How To Watch BBC In USA And Elsewhere In The World

BBC iPlayer is an online streaming service offered by BBC network where you can watch all popular shows and movies produced by BBC anytime and anywhere. It gives you access to the content broadcasted on BBC one and several other channels. 

BBC doesn't take extra charges for accessing BBC iPlayer which gives another good reason to stream BBC. But even after such premium shows, movies, sports, and news. You cannot watch BBC iPlayer in USA. 

BBC iPlayer is only available for the people who are residing in the US and anyone living outside the UK can't access BBC iPlayer. But don't worry a VPN can help you in bypassing BBC iPlayer's geo-restrictions.

A VPN can change your virtual location and let you access the BBC without any problem. In today's article, we will discuss how to access BBC with VPN in depth. So, let's start without any delay.

Why does the BBC put geo-restrictions on its content?

BBC is a broadcasting service which is funded by the taxes of the UK citizens. Moreover, they also pay for it while buying a TV License. So, only UK citizens should be able to access the BBC.

Other than this, there are copyright regulations on many movies and shows which makes them inaccessible for the people living outside the UK. Thus, all of these geo-restrictions are legal and logical on the BBC's hand.

But it's quite unfair on the hand of people who love to watch BBC shows but they are traveling outside the UK or migrated outside the UK or they are just a native American who loves to watch British drama and movies.

Need of VPN to stream BBC iPlayer in USA

BBC uses an IP tracking system to put geo-restrictions. In this, BBC monitors the IP address of all people who visit the BBC website and as their IP address reveals their location, the BBC blocks them if their location doesn't reside in the UK.

But a VPN bypasses BBC's tracking system by masking your IP address. A VPN routes your complete data-traffic from an intermediate server which ultimately gives you a new IP address.

Your new IP address is the same as the intermediate server which you get connected to. Thus if you will connect to a UK based VPN server then you will get a UK based IP address and you can easily access BBC iPlayer with this UK based IP address.

How to Watch BBC in USA using VPN

Follow these steps to set up a VPN in your device for streaming BBC iPlayer:

1. Select a VPN service for your device. There are a variety of VPN tools available in the market each specialized in its own way. 
2. I recommend ExpressVPN for BBC iPlayer because ExpressVPN provides lightning-fast internet speed with accurate unblocking. These features make ExpressVPN a perfect fit for BBC.
   
3. Now, access the website of your VPN service provider and sign-up for the VPN service by creating your credentials. Remember those credentials for the future.
4. Now, download the VPN client app on your device. You can download it from the provider's website(Mac and Windows), app store(iOS), or google play store(android), based on your device. If your provider doesn't offer a VPN app then you can use the OpenVPN app for connecting to the provider's VPN server.
5. Once the app gets installed, run it and sign-in with the credentials you stored earlier. Then, select a UK-based server and hit connect. 
6. Once you get connected, open the BBC iPlayer website and see if it's unblocked now or not. If it's still blocked then clear your cookies and try again. It will be unblocked this time.
   
   

If you face any issue at any step then you can comment on your problem and I will try our best to solve it.

Benefits of the VPN to stream BBC iplayer in USA

A good quality VPN will not only bypass BBC's tracking system but it will also give you the following benefits:

1. Data Security

Most of your online connections stay unencrypted, which allows hackers to break into your system and steal valuable information.

But a VPN secures you from such threats by doing end-to-end(from your device to BBC's website) encryption of your data-traffic.

It also provides many additional security features like kill-switch, ad-blocking, DNS-leak protection, and split-tunneling to give an extra layer of security.

2. Data Privacy

Privacy is a very concerning issue on the internet. Like websites, governments, ISPs, and hackers, many third parties try to collect your personal information for their benefit. 

A VPN hides your internet history and the IP address from all third parties. A good VPN also never stores personal information of users itself. Thus, It keeps your identity anonymous on the internet. 

3. Unrestricted Content Access

A good VPN will not give you access to the BBC only, but it will also provide you with access to other streaming platforms that were restricted to you earlier. You can watch Netflix UK, Amazon UK, Cantonese drama, Korean drama, or any other international shows while residing in any world.

4. Boosts Speed

ISPs throttle their users' internet connection when they find out that their users are indulged in activities like extensive file-sharing and video streaming. But, if you are using a VPN, then you don't need to worry about it.

A VPN hides your real internet history from your ISP and shows a fake one to them. This way, they never get to know what you were doing on the internet, and you keep on enjoying fast internet speed without any problem.

5. Multiple Platforms

Most VPNs allow you to use their services on multiple platforms simultaneously after buying a single subscription. Moreover, you can also set up a VPN service in your router, and then all devices of your house will be secured by a VPN connection.

You can find all the above-mentioned features in Surfshark VPN. It is also available at an affordable range.

FAQs

1. Which BBC channels can we watch on BBC iPlayer with a VPN??

We can watch the following BBC channels on BBC iPlayer using a VPN.

• BBC One
• BBC Two
• CBBC
• BBC Four
• BBC News
• Cbeebies
• BBC Three
• BBC Scotland
• S4C
• BBC Parliament
• BBC Alba
• Radio 1

2. Can I stream the BBC with a free VPN??

No, we will not recommend you to use a free VPN with the BBC due to many reasons. First of all, a free VPN offers very limited server and bandwidth which leads to throttling your internet speed to a miserable level.

With such a slow speed you cannot even think of streaming BBC. However, some free VPNs offer good internet speed, but they give only limited monthly data which may not be enough for you.

Secondly, BBC blocks VPN servers through its algorithm and most free VPNs can't add new VPN servers to access BBC like before. Therefore, you will not get access to the BBC website even after connecting to a free VPN.

And free VPNs are not even completely free, most free VPNs use you to earn their revenue. They run annoying and time-wasting ads on your device to earn their revenue.

But some free VPNs cross their limits and start selling your personal data to third parties. Selling your data to third parties without your consent is a threat to both your security and privacy, the two things which a VPN is supposed to protect.

Therefore, keep a distance from free VPNs and if you don't want to spend on VPNs, then you can use paid VPNs for their trial period. If you are interested in buying a VPN, make sure to check the VPN Black Friday special deals. You can watch as many BBC shows as you want between this trial period. 

3. Can we download BBC shows through torrenting?

Yes, BBC shows will be available on torrent sites and you can download them from there. But if the torrent is banned in your country then you will have to use a VPN. Moreover, BBC shows are copyrighted, and accessing them through torrent is illegal. So, it can have bad consequences. I recommend you to use VPN for streaming.

Conclusion

BBC offers a wide variety of content, and it is a kind of all-in-one package of news, entertainment, information, sports, politics, etc. Some shows and movies produced by the BBC have gained worldwide popularity and fame.

And US-based BBC lovers should be demotivated through geo-restrictions. That's the primary purpose of this article. Also, using a VPN is entirely legal, and you don't need to worry about legal authorities.

You can comment your doubts about the article or give your honest review of your VPN. If you liked the article, please share it with your friends who want to watch BBC shows.