian TV services such as ABC iView or Foxtel Go and you’re in America then you’ll know you’re blocked from watching.
SBS block message.
The reason you’re blocked is clear, you’re in America and not in Australia. Any website intended for Australia will display a similar message because they know you’re in America and not in Australia.
The way to unblock these sites is to use an app called a VPN (Virtual Private Network) as mentioned earlier in this guide.
A VPN allows you to alter your online location and appear elsewhere in the world, in the case of watching Australian TV online, appear in Australia even though you’re in America.
The good news is a VPN will only set you back around 7-8 Aussie dollars per month and you can use it to watch as much TV in America and other countries as you want.
Just follow the simple instructions and you’ll be watching Australian TV in America in no time.
How to watch Australian TV in America Step-by-Step:
- Visit the VPN provider IPVanish and sign-up.
- Download the correct app for your device and install (you can install on more than one device).
- Run the app and login when required.
- Select Australia.
- Press Connect.
Once you’ve pressed connect the app will get about connecting you to Australia. It will let you know when it’s connected but this shouldn’t take any longer than 30 seconds.
Once you’re connected it’s as simple as visiting your favourite online TV streaming service, just as if you were back in Australia.
There is nothing more to it. When you’ve finished watching just disconnect from the app. You can reconnect at any time and as many times as you want.
How to connect example
If you think using the VPN will be too difficult or you’re struggling to find the correct options to connect then just take a look at the example images below that show how to connect on both a mobile device and also a regular computer.
Mobile / Tablet:
Laptop / Desktop:
Alternative VPN Providers
There are alternative VPN providers available and you don’t need to choose IPVanish.
We recommend IPVanish because we found them to be the fastest for streaming video from Australia which reduces the chances of buffering.
There are thousands of VPN providers available, although not all are suitable for watching Australian TV in America. Some are too slow and some just don’t work with Australian TV.
If you’ve got time to search around and you want to see what other options are available then three more providers we recommend are:
All three providers work for watching Australian TV in America and they work much the same as IPVanish. The only noticeable difference is their apps will look a little different to IPVanish.
However, the theory is the same, just select their Australian “server” option and then hit connect. You can now enjoy Australian TV in America.
How to watch Australian TV in America on a Smart TV
If you’ve got a Smart TV that doesn’t run Android or one of the other operating systems then it’s possible to watch Australian TV in America using a different method.
You’ll need to check that you can change the “DNS Settings” on your Smart TV. Many such as Samsung Smart TV’s and AppleTV allow you to do this but not all do so you’ll need to check your manual first.
If your TV does allow you to change the DNS Settings then you’ll want to sign up to ExpressVPN and use their MediaStreamer feature.
It’s also really easy to achieve and you can find guides in the Support -> VPN Setup section of the ExpressVPN website.
Don’t forget, the easiest way to watch Australian TV in America is to get a VPN which you can do by clicking the button below and following the simple instructions from earlier in this guide.
Does IPvanish allow you to choose other countries besides Australia as well? Is it legal and can I get in trouble with my cable provider if I have a VPN?
Hi Jaque,
Yes, you can choose other countries.
You can’t get in trouble with your cable provider, it has nothing to do with them. VPN apps are 100% legal in almost every country.
Some services state that using a VPN is against their terms & conditions but this doesn’t make it illegal.