Sportsnet is one of the largest sports networks in Canada that broadcasts all major North American leagues including NHL, NBA, NFL, and many others. While Canadians may watch it on the TV or live on the internet, those who live abroad can’t access it whatsoever. Even if you’re a Canadian expat residing just across the border, Sportsnet won’t be available. The good news is that there is a way to get access to the channel regardless of your location. Make sure to read this short guide on how to watch Sportsnet in the USA to find out more!
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Why Sportsnet is Blocked in the USA
When a channel purchases the rights to broadcast sports events, they are valid in a certain country only. To serve the USA, Sportsnet would have to pay extra, probably even more than it pays for broadcasting in Canada given that America has a larger audience. There is even a chance that it wouldn’t be able to cover certain sports events in the USA because other channels have exclusive rights. For these reasons, Sportsnet isn’t interested in conquering the American market. It also means that it had to block access for foreigner viewers to comply with the terms of broadcasting agreements.
Blocking based on a user location (otherwise known as geo-blocking) implies that Sportsnet identifies from which place on Earth you try to access it. Canadians have no problems with launching the Sportsnet app or streaming via the website. For the rest of the world, access is going to be denied. The way out of this situation is to pretend that you’re from Canada. It is quite easy to do, you just need to get a VPN.
A VPN is software that changes the origin of your traffic whenever you connect to its servers. Pick a server in Canada and it will seem like you’re from Canada yourself. On top of that, VPN will protect your traffic from the prying eyes and cybercriminals thanks to encryption.
The Best VPNs to Unlock Sportsnet in the USA
VPNs can do a lot of stuff but it doesn’t mean that all of them are ideal for streaming geo-blocked content. If you want your experience with a VPN provider to bring only positive emotions, you need to ensure it covers all the bases including:
- Servers in Canada;
- Fast connection speeds;
- Strong data encryption, and no logs;
- VPN clients for a variety of devices you might want to use;
- Helpful tech support available 24/7;
- Affordable subscription.
If you have never used a VPN, it might be a daunting task to find a provider that delivers all these features at once. Luckily, you don’t have to spend your time on trial and error because we did all the grunt work for you. So, we took about a hundred services, put them to the test, scored their performance, and found the winners. Here are the top-3 best VPNs for Sportsnet that you should try:
- Provider
- User Rating
- Price
NordVPN- 14827 Votes
- $3.29 / month
PureVPN- 7715 Votes
- $3.24 / month
ExpressVPN- 6930 Votes
- $6.67 /mo
Here’s How to Watch Sportsnet in the USA with a VPN
Follow the steps below to learn how to use a VPN to unblock Sportsnet:
- Register with one of the VPNs we recommend;
- Download and install its app on your device;
- Launch the VPN client, and connect to any Canadian server.
- Go to Sportsnet.ca or open its app, login with your credentials, and start watching in the USA.
If you don’t have an account with Sportsnet, there are a few more extra steps. You can sign up to Sportsnet directly or watch it through participating TV providers. The first option will work only if you have a Canadian credit card. In other cases, we recommend Shaw Direct. This TV provider accepts Western Union Quick Collect and American checks as payment methods. You may also need a fake Canadian billing address – just use this address generator to create one.
Once your subscription is confirmed, you can watch Sportsnet in the USA on Sportsnet Now, Sportsnet App (TV provider credentials are required) or directly on Shaw.
Conclusion
Even if you live in the USA, you can easily access the Canada-only Sportsnet TV channel. Just let a VPN do all the hard work for you while you enjoy fast and secure streaming. Don’t hesitate to try any of the VPN providers we suggested in this post and you will never again want to go online without it.
We hope this guide on how to watch Sportsnet in the USA answered all your questions. If you need more information, please send us a message through the comments and we will elaborate on it as soon as possible.
Peter Mowat says
Your information is very exciting for me. I spend half the year in Arizona and it will be nice to utilize my shaw account that costs me $1,800 a year.
I have the Shaw live tv app on my devices. Could I utilize this app in the US?
Jamie Bell says
Hi Peter, yes you can access it from the US. Get one of the VPNs we recommend, connect to a Canadian server, and open Shaw live tv app on your computer.
Darlinda says
Will this work on an iPad?
Jamie Bell says
Hi, yes it will work on your iPad.