Best VPNs for Streaming Sports in 2021

Live sports have become big business. The broadcast rights for most major sporting events have been bought up by subscription channels, only some of which offer online streaming. Even if you pay up, you may face blackouts that prevent you from watching your home team online. Worse still, if you travel, you aren’t allowed to log in to those subscription channels because they only let you watch from the country you signed up in. In this article, we’ll show you how to bypass all that and stream live sports with a VPN.

Sports broadcasters have a different opinion than you do on what rights your subscription should include. They still impose restrictions on where you can watch from. These are called regional restrictions, or geo-locks, and you can read more about those later in this guide.

You can get around regional restrictions and get a better deal on sports subscriptions with a VPN. VPN stands for “virtual private network”, a service that encrypts all of the internet traffic from your computer or smartphone and routes it through an intermediary server in a location of your choosing. Once connected, the streaming service sees the location of the VPN server and not the user, unblocking geo-locked live streams.

If you haven’t the time to read all the details on each of the VPNs that made this list, here’s a quick summary of our top picks.

Best VPNs for streaming sports:

1. NordVPN: Our top choice for streaming sports. Security-focused choice that doesn’t skimp on unblocking capabilities. Fast and secure servers make for reliable streams. Comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Surfshark: A quick, reliable VPN with a very affordable price. Connect as many devices as you like. Works with ESPN+, TSN, and more.
3. ExpressVPN: Large server network that is geared for speed. Makes short work of accessing most streaming sports and other popular services from almost anywhere.
4. CyberGhost: Packs a punch despite its low price. Some of the fastest servers in our testing. Easy to use and to get going.
5. IPVanish: Fast enough to stream sports from abroad in high quality, plus strong security and a no-logs policy. Struggles with Netflix and Hulu.
6. PrivateVPN: Good speeds and can unblock almost anything from abroad, including Netflix.
7. Hotspot Shield: A highly versatile VPN that boasts consistently high speeds and the ability to unblock a huge range of geo-blocked services.

VPN criteria for streaming sports

When looking for the best VPNs for streaming sports, a few factors need to be prioritized:

• Fast speeds
• The ability to dodge regional restrictions
• Availability for a range of devices
• The ability to load the VPN on a router
• Good value for money
• A large server network

The best VPNs for streaming sports

Here is our list of the best VPNs for unblocking sports streaming platforms abroad:

1. NordVPN

Apr 2021

NordVPN is our #1 VPN for streaming local sports. It operates more than 5,000 servers in 59 countries, including the USA, Canada, and the UK. There is even a “recommended server” utility in the NordVPN website, which will calculate the best server to connect to from your location. This is a great help when streaming sports because high speeds are vital. This VPN easily unblocks platforms like ESPN+, Sportsnet, and NBC Sports.

Security is one of NordVPN’s strongest aspects. There’s 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and protection against DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks, plus an ad-blocker and malware-scanner. Further, NordVPN keeps no logs whatsoever. Help is available 24/7 over email and live chat.

You can install the app on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS and it can be set up manually on select routers.

BEST VPN FOR SPORTS:NordVPN is our first choice. An extremely fast option which works reliably with popular streaming sports sites. Connects up to 6 devices simultaneously. Try it risk-free thanks to the 30-day money back guarantee.

Read our full review of NordVPN.

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2. Surfshark

Apr 2021

Surfshark is a speedy VPN that can handle just about anything. It offers access to 3,200 servers in 80+ countries and reliably unblocks popular services like NBC Sports, Kayo, and ESPN+ abroad. Better still, unlike many of its rivals, Surfshark lets you connect as many devices as you like from a single account.

It’s security-conscious, too, with effectively uncrackable 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, IPv6, WebRTC, and DNS leak protection, and a kill switch. Users can choose to block ads, malware, and trackers automatically. Surfshark follows a true no-logs policy, meaning your activities remain private at all times. 24/7 support is on-hand over live chat and email.

Apps are available for iOS, Android, MacOS, Linux, and Windows. However, you’ll have to manually install this service on your home router.

BEST BUDGET VPN:Surfshark is a solid low-cost option with a lot to offer. It’s fast, reliable, and able to unblock plenty of stubborn services from abroad. Further, it boasts powerful security features and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Check out our full Surfshark review for more information.

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3. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN has all of the qualities that you need in order to stream sports events. The company operates servers in 94 countries, including the USA, Canada, and the UK. This provider’s extensive network gives you a better chance of unblocking services from a wide range of smaller countries too.

You won’t have any difficulties using this VPN because it is designed to cater to novice users. It provides a wealth of security features too, including 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and protection against DNS, IPv6, and WebRTC leaks. ExpressVPN refuses to log any personally identifiable information. The customer support team is available around the clock via live chat.

You can get ExpressVPN apps for Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux. You can manually install it on supported routers and there are browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

QUICK AND RELIABLE:ExpressVPN is a blazing fast option that unblocks all major streaming sports sites. Great security and privacy features and keeps no logs. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full review of ExpressVPN.

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4. CyberGhost

CyberGhost lets you connect 7 devices to its service at once. It has servers in the 89 countries including the USA, Canada, and the UK, many of which are designed for unblocking a specific streaming service. As well as RDS and ESPN+, CyberGhost works well with Netflix, NBC, and more.

This VPN’s security features are excellent. It integrates automatic wifi protection, 256-bit encryption, a kill switch, and DNS leak protection, and better still, all of these features are enabled by default. CyberGhost doesn’t store any dat that could identify you. Customer support can be reached 24/7 via live chat.

CyberGhost apps are available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. The VPN can also be set up manually on routers

STRONG ALL-ROUNDER:CyberGhost has a simple set up and is great at accessing geo-blocked streaming platforms. Good on privacy and security. 45-day money back guarantee.

Read our full CyberGhost review.

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5. IPVanish

IPVanish offers very good speeds. If you want to stream sporting events over the internet, this service is a great choice. It has over 400 servers in the US alone and 1,700 in total, across 60+ other countries. This makes it ideal for bypassing local sports blackouts. Best of all, IPVanish has no connection limit.

There are all kinds of security features built-in, like 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, and a kill switch. Users can also scramble their traffic, which could help them get around particularly stubborn geo-blocking. IPVanish is a zero-logs provider and offers around the clock, live chat-based support.

IPVanish apps are available for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Amazon Fire TV devices. You can load it onto Linux sytems or a router, which will cover your set-top box as well as all the computers and mobile devices in your home.

FAST AND RELIABLE:IPVanish has a large network of servers as well as fast speeds. Strong security and privacy features. No connection limit. 30-day money back guarantee.

Read our full review of IPVanish.

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6. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN has servers in 60 countries, including the USA, Canada, and the UK. This service is a good option for streaming and offers particularly high speeds, so it’s also great for other activities, such as file sharing. This VPN has no issues unblocking Netflix, ESPN, or TSN. Up to six devices can be connected simultaneously.

If you are traveling and you have to connect to the internet through hotel and café hotspots, PrivateVPN’s automatic wifi protection will stand you in good stead. The app also includes a kill switch, 256-bit encryption, and a stealth mode designed for bypassing especially strict online blocking. PrivateVPN doesn’t keep any logs.

You can get a PrivateVPN app for Windows, Linux, MacOS, iOS, and Android. You can also install the VPN manually on select routers.

GREAT SPEED:PrivateVPN is a good family choice. Unblocks most popular streaming sports and allows up to 6 devices on the same account. Small network of servers but fast connections. 30-day money back guarantee.

Read our full PrivateVPN review.

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7. Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield is a solid choice with more than 1,800 servers in 80+ countries. Its speeds are more than fast enough for HD live streaming, and it reliably unblocks major platforms like NBC Sports, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video from abroad. Users can connect up to five devices at any one time.

This VPN clearly takes your security seriously. It offers 256-bit AES encryption, a kill switch, and protection against DNS and IPv6 leaks, plus a feature that automatically connects whenever you use a public network. Just as important, Hotspot Shield doesn’t store any data that could be used to identify you. Help is available 24/7 over live chat.

Hotspot Shield has apps for iOS, Android, MacOS, Linux, and Windows. If you’d prefer, it can be manually installed on supported routers.

STREAM SPORTS ANYWHERE:Hotspot Shield makes it easy to access your favorite services abroad. It’s speedy, security-conscious, and can handle just about anything. What’s more, it offers a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Read our complete Hotspot Shield review.

How to unblock sports streaming services abroad

It’s really quite easy to use a VPN to stream local sports while traveling abroad. Just follow these steps:

1. First, sign up for one of the VPNs above (we recommend NordVPN).
2. Download the app and sign in.
3. Connect to a server in the required country. You’d use a US server for NBC Sports, for instance, or a European server for Eurosport.
4. Now just try using the service as normal. If you run into any problems, you can try clearing your cookies or get in touch with your VPN’s support team for more assistance.

Can I use a free VPN for streaming sports?

You may have seen that there are a number of free VPNs out there. Why should you pay for one of these services when you can get a VPN for free? The answer is that free VPNs are not very good. Some are scams and others are slow and don’t have many server locations.

Some excellent paid VPNs have free versions. These are available in order to help train potential customers on how to use the service. This is a loss leader intended to entice people into the paid service. Naturally, in these cases, the VPN company makes sure that the free version has a lot of restrictions on it. These restrictions are usually a limit on the server locations, a speed limit, and a monthly data throughput quota.

These restrictions mean that you won’t be able to use the free version for very long before your data allowance runs out. In many cases, the speeds allowed to free VPNs are not fast enough to watch live video streams. These factors are why we do not recommend free VPNs for sports streaming. You are much safer choosing a VPN provider with a privacy-first policy and a good reputation.

Sports streaming channels

There are a very large number of internet sports streaming services out there. If you can switch countries to check on the services available around the world, the list of sites that you can access sports from goes on and on. For example, here is a list of sports streaming services in the USA. This is probably not an exhaustive account of all the US sports streamers:

Streaming sports: blackouts and regional restrictions

Why are some sporting events geo-blocked?

Video streaming sites don’t usually let people access their content from other countries. This is because the owners of those events, movies or shows sells broadcast rights on a territory-by-territory basis. So, one company has the right to show a particular sporting event in one place and a different company has the rights to broadcast the same event, but to an audience in a different place.

In terms of broadcast contracts, it doesn’t matter where the broadcaster is located. What counts is where the viewer is. So, BT Sports may have the rights to show a particular event in the UK, but not in France. Therefore, you can only watch that event through BT sports if you are physically located in the UK. If you are in France, you will be blocked from watching BT Sports over the internet and you should subscribe to a video streaming service in France to see that event.

Why can’t I watch my local team play online?

Sports streaming restrictions are more complicated than regular entertainment streaming sites. This is particularly the case in the United States. Sports teams see live streaming as a rival to their stadium ticket sales, and when leagues sell the rights to broadcast their games they often put blackout clauses in the contracts. For example, you can watch Major League Baseball over the internet. However, if a team that is local to you is playing, whether home or away, you are not allowed to access the game live on the internet, even though you have to pay for a subscription to the live streaming service.

VPNs that have servers in several cities in the United States can help you get around the blackout problem. The streaming service doesn’t check on your home address when you try to access a game. Instead, it checks on your location through your internet address. If you choose a VPN location in a different city, then you can get access to a live stream of a game that includes your local team.

So how can I get around these restrictions?

VPNs get around geographic restrictions and let you use your usual streaming services even when you are abroad. When you log into a VPN, you have to select a server to send your traffic through. You will appear to be contacting the sports streaming service from that VPN location that you choose because the VPN puts its own address on the request and not yours. When the sports streaming host sends the video stream back, the VPN server passes that on to you.

VPNs for Sport Streaming FAQs

See also

• The 5 Best VPNs for accessing BT Sport outside of the UK
• How to watch ESPN anywhere with a VPN
• How to avoid MLB.tv blackouts
• The 5 Best Kodi Sports Add-ons
• Here’s how to watch beIN sports online with a VPN
• How to watch Premier League on Kodi and without Cable
• How to unblock DraftKings Fantasy Sports with a VPN