How to Watch SBS Outside Australia

It’s in the name actually, Special. Yeah, we’re talking about one of the most popular Australian channels, Special Broadcasting Service – SBS. The channel attracts more than 13.1 million Australians every month, emphasis on Australians. Technically, only those who reside in the country can access the channel’s content. Those who live abroad, including Aussie expats, won’t be able to stream what the channel has to offer courtesy of geo-blocking. But you came here to learn how to watch SBS anywhere, right? Alright then, let’s do it.

SBS – Special to Australians Only

If you’re an Australian traveling outside your country, wherever the road takes you, there has to be a way to keep up with top television shows back home. SBS is a perfect example to watch Australian TV. However, once you leave the borders, it stays home as well. Even if you have a valid subscription, it will go to waste overseas.

The channel examines your IP address to determine your location. Once you connect to the internet in a different country, your IP changes to match that of the region you’re in. As a result, if you try to view anything on SBS abroad, it will terminate your access almost instantly.

Oh, trust me, you’ll know when that happened. There are two error-messages that will pop up. Take a look:

It’s quite annoying to see how limited the internet has become. But that doesn’t have to be the case for so long. Internet users should have unlimited access, especially if they’re leaving their countries. Luckily, there’s a workaround that lets you bypass these geographical restrictions and access any website/service from all around the world. Read on and find out what you need to do.

SBS – Special to Everyone, Anywhere

SBS launched back in 1987, and it has provided its Aussie viewers with shows and programs from all different genres ever since. Now, with a Virtual Private Network, the channel won’t be just for those residing in Australia. Everyone can see what Australian TV is all about, no matter where they are.

A VPN is an internet cybersecurity tool that reroutes your traffic through a server in a country of your choosing. As soon as you hit the connect button, your internet traffic will travel through an encrypted tunnel, and you’ll appear to be browsing the web from the country where the server is located.

That’s not all. The data flowing through this tunnel will be encrypted, in other words, safe from hackers and prying eyes. The VPN will conceal your identity and assign you with a new IP address valid in the region you’ve selected. As a result, you’ll gain access to everything online-restricted in the territory.

For example, if you connect to an Australian server, you’ll receive an Australian IP address. Consequently, you’ll be able to watch the likes of SBS, 7Plus, ABC iView, and more wherever you may be.

Here’s what you need to do to get SBS outside Australia:

1. Subscribe to a VPN service that has servers in Australia. My recommendation goes to ExpressVPN.
2. From their website or your native App Store, download and install the VPN application on your device.
3. Now, activate the app and sign in with your VPN account.
4. Navigate to the server list and connect to an Australian server.
5. Check if you got an Australian IP address using this IP Verifier.
6. Launch SBS on Demand.
7. Stream the best of Australian TV anywhere in the world.

A Good VPN for SBS?

Following the steps above is pretty straightforward, but finding the right VPN for the job can be a bit daunting. That’s why I recommended the service I use ExpressVPN. VPNs are well-known to tamper with your internet speed once the encryption takes place.

However, ExpressVPN has dedicated servers for HD-Streaming, which means you’ll be watching your favorite Aussie shows without noticing the speed drop. ExpressVPN also has a VPN alternative in case you’re not too worried about your security. It offers a free Smart DNS service that’s strictly there to bypass regional restrictions.

It also lets you access restricted content on more devices than a VPN does. VPN applications are only compatible with Android, PC, iOS, Mac, and FireStick. However, Smart DNS can be configured on PlayStation, Chromecast, Xbox, Apple TV, Android, TV, Smart TVs, and the ones stated before.

The provider also excels in the security and privacy departments. With a single subscription, you’ll get the likes of:

• Kill Switch.
• Split-Tunnelling.
• AES-256 bit encryption.
• Several security protocols.
• No-logging policy.
• WebRTC and DNS Leak Protection.

The provider also offers customers a way out in case they don’t like the service (which I doubt). If that was the case, you’d get a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Once you do that, you can check the table below for other top picks to unblock SBS outside Australia.

SBS on Demand – Streaming Platforms

Alright, so if you have an Android phone or an iOS device, you can stream SBS’ content. However, that’s just the half of it. SBS on Demand is available on a handful of streaming devices. Therefore, you can stream top Australian shows on your living room’s big screen if you want with complete ease. SBS on Demand went through some changes back in February 2018. It’s very rare to see a channel pull its dedicated application from a certain store, but SBS did that.

The SBS on Demand app is no longer available on gaming consoles, particularly PS4. Here’s what their official website had to say:

“We’re continuously evolving the SBS On Demand service to offer a seamless, intuitive user experience across a range of platforms and devices. As part of this, we regularly review each platform to ensure we are delivering the best possible service to our users and as a result, SBS On Demand will no longer be available on PlayStation 4 from 14 February 2018.”

With that said, the following are all SBS’ compatible platforms:

What Does SBS Have to Offer

SBS on Demand helps Australians catch up with the latest shows. Now that you have a chance to access the service anywhere in the world, I should tell you what it has in stores in terms of content, don’t you think? Well, what I’m about to say is nothing compared to what you’re actually going to find, but at least I’m giving you a head start. Here’s what’s on SBS:

Unblock SBS on Demand Outside Australia – Final Thoughts

Over time, Australian streaming services are continually offering a better range of content both in terms of quantity and quality. That’s why anyone around the world should have a taste of what they have up their sleeves.

Now, with the help of a VPN, you can do so no matter where you reside on the map. All you have to do is connect to an Australian server, and SBS is all yours. Did this guide help you out with what you’re looking for? What show did you start with? Tell me all about it in the comments below.