Watch HBO in Australia

If you’re a fan of movies like Games Of Thrones and The Sopranos, you’ve probably come across HBO, the US television network that spans generations. However, watching HBO in Australia can be a challenge, as the content is strictly limited to US subscribers.

So, how do you enjoy the seemingly endless list of HBO movies in Australia, short of taking a flight to the US? Read on and you’ll find the answer is a few clicks away from the browser. 

HBO Go vs HBO Now — Is There a Difference?

In this age of digitalization, TV networks have a choice to evolve or be phased out. HBO, being the go-to cable network for decades in the US, has introduced HBO Go and HBO Now to meet the streaming demands of millennials.

HBO Go is a package tailored for subscribers to HBO’s network via a television service provider. On top of what they’re getting on the television, the package includes a streaming-on-demand feature that allows you free access to its content on mobile devices, laptops, or smart TVs. 

For millennials who don’t fancy watching cable, they have the option to sign up for HBO Now. This dedicated streaming package that costs $14.99 per month enables you to watch TV shows, movies, and original content on HBO. 

While the price for HBO Go and HBO Now may differ, both packages give you access to the same content from the library. 

How to Watch HBO Go in Australia 

If you’re in Australia, watching HBO Go is quite tricky. HBO Go is a free streaming service for existing cable TV subscribers who are already paying for HBO content. This means you’ll need to subscribe to US television providers like Cox, DirectTV, or U-Verse in order to enjoy HBO Go movies.

Considering that you’re not physically in the US, it makes no sense to subscribe to a cable package meant for its residents. You may have heard that installing a VPN will give you access to HBO Go in Australia but it’s not as simple as it seems.

Even if you’ve masked your IP address with one in the US, you’ll still need to provide a US residential address when you sign up for one of the television providers. You’ll also end up paying more for services that you’re not using. 

This brings us to the next option, which is more budget-friendly.

How to Watch HBO Now in Australia 

Watching your favorite HBO movies in Australia is easy when you have HBO Now to turn to. As a standalone service, it’s free from the shackles of conventional television providers and the subscription price is also more competitive. However, there are some challenges.

The first one is that you can only access the HBO Now page if you live in the US. Subscribing to a VPN and connecting to a US server will easily bypass this obstacle. 

However, getting the HBO Now page loaded in your browser doesn’t mean you’re able to stream movies from its server. HBO has another gatekeeper that blocks non-US payment methods. This means that if you have a non-US credit card or Paypal, you can’t sign up for its service.

Thankfully, we’ve found a way to watch HBO Now in Australia. Just follow these steps:

1. Sign up and install a VPN and connect to a US server. We’re using NordVPN for this.

how to watch HBO in Australia

2. Create a new US-based email account while staying connected to the VPN US server. You’ll need the email to sign up for HBO Now.
3. Buy an HBO Now Gift card on egifter.com. The minimum value of the gift card is $25, which will last for roughly 7 weeks of subscription.

4. Sign up for an HBO Now free trial. You’ll need a US Zip Code which can be found online.

5. Since HBOMax now accepts only cards issued by American banks, we recommend signing up for one of the services (e.g. US Unlocked) to get an American prepaid virtual card.
6. You can now stream HBO Now and watch TV shows like Game Of Thrones:Season 8 or The New Pope

Best VPN to Watch HBO in Australia

Choosing the right VPN matters if you’re hoping to enjoy HBO movies in Australia. Not only will you need to get one that flawlessly masks your IP address, but it also has to offer ultra-fast connection speed. 

High-speed VPNs ensure that you don’t have to suffer from lags when you’re streaming the movies from halfway across the planet. Based on our experience, these are some of the best VPNs that guarantee a pleasant streaming experience. Our personal favorites are NordVPN if you're after desktop VPN solutions, and ClearVPN for iOS and Android. You can check out the whole bunch below.


FEATURES
ClearVPNNordVPNSurfsharkExpressVPN
Unblocks HBO 
High-Speed Servers
AES-256 Encryption
Number of Countries50+5861+94
No-logs Policy
24/7 Customer support
No of Devices66Unlimited5

Summary

If you’ve missed out on the Game Of Thrones series finale or the latest adaptation of Stephen King's novel The Outsider, you ought to watch it right now. By following the steps on how to watch HBO in Australia, you’ll get to catch the finale at home. Download a VPN and sign up for an HBO Now account. 

Mark Coulman
About Mark Coulman

Cybersecurity expert with a keen interest in technology and digital privacy. Mark has more than 14 years of experience in creating and managing various reliable WEB applications for IT companies in the EU and the US. Loves 3-4 letter words like PHP, XML, HTML, CSS, DB2, ASP, CRM, ERP, SAP, etc.