How to watch BBC iPlayer on an Amazon Fire Stick outside the UK
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 I’m going to show you how you can watch BBC iPlayer on an Amazon Fire Stick (or Fire TV) outside the UK in just a few simple steps.
For this you’ll need a ‘VPN‘ app from a provider such as my recommended one, ExpressVPN. I’ll cover this below.
BBC iPlayer is one of the best online streaming services in the world. It shows everything from Dr Who to Poldark. If you’re a Brit abroad or you’re just a fan of British or BBC TV shows then you’ll want to tune in.
Unfortunately if you’re outside the UK then access to BBC iPlayer is restricted but below I’ll show you the little-known method how to unblock it on your Fire Stick in any country.
Select a VPN service
To watch BBC iPlayer on an Amazon Fire Stick outside the UK you’ll need to get yourself a VPN service.
This comes as an app you can download onto your Fire Stick which allows you to change your location. There are hundreds of VPN services out there but very few support the Amazon Fire Stick.
My recommended provider is ExpressVPN because they work well with BBC iPlayer and they have a dedicated Amazon app which makes using it really quick and easy.
However, there are a couple of other choices too that also work on the Fire Stick which includes the following.
My Top 3 VPN services to watch BBC iPlayer on a Fire Stick:
- ExpressVPN – My recommended choice!
- StrongVPN
- VPN.ac
Simply select one of the three providers above and sign up for their service.
ExpressVPN have a 30-day money back guarantee too so it’s risk-free. If you can’t get it working then just get your money back.
EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Save 49% off!
Use the VPN to watch BBC iPlayer
Once you’ve signed up for a VPN service you’ll need to download their app to your Fire Stick (or Fire TV).
Follow the steps below. In my example steps below I’m using my recommended provider ExpressVPN but it’s much the same process with the other providers too.
How to watch BBC iPlayer on an Amazon Fire Stick:
- Visit the ExpressVPN website by clicking here, choose a subscription length and sign up.
- Once signed up go to your Amazon Fire Stick (or Fire TV) and search for ‘ExpressVPN’.
- Download and install the ExpressVPN app.
- Then press the ‘Home’ button and search ‘Firefox’.
- Download and install the Firefox app.
- Press the ‘Home’ button and open the ExpressVPN app.
- Press ‘Choose Location‘. Then press ‘United Kingdom‘.
- Once connected press the ‘Home’ button.
- Then open the Firefox app and visit: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer
Watch BBC iPlayer with ExpressVPN.
Now you’re connected to the ExpressVPN app any websites you use think you’re in the United Kingdom.
This means you can be in America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain or anywhere else in the world and still watch BBC iPlayer on your Fire Stick.
30-day money back guarantee
Will this work with the BBC iPlayer app?
It’s not possible to use the dedicated Amazon app for BBC iPlayer using this method because it automatically detects your location.
To be able to watch BBC iPlayer on a Fire Stick or Fire TV outside the UK you’ll need to use the Firefox web-browser app on your Fire Stick or Fire TV which works just as well.
The beauty of this is you can install the Firefox app and watch BBC iPlayer on a Fire Stick from any country. This means it works with American Fire Sticks, Indian Fire Sticks, UK Fire Sticks and Fire Sticks from any other country.
Are VPN apps legal and how do they work?
VPN apps are completely legal so there is no need to worry. Their intended purpose is to protect your privacy online. One of the ways in how it does this is by allowing you to disguise your location.
A VPN works by taking your internet connection and forwarding it to another location.
In this case it forwards it to the the United Kingdom first before BBC iPlayer. So if you’re in America your request is first sent to the UK. It is then sent to BBC iPlayer.
The BBC iPlayer app only sees a request from the UK and so lets you watch. If you visited without a VPN it would see your request from America (or any other country) and block you from viewing.
What else can I use the VPN with?
ExpressVPN lets you use their service on 3 devices at the same time and you’re not just limited to using it on your Amazon Fire Stick.
This means you can watch other services from the UK such as TV Player, ITV Player, Channel 4 and others either on your Amazon Fire Stick (or Fire TV) or on any other type of devices like mobiles, tablets and computers.
Recap: Watch BBC iPlayer on an Amazon Fire Stick
To watch BBC iPlayer on an Amazon Fire Stick (or Fire TV) you’ll need to get yourself a VPN service.
A VPN service will let you disguise your location and watch BBC iPlayer on your Fire Stick in any country.
I recommend using ExpressVPN which you can get by clicking the button below.
They’re one of the easiest to use, competitively priced and they’ve got a 30-day money back guarantee just in case you get stuck or can’t get it working.
It’s also worth taking their annual package because you get 3 months completely free on top saving you 49% over paying on a month-by-month basis.
Click the button below to get Express, sign up for their service and download their app onto your Fire Stick or Fire TV. Connect to the UK then download the Firefox app and head over to the BBC iPlayer website.
You can now watch any BBC iPlayer shows on your Amazon Fire Stick anywhere in the world.
Where are you watching BBC iPlayer in the world? I would love to know so why not let me know in the comments section below. If you get stuck feel free to post too and I’ll be glad to help!
Looking for more articles like this? Try these:
