British television has grown widely popular in the past few years, especially in the United States. We’re getting shows like Downton Abbey, Peaky Blinders, Line of Duty, and so many more. Two of the largest terrestrial broadcasters in the UK (ITV and BBC), collaborated to create Britbox. The online streaming service that brings what British TV has to offer to the United States. However, Britbox is only accessible by those residing in the States. But what about viewers abroad? What about US expats with valid subscriptions? Well, they also get to watch the channel as I’m going to be explaining how to watch Britbox anywhere in the world in the following guide.
Britbox – What the Fuss is All About!
Britbox is an OTT streaming service that launched in the US back in 2017. The service came into place as a vision between ITV and the BBC to spread British television across the globe. The channel is focused on British television series, mostly the ones on BBC and ITV. However, the two broadcasters have promised more original content to come in 2020.
As I mentioned, the service launched in the US back in 2017 and gained more than 250,000 subscribers in the first year. At the time of writing, Britbox has 650,000 subscribers from the North American platform. Britbox also launched in Canada, but with a catch. Although the service is free, you can’t help but wonder why are there some titles missing? For example, Coronation Street is available in the US library but not in the Canadian one.
Britbox is also launching in the United Kingdom, in case you’re still in the dark. That means the platform will be available in three different countries, with three different catalogs. I guess that Peaky Blinders will be one of the exclusive shows in the UK. One more thing, BBC has around 10% share on the platform, so expect the likes of Channel 4 to take over soon.
Is it Expensive?
It’s definitely not. Although the subscription base is still small, the service is there to rival the likes of Netflix and Hulu. Before I start talking about the price, BritBox offers a free 7-day trial; You’ll need to enter your credit card info. The subscription fee varies depending on the country you’re in. Here’s how it looks like:
- USA: $6.99/month, $69.99/year
- Canada: $8.99/month, $89.99/year
- UK: £5.99/month
Canada’s pricing is a bit cheaper, but then again, you won’t be saving a fortune. Let’s not forget that the US library is so much bigger with more than 3,600 hours of programming currently available.
Device Compatibility
British television is something to enjoy to the max. And what better way to do so other than on a big screen? You see, whatever the method or device you prefer, Brtibox has an app for that. Let’s take a look at the devices that the Britbox application supports:
- Android
- Apple iPad
- Apple iPhone
- Apple TV (4th-gen)
- Google Chromecast
- PC and Mac (through a browser)
- Roku
Britbox’s Streaming Problem
So far, Brtibox is only available in the United States and Canada. Anyone living abroad will not be able to stream its content. You see, the channel can figure out where you’re located by looking at your IP address. If yours is not American or Canadian, you’ll be blocked almost instantly. This is the geo-error message you’ll receive once you attempt to use Britbox while abroad:
“Unfortunately, Britbox is exclusively available in the United States and Canada.”
This guide’s title is self-explanatory. I’m going to help you work around the geo-restrictions imposed in Britbox next. So keep scrolling.
Britbox Anywhere – A Three-Minute Process
The best and fastest option to unblock Britbox outside the US and Canada is by using a Virtual Private Network. It’s the ultimate tool to bypass regional restrictions and secure your data at the same time. A VPN spoofs your online location by redirecting your internet traffic through a dedicated server in a specific country.
Of course, you get to choose that country. Once the connection is established, the VPN will virtually relocate you to appear as if you’re browsing the internet from the region where the server is located. As a result, you’ll get an IP address in that territory and direct access to all online content exclusive to the country.
For example, if you connect to a US server, you’ll get a US IP address. Hence, you’ll be able to stream not just Britbox, but the likes of Hulu, HBO Now, CW TV, and so many more. The process is quite easy to follow. Just go through these steps, and you’ll be watching Britbox in your country in no time:
- At first, you’ll need to sign up with a well-known VPN provider. Try to stay away from free VPNs (they’ll do you more harm than good in the long run). The top recommendations are listed below.
- Once you have a VPN account, download the VPN app straight from the provider’s website.
- Next, activate the app and find a VPN server in the US. Hit connect.
- Now you need to check if you got a US IP address. Visit this IP Verifier.
- Finally, open Britbox, subscribe and stream all the British television you want.
My Top VPN Recommendation
I managed to unblock Britbox in my country using ExpressVPN. As a personal opinion, it is the best choice to bypass regional restrictions and access channels all over the world. Why so? Well, the provider has more than 2000 servers across 94 countries, including the US and Canada. In addition to that, the servers are blazing-fast, which makes HD streaming an easy task.
ExpressVPN allows you to connect five devices simultaneously. However, if you don’t want to be limited to what concurrent connections the VPN enables, you can always install it on your router. That way, everybody connected to your Wi-Fi network will gain all the VPN’s benefits.
When I evaluate a VPN, speed is an essential factor to consider. ExpressVPN performed very well in my speed tests. Apparently, it has dedicated servers for streaming, online gaming, and torrenting. It can be very beneficial as buffering notices can get a bit frustrating in the middle of a video.
Speaking of speed, a VPN’s encryption might tamper with your internet connection. That’s why ExpressVPN gives you an alternative that both maintains your internet speed and expands the range of device compatibility.
We’re talking about MediaStreamer, ExpressVPN’s Smart DNS feature, which allows you to bypass restrictions on Apple TV, Chromecast, Smart TVs, PS4, Xbox, and more. That’s not all; you’ll also be able to access your local channels as well as blocked ones since your IP remains intact. Finally, with no encryption present, you’ll be streaming with minimal speed loss.
As for security, ExpressVPN provides the best military-grade technologies and protocols. Whatever you’re doing or wherever you’re connecting, your private information is always safe from hackers and snoopers in the form of your ISP and government.
Other Services?
As grand as ExpressVPN is, it’s not the only VPN provider capable of fulfilling this task. You’ll find dozens of VPN services on the market that can do the job just as good. If you want to know more, check out the table below.
- 30-Day Money-back Guarantee
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- Apps For All Your Devices
- 24/7 Live Support
Why Britbox Though?
I remember when I watched Tutankhamun, the drama mini-series revolving around the discovery of his tomb. It was such a great show, but by that time, I didn’t know that Britbox had this much content. Check it out:
- The Moorside
- Poirot
- Bancroft
- Blackadder
- Bleak House
- Cold Feet
- Cracker
- Doctor Who
- Fawlty Towers
- Mum
- Inspector Morse
- Maigret
- In the Dark
- Merlin
- Miss Marple
- New Blood
- The Office
- Prime Suspect
- Young Hyacinth
- Sherlock Holmes
- Dark Heart
- Our Girl
- Vera
- The Young Ones
How to Watch Britbox Outside the US – Parting Words
Geo-blocks can be quite frustrating. Due to world licensing and broadcasting rights, Britbox, and other streaming channels block anyone outside of their targeted area. However, that’s all going to change today as you now have the means to unblock Britibox anywhere. All you need to do is use a VPN and you can watch Britbox no matter where you are. In case you run into trouble, make sure to give me a shout out in the comments.