NowTV is restricted outside of Britain due to broadcasting agreements it has with Sky TV. If you leave the UK on holiday or for work, you’ll need to connect to a VPN with a valid British IP address to stream your account as you would back home.
Unfortunately, NowTV and other British TV platforms work hard to block as many VPNs as possible. Thankfully, ExpressVPN knows how to stay one step ahead of these blocks. You can easily use ExpressVPN to stream NowTV when you’re on holiday. That said, some people do experience issues. The good news is that you can use this guide to fix them all!
Below, we will explain why ExpressVPN is suffering problems accessing NowTV, and we will provide troubleshooting tips so that you can get it working again.
Why isn’t ExpressVPN working with NowTV?
When you visit a streaming provider’s website, it can track your IP address. This allows it to know where you are, causing it to serve you a location error message if you are outside of the broadcasting region:
“ERROR. NowTV only works in the UK and ROI. Sorry, we cannot verify your location is within those territories. Try again later.”
The easiest way to get around this problem is to use a VPN. The only caveat is that Sky and NowTV know people use VPNs to bypass their region blocks. As a result, these services work hard to spot and block IP addresses that belong to VPNs.
The result is that only a minority of VPNs work to watch Sky TV on NOW from abroad. Even providers like ExpressVPN, which invest heavily to stay a step ahead of NowTV’s VPN blocks, may sometimes temporarily lose to the platform on its UK servers.
If this happens, we recommend you try another server – or contact ExpressVPN’s 24/7 live chat support to find which server is best. Besides server blocks, there are a few other reasons why ExpressVPN might not be working. We have listed these reasons below:
- The ExpressVPN server you are using has been blocked by NowTV.
- Your device’s GPS location and IP address do not match.
- NowTV has stored cookies on your device that allow it to detect your real location.
- Your real IP address is leaking, and ExpressVPN is failing to conceal your actual location.
- The ExpressVPN IP address you’re using is not compatible with NowTV.
How to use ExpressVPN to watch NowTV abroad?
If the crux of your problem is that you’re confused about how to use a VPN to access NowTV while you’re traveling abroad, we have got you covered!
Below, we will provide a step-by-step guide for getting a VPN subscription and using it to watch nowtv.com.
How to use ExpressVPN to watch NowTV abroad:
- Pick one of the best VPNs for NowTV. ExpressVPN is a decent option, but it is a touch pricey. If you want something better, we recommend NordVPN, which is our top choice. Or Surfshark, which is also a great option.
- Click our link to head over to the VPN’s website. Our link will let you get your subscription for the lowest possible cost, thanks to our automatic coupon code.
- Subscribe to the VPN and download the app for your device. Our recommendations have apps for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. This will let you stream NowTV on a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer.
- Install the VPN app and log in using your credentials.
- Pick a server in the UK that has been optimized for watching NowTV.
As soon as the connection to the UK VPN server is established, you will be able to log in and stream your NowTV account from abroad. If you experience any problems, you can follow the steps below to make ExpressVPN work with NowTV.
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What errors can NowTV cause with ExpressVPN?
Below, we have provided a list of common problems that people experience when trying to access NowTV with ExpressVPN. No matter which of these problems you have, we will provide workarounds below.
- The VPN is causing low-quality video playback and too much buffering.
- You are getting an incorrect password message when trying to log in to your NowTV account connected to ExpressVPN
- NowTV gives you a location error or proxy error message.
- NowTV will not load or play any videos while connected to ExpressVPN.
How to fix ExpressVPN with NowTV
If you are struggling to watch NowTV on vacation, your problem will almost certainly result from the issues outlined above. Thankfully, we know how to help you fix all of those problems!
Simply follow the steps below to get ExpressVPN working with NowTV on any device.
If, for any reason, you are still experiencing problems, remember that you can contact ExpressVPN’s live chat support at any time of day, 24/7. The Express agents are extremely proficient at providing help and should be able to help you pinpoint and fix the problem right away.
ExpressVPN is slowing down my internet and causing buffering on NowTV
If you are logging in and using NowTV from abroad, then overall, your ExpressVPN application is working as it should. Of course, if it is causing a huge amount of buffering, you may still not be happy.
The good news is that ExpressVPN is known to be extremely fast, thanks to its proprietary Lightway protocol. This means you should be able to fix it and get it streaming in HD without performance issues. Just follow these steps:
- Ask ExpressVPN which UK server is optimized for streaming NowTV.
- Try connecting to a British server that is located physically closer to you.
- Try changing the VPN protocol in your VPN application. We recommend Lightway as this is designed for fast speeds. Alternatively, you can try OpenVPN UDP or any of the other options to see if these work better for you.
- Try streaming in your browser instead of the NowTV app.
ExpressVPN not working with NowTV
If your problem is more severe and is causing videos not to load at all, we recommend that you work through the steps below.
In our recent tests, ExpressVPN worked perfectly to watch NowTV from anywhere in the world. That means you can use the following troubleshooting guide to start streaming NowTV abroad.
Here’s how to fix ExpressVPN not working with NowTV:
- Restart your computer, restart the ExpressVPN application, and relaunch your browser.
- Try re-installing ExpressVPN to ensure it is up-to-date.
- Clear the cookies and cache in your browser.
- Choose a different UK server location.
- Try using a different browser, or use a browser instead of the NowTV app.
- Ask ExpressVPN which UK server is optimized for NowTV.
- Check that DNS leak protection is enabled in the ExpressVPN app.
- Try connecting using a different VPN protocol.
- Switch to streaming on a desktop PC or laptop rather than a mobile device.
- Disable GPS in your browser and on your device.
Using a VPN for NowTV: FAQs
Can I use a free VPN to watch Now TV abroad?
Unfortunately, the answer to this question is no. Free VPNs have very few servers located around the world. This includes only a few IPs in England. As a result, it is extremely trivial for streaming services like Sky Go, NOW, or iPlayer to spot and block those servers. For this reason, we have yet to pinpoint any free VPNs that have British servers that work to watch NowTV abroad.
In addition to a lack of servers that work with British TV platforms, free VPNs are extremely slow. Because of their gratuitous nature, free VPNs are massively oversubscribed with users all around the globe. This causes their servers to become congested, which makes them unsuitable for streaming, gaming, and other data-intensive tasks.
Besides these performance drawbacks, we also recommend steering away from free VPNs for security reasons. Free VPNs have invasive privacy policies that allow them to harvest your data and sell it to third parties. This is the opposite of what a reliable VPN does, which is to provide you with online privacy.
Studies have also revealed that free VPNs leak data, suffer from app and server vulnerabilities, lie about the level of protection they provide, lack reliable encryption, and even contain spyware in their apps. This makes using free VPNs an extremely dangerous choice for your online privacy and the security of your devices.
Can I access other British TV networks with ExpressVPN?
Yes. The ExpressVPN servers in Britain should allow you to access a number of different streaming services and platforms on just about any device. You can follow the links below to find out whether ExpressVPN is suitable for watching that specific UK TV service from abroad:
In addition to working with British TV platforms, you can use ExpressVPN to access international services. For example, ExpressVPN will work to access Australian TV channels, or American streaming services including Netflix US, Hulu, YouTubeTV, HBO Max, DirecTV STREAM, Peacock, and Paramount Plus.
ExpressVPN also has servers in 94+ other countries, which means you can test it to access services from all around the globe no matter where you are.
Why is Now TV blocked from abroad?
Now TV is only available in the UK. The streaming platform is owned by Sky, which holds the rights to broadcast various programs in the region. For example, Sky Atlantic is ‘the home of HBO in the UK’. The deal gives Sky the exclusive rights to broadcast first-run and currently-airing HBO programs in the UK and other European markets through 2024.
In order to protect these copyright agreements, Sky region-locks content on both Now TV and Sky Go.
