How to Watch Sky Sports Abroad — Tested & Updated in 2023

Sky Sports is blocked in most countries due to geo-restrictions. If you’re traveling outside the UK and Ireland, you can’t access your Sky Sports account and keep up with games you've been looking forward to. However, there’s a simple solution.

The easiest way to watch Sky Sports abroad is with a VPN. A VPN is a simple app that hides your physical location. You can use it to make streaming platforms like Sky Sports think you’re in one of its supported countries, allowing you to watch your favorite channels.

I tested over 30 top VPNs to find the best solution for Sky Sports. My #1 recommendation is ExpressVPN, as it has a high-speed server network that allows you to watch Sky Sports in HD from anywhere. Plus, it’s backed by a money-back guarantee, so you can try ExpressVPN without risk. If you’re not happy with it, you can get a full refund within 30 days.

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Why You Need a VPN to Watch Sky Sports

Sky Sports is only available in the UK and Ireland due to broadcasting restrictions and licensing agreements. This means that Sky has to block people who are located outside these countries from watching anything on their platform, including all the Sky Sports channels.

If you try to access the Sky Sports website outside the UK or Ireland, you’ll see the following error message:

A VPN helps you bypass these restrictions by masking your actual location. It redirects your internet traffic through a server in a country of your choice, making it seem like you’re browsing from that country (rather than where you really are). For example, if you connect to a VPN server in the UK, Sky will think you’re in the UK and let you access the platform. You’ll be able to watch your favorite Sky Sports channels while abroad.

In short, if you’re connected to a VPN, streaming sites can’t tell where in the world you are. You’ll be able to access Sky Sports from any location.

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Best VPNs to Watch Sky Sports From Anywhere in 2023

1. ExpressVPN — Highly Reliable UK Servers and Lightning-Fast Speeds to Watch Sky Sports Live Without Slowdowns

ExpressVPN’s superfast speeds let you watch Sky Sports in Ultra HD without annoying buffering. When I tested its London, Wembley, and Ireland servers, I got an average speed of 45.6 Mbps, which was only a 4% drop from my base connection. Since you need 25 Mbps to stream in Ultra HD, this was more than enough to watch Premier League games in the highest quality.

When I connected to its UK - London server I could stream all Sky Sports channels in Ultra HD

Plus, ExpressVPN has 5 server locations in the UK, which is more than any other VPN I tested that managed to access Sky Sports. If 1 server location experiences problems, you can always switch to another one. This means that you don’t have to worry about missing a sporting event due to server problems.

Streaming platforms like Sky Sports try to block VPN IP addresses when detected. However, ExpressVPN’s IP addresses are constantly updated, making it very difficult for Sky to effectively block them. When I connected to its UK and Ireland servers, I could access my Sky Sports account hassle-free every time. I was also able to unblock tons of other streaming platforms such as Now TV, Virgin TV Go, Netflix UK, BBC iPlayer, and more.

The VPN app is easy to use, so you can start watching Sky Sports within minutes. Many VPNs require you to change several security settings to get them to work with certain streaming platforms. ExpressVPN doesn't have this issue — you can simply download it, connect to a UK server, and it works. Plus, I particularly liked that it saves the country I connected to in “Recent Location”, so I could quickly reconnect the next time I opened it.

ExpressVPN is a bit on the pricey side with plans starting at $6.67/month. Luckily, it often runs heavy discounts – I got 49% off when I signed up for the yearly plan. ExpressVPN also offers monthly and six-monthly plans, but the yearly plan offers the best long-term value by far.

Furthermore, ExpressVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. This means that if you’re not satisfied, you can always get a full refund. To test this, I asked for my money back using the 24/7 live chat. The representative asked a few questions about my user experience and issued my refund quickly. The money was back in my account in 3 days.

Watch Sky Sports With ExpressVPN

2. CyberGhost — Optimized Sky Go Server to Stream Sky Sports in Ultra HD

CyberGhost has streaming-optimized servers, including a specialized one for Sky Go. These servers are regularly tested to ensure they work to unblock this streaming app, so you can access Sky Sports. Plus, you’re automatically connected to the fastest server for bufferless streaming when you use it.

While it is labeled as a Sky Go server, it also worked perfectly when I used it for Now TV. So, you don’t need to be a Sky customer to watch Sky Sports abroad. When I tested this server, I accessed Sky Sports on Now TV on the first try and watched Sunday Night Football live.

CyberGhost’s speeds were super fast, too, so I didn’t experience any buffering or lag

Its app is really easy to set up and navigate, so you can start watching Sky Sports right away. CyberGhost’s Smart Rules feature let me set up quick access to Now TV, so I didn’t even need to open the Now TV app manually. Whenever my VPN connection was established, the app started up automatically.

CyberGhost also lets you "favorite" servers for even quicker access to Sky Sports. I saved the UK Sky Go-optimized server, so I didn’t have to search for it whenever I wanted to watch the latest match.

Its speeds are also fast enough to live stream sports games in Ultra HD. While CyberGhost is not quite as fast as ExpressVPN, I got speeds of 42.76 Mbps when connected to its optimized UK server. This is only a 10% drop from my base speed. These speeds were plenty for 4K streaming.

The only slight con to CyberGhost is that its short-term plans are a little pricey. However, its long-term plans are not expensive at all, starting from just $2.19/month. It also offers great deals regularly. For example, I got an extra 3 months for free when I signed up. The short-term plans have the same features but cost more in the long run. They also come with a shorter money-back guarantee of only 14 days.

You can try CyberGhost with Sky Sports risk-free for 45 days since it offers a generous money-back guarantee with longer-term plans. To test this policy, I requested a refund through its 24/7 live chat. After answering some simple customer experience questions, the agent processed the return, and the money was back in my account in just 4 days.

Watch Sky Sports With CyberGhost

3. PrivateVPN — Easy-To-Use App to Watch Sky Sports Live and Hassle-Free

PrivateVPN’s app is user-friendly and great for beginners. If you’re new to VPNs, the “Simple” mode offers a clean interface that is really easy to use — you simply select a server and press “Connect”. In addition, PrivateVPN offers straightforward step-by-step setup guides for most apps. It will only take you a couple of minutes to set it up and start watching Sky Sports on whichever platform you use.

PrivateVPN allowed me to watch Sky Sports live without buffering

However, if you prefer to customize and fine-tune your connection, it only takes one click to switch to the “Advanced” mode. This will allow you to configure more complex security and privacy options, such as your level of encryption or VPN protocol, which can optimize streaming performance. Regardless of your level of experience with VPNs, PrivateVPN will have a UI that fits what you’re looking for.

PrivateVPN has impressive speeds, allowing you to watch Sky Sports uninterrupted in HD. When I connected to its UK servers all the way from the US, I had an average speed of 39.5 Mbps, which is impressive for a long-distance connection. While the speeds were slower than ExpressVPN, it’s still fast enough to stream NBA, Darts and other sports in Ultra HD.

Although it only offers 200 servers worldwide, every server I tried was both reliable and fast. When I tested its London, Manchester, and Dublin servers, I could consistently access my Sky Sports account within seconds. Thanks to its DNS and IPv6 leak protection, my true location was never revealed during my tests. I had consistent access to Sky Sports.

You can get a PrivateVPN subscription for only $2/month. I recommend signing up for its yearly plan because it's cheaper in the long term, but even its monthly and quarterly plans are affordable compared to other VPNs.

PrivateVPN also comes with a money-back guarantee of 30 days. If you’re not happy with the service, you can always get your money back. To test this, I asked for a refund using the 24/7 live chat. After a quick chat, the representative accepted my request. My money was back in my account within 4 days.

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4. NordVPN — Easy Router Setup to Watch Sky Sports on Your Big Screen

You can watch Sky Sports live on your big screen when installing NordVPN on your router. Having the VPN on your router means you're also not limited to the number of devices you can use to stream. During my tests, I followed the step-by-step instructions on its site and set it up on my Asus router in about 15 minutes. After that, I could watch live sports on my LG TV, which doesn’t natively support VPNs.

Speeds are also great for watching fast-paced sports uninterrupted. Using its proprietary NordLynx protocol, I didn't experience buffering while streaming Sky Sports. Although not as fast as ExpressVPN, my speed never dropped below 15% from my baseline — averaging 126 Mbps against 145 Mbps. Every VPN slows you down, usually by at least 20%, so NordVPN's results are impressive.

I was able to access Sky Sports on the first try using NordVPN

I love watching sports and have various subscriptions, including fuboTV and DAZN. So, I was happy that NordVPN has a global network of 5,640 servers in 60 countries to also unblock your international accounts. However, the VPN sometimes took a while to connect on some US and Canadian servers. But as soon as I disconnected and tried again, it worked.

There are three different pricing plans to choose from: Standard, Plus, and Complete. All packages can help you access Sky Sports and offer an ad- and malware blocker (Threat Protection). The more expensive ones include features like cloud storage and password manager. I don't need all the flashy add-ons, so I chose the most affordable option at $3.49/month.

You can test NordVPN with Sky Sports risk-free thanks to its 30-money-back guarantee. Getting a refund is straightforward. I canceled by logging into my account on its website and switching off 'Automatic-renewal' under the 'Subscriptions' tab in the 'Billing' section. I then contacted support via email to ask for a refund and got a reply after a few hours. The money was in my PayPal account after 5 days.

Watch Sky Sports With NordVPN

5. Surfshark — Many Simultaneous Connections to Stream Sky Sports on Your Favorite Devices

Surfshark allows you to connect an unlimited number of devices using one subscription, so you can watch conflicting Sky Sports events at the same time. During testing, I connected 9 devices without experiencing any delays or issues (including my Windows tablet, smart TV, a couple of smartphones, and a MacBook Pro). This is perfect if you have a large household wanting to use the VPN.

It also has 4 server locations in the UK, each able to easily unblock Sky Sports. Even if one of the servers goes down, you have many more at your disposal. I tested 7 UK servers and could always access my Sky Sports account, even when traveling thousands of miles away.

I used Surfshark’s London server to live-stream matches on Sky Sports

Although a little slower than CyberGhost and ExpressVPN, you can enjoy a smooth HD streaming experience. My speeds using its UK servers were usually around 119 Mbps, which is about 18% slower. This is still great, and I had no buffering or frozen video while watching live sports.

I did experience some lag when trying to play first-person shooter games like Overwatch using its US servers. But I was more than 8,000 kilometers away, so slower speeds are expected. As soon as I switched to a local server using its Quick-connect button, my speeds improved significantly.

Surfshark is one of the most budget-friendly VPNs I've tested, with a long-term plan only $2.30/month. Monthly options are available but cost considerably more without providing any additional value.

A 30-day money-back guarantee also supports all subscriptions. So, you can try out Surfshark with Sky Sports and decide if it's the right option. I tested its refund policy and found it holds up. I canceled using 24/7 live chat and got a full refund to my bank account within 7 days.

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6. Proton VPN — Streaming Servers Help You Find the Best Server for Sky Sports in Seconds

Proton VPN’s network of 2,979+ servers (including 2 locations in the UK) includes streaming servers perfect for Sky Sports. I was able to find ideal servers for streaming within seconds by choosing ones marked with a “play” symbol. When I tested its UK#25, UK#38, and UK#39 servers, I was able to watch Sky Sports on NowTV without any hassle. Plus, its UK servers even allowed me to access Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and other popular streaming platforms.

Proton VPN's fast speeds and unlimited bandwidth ensured that I could stream Sky Sports uninterrupted for hours

The VPN also offers decent speeds — I was able to watch Sky Sports in HD on all of its UK servers. My speeds averaged 34.5 Mbps, which is more than enough for HD streaming. Plus, it has unlimited bandwidth, which allowed me to watch all my favorite sporting events without interruption.

Proton VPN allows you to connect up to 10 devices simultaneously. Since it is also compatible with a lot of devices and operating systems, you’ll have plenty of flexibility to share your subscription with family members and friends. This means that the whole family can stream different Sky Sports channels on their own devices without interrupting your own connection.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t access Sky Go, the Sky Sports website, app, or Virgin TV Go in my tests. The only way I could access Sky Sports with Proton VPN is via Now TV. This means that if you have cable with Virgin or Sky, you won’t be able to access their respective catalogs. That said, Proton VPN did unblock Now TV consistently across all my tests.

The 2-year subscription offers the cheapest prices at $4.99/month. Alternatively, you can choose a monthly or yearly plan, which are still budget-friendly options. Proton VPN also offers a decent free plan, but unfortunately, it cannot unblock Sky Sports.

The paid plans come with a money-back guarantee so you can fully test Proton VPN for free for 30 days. When I wanted a refund, all I had to do was contact Proton VPN using its support form. l got a relatively quick response and my money back in 5 days.

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7. Hotspot Shield — Dynamic Server Switching to Watch Sky Sports Without Interruptions

Hotspot Shield uses dynamic server switching to ensure you’ll be automatically transferred to a working server if the one you’re using becomes overloaded or runs into issues. This way, you won't find yourself missing minutes of a live sporting event trying to find a new working server.

During my tests with its UK servers, I could instantly access Sky Sports on all platforms and stream Tennis matches without any slowdowns. Also, its extensive network of 1,800 servers allowed me to access tons of other streaming platforms and watch shows in HD. Hotspot Shield also offers IPv6 and DNS leak protection, keeping your location secret and allowing you to watch Sky Sports uninterrupted.

I was able to stream all 11 Sky Sports channels on Now TV while using Hotspot Shield

A slight disadvantage I noted was that Hotspot Shield didn't fare well with long-distance servers. During my testing, when I connected to its UK servers (which were over 5000 km away from my location), I experienced a speed reduction of 45%. In contrast, similar testing with ExpressVPN led to a much lesser speed decrease, just 4%. Nevertheless, my connection speeds remained sufficiently high for streaming in countries close by — if your travels do not take you beyond Europe, you should continue to experience impressive speeds.

You can get Hotspot Shield for only $2.99/month if you sign up long-term. The VPN offers 2 plans called “Premium” and “Premium Family”. The Premium plan offers 1 member with 5 simultaneous device connections, whereas the Premium Family plan offers 5 members with an impressive 25 simultaneous connections. There’s a free plan as well, but I wouldn’t recommend it as it doesn’t unblock Sky Sports.

Hotspot Shield offers a generous 45-day money-back guarantee. I tested it to see if it's trustworthy and contacted an agent via its 24/7 live chat. My request for a refund was approved after a quick chat and I had the money back in 5 days.

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8. hide.me — Bolt Technology to Watch Sky Sports Without Annoying Slowdowns

In order to circumvent speed throttling imposed by your ISP, hide.me presents the unique "Bolt" feature, accessible on all Windows devices. This feature modifies your connection to function over TLS 1.3 connections, making it harder for ISPs to apply throttling. Since you cannot control your ISP while on the move, this feature assists in preventing unexpected slowdowns during live sports events.

The VPN has a pretty fast network with 2,100 servers. When I tested its UK and Ireland servers, I could unblock Sky Sports on Now TV and Sky Go, BBC iPlayer, and other streaming platforms. Plus, my speeds averaged 24.7 Mbps, which means I could watch Sky Sports without annoying slowdowns.

At first, I could only access Sky Sports through Sky Go. When I contacted support, they told me that they couldn't guarantee it'd work with VirginTV Go or the Sky Sports website and my tests proved it didn’t. However, they stated that hide.me unblocks Now TV and recommended the UK - Streaming server. After connecting to this server, I eventually managed to watch Sky Sports on Now TV without issue, despite it being inaccessible in earlier tests.

It’s possible to get a hide.me subscription for $2.59/month. You can choose between a monthly or a yearly plan, with the latter offering superior value for money. Regardless of the plan you go for, you’ll also get 2TB of free encrypted cloud storage for a year.

You can try hide.me for 30 days using its money-back guarantee. When I asked for a refund on day 26, I had a quick chat with a representative using the 24/7 live chat. They accepted my request and I got my money back a week later.

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Where Can I Watch Sky Sports Online?

Sky Sports is only available on a few streaming services. Keep in mind that these services aren’t available outside the UK and Ireland, so you’ll need a VPN to get past the geo-restrictions if you’re not located there. After testing many VPNs, my top choice is ExpressVPN due to its lightning-fast speeds and reliable UK servers.

Sky GO

This is a free streaming service for Sky cable TV subscribers in the UK and Ireland. You’ll have to add the Sky Sports package to your cable TV subscription to get access to 8 Sky Sports channels on Sky Go (“Sky Sports Racing”, “Sky Sports News”, and “Sky Sports Mix” aren’t included).

Additionally, you have the flexibility to select specific Sky Sports channels and add them to your subscription. This means that if you solely wish to watch football, for instance, there's no need to purchase the complete Sky Sports package.

Sky Sports Website & App

You can stream all 11 channels on the Sky Sports website or app if you have a Sky cable TV subscription with the complete Sky Sports package. The app is available for free on iOS and Android. If you’ve only added specific Sky Sports channels to your cable TV subscription, only these channels will be available on the website or app.

Virgin TV Go

Virgin TV Go is a free streaming service for Virgin cable TV subscribers, available in the UK only. Here you’ll have to add Sky Sports manually by purchasing the Bigger Bundle + Sports, Biggest TV Bundle, or Ultimate TV Bundle. After that, you can log into the Sky Go streaming service and watch 10 Sky Sports channels (“Sky Sports Racing” isn’t included).

Now TV

This is an online streaming service (available in the UK) that offers access to all 11 Sky Sports channels when you sign up for its Sports Membership. You can choose to sign up for a month, or just 24 hours to catch the upcoming big game. If you choose a Month Membership, you get access to bonus streams for EFL matches and F1 Race Control.

Among the various platforms, Now TV stands out as the sole service that does not necessitate a cable subscription with Sky. Consequently, it is feasible to subscribe to the service from outside the UK, provided you possess a valid UK address, which is a mandatory requirement during the account registration process. Payment options include the choice of utilizing a UK credit/debit card, or alternatively, PayPal can be used as an alternative if such card details are unavailable.

Important! While you can technically use any UK or Irish address to sign up for Now TV as a non-resident of the UK or Ireland, this is against the terms of service. Now TV reserves the right to suspend your account if you’re found to be in violation of these terms.

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FAQs on Watching Sky Sports With a VPN

Can I sign up for Sky Sports outside the UK and Ireland?

Yes, through Now TV — but it’s complicated. Most providers that offer Sky Sports require you to have a cable subscription (and a cable box installed in your home). However, Now TV (available in the UK) allows you to sign up without one. It offers a day membership as well as a monthly subscription plan, giving you access to 11 Sky Sports channels.

However, you will need a UK address to sign up. You can Google any UK address and use it if you don’t have this. However, this violates Now TV’s terms of service, which restricts the platform to UK and Ireland residents only. By signing up as a non-resident of these countries, your account could be suspended.

Is it possible to watch Sky Sports for free?

No, you can’t watch Sky Sports for free. For people who have cable TV with either Sky or Virgin, you can pay extra to add 8 Sky Sports channels to your subscription. If you don’t have any of these cable TV providers, you can sign up for a Now TV subscription with a Sports Membership to access Sky Sports.

If you wish to access Sky Sports outside the UK and Ireland, you’ll need to use a VPN as well. Thankfully, the VPNs listed here all offer a money-back guarantee, along with fast speeds for streaming and reliable access to Sky Sports while abroad. If you aren’t happy with any of these services, you can cancel your account within the guarantee period and receive a full refund.

On which devices can I watch Sky Sports?

You can watch Sky Sports on a variety of devices, including iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows, Mac, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Kodi, and many more.

If you’re traveling outside the UK or Ireland, you’ll need a VPN to watch Sky Sports on the devices listed. All of the VPNs above work with all of these devices and operating systems, either with a native app or by setting it up on your router. Installing a VPN on your router will unblock streaming platforms on devices commonly unsupported by VPNs. These can include game consoles and smart TVs, which can then be used to watch Sky Sports on the big screen.

Can I watch Sky Sports in the US, New Zealand, Spain, and other countries?

The easiest way to watch Sky Sports outside the UK and Ireland is with a VPN. Although Sky technically offers a “Sport” package in New Zealand, it has different programs than Sky Sports UK (it doesn’t offer F1, for example). There used to be a Sky service in Spain, but it was discontinued.

Due to licensing agreements, Sky uses geoblocks to deny access to anyone trying to watch its channels from outside the UK and Ireland. However, with a VPN you can easily access Sky Sports from anywhere. You just need to connect to a server in the UK or Ireland to unblock access to Sky Sports and other English streaming services.

Do any free VPNs work with Sky Sports?

I’ve never encountered a free VPN that works with Sky Sports. It’s difficult to find premium VPNs that work with Sky Sports, let alone a free one.

Free VPNs often can’t keep up with streaming platforms’ VPN-blocking technologies, since they don’t have the resources to provide consistently working IP addresses. Next to that, its smaller server networks often result in slow speeds due to overcrowded servers. Finally, free VPNs often come with data caps, meaning that you’ll only be able to watch streams for a limited time each month.

They can also be risky to use since free VPNs often don’t have the same security features as premium VPNs. Some free VPN services have even been caught recording and sharing your data with third parties. Others may infect your device with malware.

The best way to watch Sky Sports abroad is with a low-cost premium VPN. These are capable of reliably bypassing geoblocks and offer extensive server networks, fast speeds, and unlimited data.

What if my VPN isn’t working with Sky Sports?

Many free and poor-quality VPNs fail to unblock Sky Sports, so I’d recommend investing in a higher-quality VPN (like the ones listed here). If you’re still having issues, there are a few tricks you can try:

• Clear your browser’s cache and cookies
• Update your VPN app to the latest version
• Try a different UK server (or just disconnect and reconnect the VPN)
• Use an Incognito window
• Try a different browser
• Try a different device
• Check your firewall settings
• Contact customer support to ask for a server that can access Sky Sports

Watch Sky Sports with ExpressVPN

Start Watching Sky Sports Abroad Now

You need a quality VPN to watch Sky Sports outside the UK and Ireland. Many VPNs struggle to unblock the streaming services that offer Sky Sports, so you have to choose carefully. However, my extensive testing has proven that all the above options allow you to watch Sky Sports reliably and in Ultra HD quality. Additionally, they are all easy to set up and use.

My #1 recommendation for watching Sky Sports abroad is ExpressVPN. It has a high-speed network that allows you to stream in UHD without interruption. Plus, it offers 5 server locations in the UK, so can easily find a reliable server to watch your favorite sporting events. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try ExpressVPN out risk-free. If you decide it’s not for you, you can get a full refund.

To summarize, the best VPNs for watching Sky Sports are…