How to watch Canadian TV Overseas: 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.
If you’re like many Canadians across the world you probably want to access Canadian TV overseas. In this guide we’re going to show you the easiest way you can achieve this so you can watch all your favourite shows anywhere in the world.
The easiest way to watch Canadian TV overseas is to use online streaming services. However, if you’ve already tried to use one of these you’ll know you’re blocked from viewing.
Instead of seeing the shows you want to watch you’re told you’re outside Canada and so cannot view.
All you’re going to need to avoid this block is to get yourself an app called a VPN. A VPN will allow you to unblock Canadian online TV streams so you can watch them overseas. Below we’ll show you how to get one and how to use it.
How to watch Canadian TV Overseas
When you visit any of the leading Canadian online TV services such as CBC or CTV and you’re overseas, instead of seeing the show you want to watch, you’re blocked with a message that looks a little bit like this:
The reason you’re blocked is quite clear and that’s because you’re not in Canada.
Most Canadian online streams are intended to be viewed only in Canada to ensure that only Canadians have access to the content. If you’re a Canadian overseas then the TV service has no way of knowing this.
The great news is, all you need is a small app called a VPN and it will allow you to unblock any Canadian online TV service. VPN services are available for Android, iOS, Windows and Mac devices.
Just follow the simple steps below to get one and you can watch Canadian TV anywhere within minutes.
How to watch Canadian TV Overseas:
- Visit the VPN provider IPVanish and sign up.
- Go to the Apps area of their website and download the correct app for your device.
- Install the app, run it and login when required.
- Select Canada.
- Press Connect.
Once you press Connect the app will take care of all the technical work and will set about getting you connected to a “Canadian server”.
As soon as it has connected it’ll let you know and from there any websites that you visit will think you’re in Canada.
Just take a look at the example image below on a Windows PC which shows you just how easy it is to get connected.
Within just two simple steps you can be connected. All you need to do now is visit your favourite online TV streaming service from Canada and you’ll be able to watch any live or catch-up TV.
Once you’ve finished watching all you need to do is press Disconnect on the app.
You can reconnect whenever and as many times as you want as long as you have a valid subscription to IPVanish.
Below we’ve listed a few alternative VPN providers if you want to sign up to a different company.
Alternative VPN Providers
IPVanish is without a doubt our number 1 choice when it comes to choosing a VPN service to watch Canadian TV overseas.
They offer the all round best service at a good price. We recommend them mainly because we find them to offer the fastest speeds which reduces the chances of buffering which you could suffer if you’re a considerable distance from Canada.
However, if you’ve got time and you want to check out some of the other options then three more providers we recommend are:
They all work exactly the same as IPVanish and they support all tablet, phone and computer systems.
Their apps will look a little bit different to the one pictured earlier from IPVanish but they work the same, just select Canada, press Connect and then visit your favourite Canadian online streaming service.
How does a VPN work and are they legal
VPN services are completely legal and they’re a good way of protecting your online privacy.
One of their privacy features is they let you disguise your online location and change where websites see you coming from.
It is this feature that allows you to unblock Canadian TV services when you’re overseas.
At the very worst you may be breaking the Terms & Conditions of the TV streaming website. By no means are VPN services illegal though and the websites you access have no way of determining you’re overseas.
So just remember, all you need is a VPN service which you can get by clicking the button below and follow the instructions earlier in this guide.
I have a nord vpn account but still couldn’t access TSN, CTV or CBC Live while in the Caribbean???? I was able to watch the TSPN. Don’t understand??
Hi Gilles,
You may need to try a few different servers to get one that works. It’s also worth reaching out to NordVPN to see if there’s a specific issue.