How to Watch PBS Outside the US

PBS is one of the largest TV networks in the USA. It supplies a variety of entertaining, educational, and analytical programs for the entire family. It is designed mainly for the US audience but over-the-air broadcasts are also available in the northern regions of Mexico and the South of Canada. That being said, its online video streaming service is restricted only to the home country. But don’t worry, there is a way to avoid restrictions and watch PBS outside the US. We’ll show you how to access the channel in Australia, the UK, and any other country around the globe. So let’s get started.

Why Can’t I Watch PBS in my Country?

The reason behind geo-restrictions set up by PBS is licensing agreements with copyright holders. The channel releases lots of content of its own production but on top of that, it purchases titles from third parties. Those distributors require that PBS either broadcasts only in the USA or pays more to cover other territories. The network chose the former.

When you open the PBS website, it checks your IP address to identify your location. Clearly, if your IP doesn’t show you’re from the USA, you can’t view the network’s content. Therefore, you need to get hold of an American IP address, and a software called a VPN will help you with that.

When you connect to a VPN, you forward your Internet traffic through a pre-selected VPN server. If you choose a server based in the US, you will get its IP address. With it, PBS will think you’re local and hence you shouldn’t encounter any restrictions. 

You can unblock PBS with other tools too such as proxies and Smart DNS services since they also fake your geo-location. However, they lack one important thing – encryption. It protects all the confidential information you share or transfer on the Internet (such as passwords, banking details, etc). When security is in priority, a VPN is the number one option. 

VPNs We Recommend to Access PBS

There are more than a few hundreds of VPNs out there. Unfortunately, not all of them are suitable for video streaming or unblocking online services outside the USA. If you don’t want to waste your time on trial and error, take a look at the three best VPN services for PBS we picked for you:

• Provider
• User Rating
• Price

Editor Choice

• 
  NordVPN
  
• 
  14827 Votes
  
  
  
• $3.29 / month

2 Year Plan

Save 72%

Visit Provider

• 
  PureVPN
  
• 
  7715 Votes
  
  
  
• $3.24 / month

1 Year Plan

Save 70%

Visit Provider

• 
  ExpressVPN
  
• 
  6930 Votes
  
  
  
• $6.67 /mo

1 Year Plan

Save 49%

Visit Provider

We put several dozens of VPNs to the test and these services showed the best performance. The criteria we kept in mind were the following:

• A sizeable server network in the USA;
• Blazing-fast connection speed;
• Apps designed for all major streaming devices;
• 24/7 support;
• Safe and Secure;
• Cheap subscription.

The VPNs we posted above have all these features in place, which make them a great choice for both video streaming and security. 

Quick Guide: How to Watch PBS Outside the US with a VPN

Follow this step-by-step tutorial to unblock PBS outside the US with a VPN:

1. Create an account with any VPN service you see on our list;
2. Install its app on the chosen device;
3. Start the VPN, and connect to any server located in the USA;
4. When the connection is enabled, go to PBS to watch any content you want.

And that’s it. Before you start watching PBS in your country, make sure to check your IP address with this service to see if it is really American.

Conclusion

It is very simple to watch PBS outside the US if you have a VPN. All the providers we recommended, are great to bypass geo-restrictions.

If you have any questions, we’ll be happy to answer them, just send us a message through the comments.