How to watch Sky Ireland abroad
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.
Sky is one of the most popular subscription services in Ireland but if you’re trying to watch outside the country, then you’ll be having difficulties.
In this guide I’ll be showing you the quick and easy way you can access and watch your Sky Ireland account anywhere in the world.
You’re probably already thinking it’s really technical, but luckily it isn’t!
With the help of a simple app you can be watching Sky in any country, but more on that later.
If you’ve got a Sky account, then you’ll know not only how much great content there is, but also that you’re paying the bill for a premium service. Like most people you likely feel it’s a little unfair that you can’t watch it when outside the country.
So without further ado, let’s dive right in and get you watching your Sky Ireland account wherever you find yourself on this planet of ours.
What you’re going to need
Right, back to the information you’re after.
When you access your Sky Ireland account on any device, it will first check where you are.
If you’re in Ireland, no problem, you can watch whatever live or catch-up TV you want.
Step outside Ireland and you’re blocked.
The reason for this is something called ‘geo-blocks‘. It’s kind of like a virtual fence around the internet that stops you watching Sky outside the virtual borders of Ireland.
However, unlike physical borders, it’s simple to hop them and disguise your real location so you appear elsewhere.
So what do you need for this?
Well, it’s effortless, a basic app called a ‘VPN‘ will let you pick a location anywhere in the world and to any websites or other apps you use, they’ll think you’re there.
So where can I get a VPN?
Thankfully as VPN apps intended purpose is to increase your online privacy, it means there are loads of companies selling them.
They cost a few Euro per month (charged in US Dollars) and there are loads to choose from.
My personal favourite is ExpressVPN. They’re a little easier to use than most and they’ve got some of the best speeds which is essential for watching video overseas – like watching Sky Ireland for example.
There are other good options and any of these three below will do – the choice is yours.
- ExpressVPN – Recommended
- IPVanish
- NordVPN
Once you’ve decided on a VPN provider, follow the steps below.
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How to use the VPN to watch Sky Ireland
Now you’ve decided which VPN you’re going to use, watching Sky Ireland is straightforward.
Follow the quick steps below and you’ll be watching in minutes.
- Visit your chosen VPN provider, for example ExpressVPN and sign up for their service. Remember their 12-month package is a lot cheaper than paying monthly.
- Download their VPN app for the device you’re using. With ExpressVPN you’ll find it in the ‘Products’ section of their website.
- Open the app and login with your account details.
- Press ‘Selected Location‘.
- Then press ‘All Locations‘, ‘Europe‘ and select ‘Ireland‘.
- You might also need to press ‘Connect‘ depending on the type of device you’re using.
- Once the VPN has connected use your Sky app or service to watch as normal.
Watch your Sky Ireland subscription anywhere.
What and where can I watch?
By using the above method you can watch any kind of content that’s part of your subscription.
For example, you can watch live sport, or you can watch on catch-up. So you could binge watch the last season of Game of Thrones or you could stream Premier League football as it happens.
The choice is yours and there are no restrictions other than your usual subscription package restrictions.
Sadly, it’s not going to give access to content that you don’t already have a subscription for!
In terms of where you can watch, well, pretty much anywhere.
So you can watch your Sky Ireland service in the UK, America, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Thailand, UAE or anywhere else on the planet.
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How does a VPN work?
The real purpose of a VPN is to protect your online privacy.
It stops hackers, companies and governments from snooping on what you’re doing on the internet.
A side feature is it allows you to hide your location to stop anyone tracking your usage.
It’s this that lets you pretend you’re still in Ireland when you’re somewhere else in the world and it’s this that enables you to watch your Sky package abroad.
If you’re in America for example, when using a VPN your connection is first passed to Ireland, it’s then passed on to Sky.
Sky only see an incoming connection from Ireland and so let you watch. The VPN service then passes this all back from Ireland to you in America (or wherever you are).
It’s all automatic and seamless, you won’t even know it’s happening – all you have to do is enjoy your Sky subscription wherever you are in the world.
In Summary
So you want to watch Sky Ireland abroad? Well, it’s easier than you might think.
You’ll need to get a VPN service. There are many to choose from but I recommend ExpressVPN. They’ve got a 30-day money back guarantee so it’s risk-free if you can’t get it to work.
They’re also offering a 49% discount if you take a yearly package which is well worth considering.
Once you’ve signed up, download their app and connect to Ireland.
You can then stream any live or catch-up content wherever you find yourself in the world.
Illustration © Boldgstock – Dreamstime.com
