As a giant broadcasting company, the BBC knows how to serve another dish on the table. Its creation of BBC iPlayer to rival other streaming companies is a great strategy. The company uses strict licensing rights to all the contents in the BBC iPlayer digital library. If you subscribe to iPlayer and you go abroad,  you will be missing all your favorite shows. But don’t fret just yet; using a VPN can actually unblock BBC iPlayer.

Why Use a VPN for a BBC iPlayer?

A licensing deal is what’s holding back the BBC from showing movies in iPlayer elsewhere. It will not let you access the iPlayer UK library while you’re in, let’s say, Transylvania. Instead, they will be selling the license to another broadcaster in Transylvania for a hefty price, and you need to pay for a new subscription. Obviously, signing up again is very frustrating as it forces you to shell out extra bucks.

VPN has the technology to bypass geo-restrictions. When you use a VPN, and you watch videos on BBC iPlayer, your real IP address will be hidden, and a UK IP address will take its place. This way, the BBC will think that you’re in the UK where in fact, you’re not.

Best VPN for BBC iPlayer

Don’t miss your favorite shows by using the best VPN for BBC iPlayer in the market today. But don’t just grab the first one that pops on your screen. Many VPNs don’t work, and you might be just be wasting money paying for inefficient service. To help you decide which VPN to choose, here are a few recommendations:

NordVPN

NordVPN tops our list as it has more than 400 UK servers. Its coverage is very impressive, which gives you more chances of enjoying BBC iPlayer in many parts of the world. It has good speed and unlimited bandwidth, which is precisely what you need stream movies without interruption. You can use up to six devices sharing the same connection simultaneously. 24/7 chat support is available. The monthly plan costs $11.95 and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

ExpressVPN

Express VPN is up the leaderboard when it comes to speed. It has very reliable service and can consistently unblock BBC iPlayer in many countries. It doesn’t have data caps, which is good news if you love watching movies all night. It has 24hr live chat support and costs $12.95 per month, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

CyberGhost

CyberGhost underwent a significant overhaul to make it more potent in consistently unblocking geo-restricted sites, including BBC iPlayer. It has 150+ Uk servers, zero data logs, live chat support, and can accommodate seven devices working simultaneously. The monthly plan costs $12.95 and comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Free VPN for BBC iPlayer

We tried to find the best free VPN for BBC iPlayer, but after testing a few of them, the results were depressing. We decided not to mention them here at all. The only workaround that we can suggest is to try the best VPN for BBC iPlayer above. After all, they have a money-back return period so you can see first what works for your needs and budget.

Summary

BBC iPlayer is a streaming service that is slowly catching up in popularity. If you’re a fan of British movies or you’re in love with English accents, BBC iPlayer is highly entertaining.

But the problem is, just like other streaming companies, BBC iPlayer will not let you watch their UK library while abroad. Strict licensing rules is the primary reason why subscribers outside the UK are blocked from streaming BBC iPlayer files.

Unfortunately, we can’t recommend any free VPN for BBC iPlayer just yet. Free VPNs come with limitations that can give you a headache instead of enjoyment. The only workaround that we can suggest is to use the best VPN for BBC iPlayer. Choose any from our list above as they are the most consistent service providers out there.

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.