For Sports fans, ESPN is a well-known name as this network offers excellent coverage of some of the most important events. ESPN was founded in 1979 and it is one of the most popular and trusted sources of sports related content. The company has multiple channels with content available in the United States and it holds exclusive TV broadcasting rights to many sport leagues and major tournaments. ESPN offers live streaming access to the NBA Regular season and playoffs, Major League Baseball, Premier League, US Open, NFL matches and much more. ESPN has something for everyone and whether you love basketball, baseball or hockey, you can enjoy all the action with ESPN.
While access to live events on ESPN requires a cable subscription, to help viewers to watch their favorite sports even if they are not in front of a TV, ESPN offers online content and practical mobile apps to enjoy matches and shows on the go. The problem is that live streaming is only available in the United States. Even if you are subscribed to ESPN at home and you have downloaded the WatchESPN app, when you travel outside the US, you won’t be able to stream media. This is because ESPN’s distribution agreements with the rights holders of the media stream, are subject to geographical restrictions. To comply with these distribution deals, ESPN has to ensure that only users in the US can get access to the content.
How to access ESPN outside the US
In order to prevent media streaming from outside the US, ESPN has implemented geo-blocking, a process that enables them to check the IP address of every user who access the service. With the IP address, it is possible to determine the user’s exact location and anyone who tries to watch a game on WatchESPN using an IP address that is not based in the US will just be greeted by a message letting them know that the the content is blocked for them. This is very frustrating for ESPN subscribers who travel a lot and who don’t want to miss matches or their favorite ESPN shows. Thankfully, there is a practical solution to unblock ESPN, no matter where you are and that is using a VPN.
With a VPN, you will be able to change your IP address by simply connecting to a server located in the United States. This will make you appear as if you were there, which will allow you to unlock the content available from ESPN. If live outside the United States and don’t have a cable subscription to ESPN, you can opt for a paid service called Sling TV, which provides online access to ESPN live streams. This service is only available in the United States, so you will need to use a VPN to subscribe to them in order to watch live matches on ESPN.
ExpressVPN
Thanks to the fantastic speeds that it offers, ExpressVPN is ideal for streaming content. The service is effective, easy to use and supports a high level of encryption to keep your traffic secure. In the US, ExpressVPN gives you the possibility to connect to servers in Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C, Miami and more. They also have a SmartDNS service. Although this option doesn’t offer the security of a VPN, it is also a practical way to bypass geo-restrictions.
Private Internet Access
PIA is an affordable VPN service that offers strong protection and very good speeds. Since they have some of the lowest prices in the industry, but don’t sacrifice the quality of the service, they are ideal for users who want to cut down costs. After all, in order to access ESPN, you already have to pay for an ESPN subscription. PIA combines attractive pricing with good performance and its network has over 3,000 servers in 24 countries, including United States.
HideMyAss
HideMyAss is a popular VPN solution with over 120000 IPs and servers in prcatically every country in the world. In the United States, they have over 300 servers that will allow you to bypass geographical blocks effectively. HMA offers fantastic speeds for streaming and the plans are reasonably priced.
NordVPN
NordVPN strives to protects the privacy of its customers with a powerful combination of advanced features, high encryption, and a reliable network with more than 5000 servers in over 50 countries. There are many servers available in the United States so you won’t have problems accessing ESPN and other services. Thanks to the good speeds that NordVPN provides, you will be able to overcome restrictions and stream content without experiencing annoying delays. NordVPN has easy to use software and it doesn’t keep any logs at all.
Surfshark
This is another provider that delivers a great streaming experience and that protects you against malware and malicious hackers. You can connect to hundreds of servers in more than 50 countries, including the United States and enjoy your favorite sports in ESPN. Surfshark offers great speeds for streaming, gaming and downloading content. The service also features anti-malware protection and it also defends you against trackers and other threats to privacy. It doesn’t keep logs of your activities.
