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How to Unblock BBC iPlayer abroad in 2021

Want to unblock BBC iPlayer abroad in 2021? It’s quite simple to do if you follow this guide, but otherwise impossible, and that’s whether you are in Ireland or the US.

That’s why in this guide, we’ll show you how to unblock BBC iPlayer abroad in 2021.

Meaning that you will be able to watch your Peaky Blinders, Doctor Who, or whatever show, match, or movie you want to watch with BBC.

...Oh, and this method will also work for ITV, as well as BritBox.

Why You Can’t Currently Get BBC iPlayer Abroad

Initially, for years, the BBC would state that you were not able to watch BBC iPlayer because you didn’t pay for a TV license since you were abroad.

...They don’t do that anymore. Most likely because somebody sued them as they were paying a TV license, which they can rightly do, considering people even with lower income can afford to travel across Europe, even with lower budgets, especially considering flights can sometimes cost €7.

 

Now...instead, you get told that BBC iPlayer is just not available. 

What’s the reason? Rights to content.

BBC iPlayer is part of BBC, which is a “British Broadcasting Corporation” after all.

Its primary target audience is the UK. That means it sells rights to its content so that other platforms can stream BBC content, and that it also buys 3rd party content that it can only show in the UK.

How to Unblock BBC iPlayer Abroad in 2021

  1. Make the BBC think you are in the UK.
  2. Create a BBC iPlayer account.
  3. Download the BBC iPlayer app (This is optional but useful on mobile devices.)

Step 1: Make BBC iPlayer Think You Are Abroad

BBC iPlayer must think you are in the UK if you want to unblock BBC iPlayer abroad.

For that, you will need to get a VPN service that supports the BBC service.

VPN services? They allow you to change your virtual location to be somewhere else. 

Is that enough? No. Many VPN services don’t unblock entertainment platforms like BBC.

That’s why you need the right VPN service that focuses on entertainment. 

And that’s where PrivateVPN comes in as a service with a focus on entertainment, meaning fewer servers than of many services that offer thousands of servers, but instead servers of quality that work with streaming services like BBC iPlayer or BritBox.

  1. Create a PrivateVPN account.
  2. Download the app.
  3. Connect to a UK server.

As far as unblocking BBC iPlayer goes, that’s pretty much it. 

Step 2: Create a BBC iPlayer Account

This step is relatively simple, which isn’t always the case as platforms like DAZN tend to be much more complicated.

To register, you will need to use a UK zip code generator, which you can easily find on Google.

And that’s pretty much it if you want to unblock BBC iPlayer abroad in 2021.

Want to get the BBC iPlayer app on your phone or TV? We’ll walk through that now.

BBC iPlayer Abroad on Apple Devices

To unblock the BBC iPlayer app, you will need to sign out of your iCloud account and to create a new account, with your location set to be in the UK.

When you do that, you will be able to download BBC iPlayer from the App Store.

Of course, after you do that, you can sign back into your old account, and the BBC app will still be there.

And yes, PrivateVPN, of course, is available on mobile devices.

BBC iPlayer on Android Devices

On Android devices, you need to change the location of your current account.

  1. Connect to a UK region using PrivateVPN.
  2. Press on 3 bars on the top-left of the screen in your Play Store.
  3. Go to Account.
  4. Google will now give you an option to switch your location to be in the UK.
  5. Do it and go back to Account.
  6. Confirm your change.
  7. Restart the Play Store.
  8. Download BBC iPlayer.

Unblocking BBC iPlayer on a TV

Most smart TVs and smart TV platforms like Apple TV, Chromecast, and Roku do not support VPN services. 

And that’s an issue when it comes to watching BBC iPlayer abroad.

Solutions?

  1. Connect a laptop to a TV via an HDMI cable.
  2. Get an Amazon Fire TV Stick.

If you just ordered a Fire TV Stick, simply create an Amazon account based in the UK.

Already have one and want to download the BBC iPlayer app?

  • Go to your current Amazon account in the web browser.
  • Press on Accounts & Lists, followed by Manage Your Account and Content.
  • Change your region to be in the UK.
  • Now go to your Amazon Fire TV device. Press on Settings and My Account.
  • Deregister and sign back into your Amazon account.
  • Download BBC iPlayer on your Fire TV.

That’s How to Unblock BBC iPlayer Abroad in 2021

This guide? It will also allow you to unblock many other platforms like ITB Hub and RTE Player, but if you want to unblock more advanced platforms such as DAZN or Hulu, we do also have guides on those. 

Written by Michael Smolski.

Disclaimer: While PrivateVPN supports BBC iPlayer, it cannot guarantee non-stop 100% of the time support at all given times. NO VPN service can do that because BBC iPlayer constantly takes measures against VPN services.

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