How to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race (season 18) online from anywhere

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 premieres on Friday, January 2, 2026, at 8 PM ET. The new season features 14 new queens competing for the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar and a $200,000 cash prize. If you’re traveling abroad, you’ll need a VPN to access MTV or Paramount+. We explain how to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race whether you’re abroad or using a restricted network, such as at work.

We only recommend official ways to stream RuPaul’s Drag Race online free, such as legitimate free trials from supported TV streaming platforms. You may be able to find an unofficial stream. However, these are low quality, unreliable, and frequently taken down for copyright reasons. Below, we explain how to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 using official sources, so you don’t miss the RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 cast, Snatch Game, or anything else.

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 airs live every Friday night on MTV in the US, with RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked following immediately after. Episodes become available for on-demand viewing on Paramount+ the day after (US only). Scroll down to learn how to watch RuPaul abroad by connecting to a US IP address.

How to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18 online abroad (outside US)

When you connect to a VPN, your internet traffic is routed through an encrypted tunnel, hiding your IP address and location. By connecting to a server in the US, you can get an American IP address, allowing you to unblock MTV and stream RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18 online from anywhere in the world. Doing so is easier than you might think. Simply follow this step-by-step guide.

Here’s how to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18 online from anywhere:

1. The first step is to sign up with a VPN provider. We recommend NordVPN. However, Surfshark and ExpressVPN are two solid alternatives.
2. Next, download and install a VPN app, making sure it’s the correct version for your device (the device on which you plan to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race).
3. Open the VPN app and connect to a server in the US. In doing so, you’ll be given a US IP address, which will allow you to unblock MTV or Paramount+ from abroad.
4. Go to MTV and sign in with your TV provider details. If you don’t have a cable TV subscription, you can watch MTV via select streaming services (more on these later).
5. Select the MTV live stream or an episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race on Paramount+, and the content should now be unblocked.
6. Still blocked? Try clearing your browser’s cookies and reloading the page.

We recommend signing up and testing your VPN in advance of the show or event you want to watch so you can avoid any last-minute hiccups. If there are any issues, you should still have plenty of time to contact your VPN’s customer support team for further assistance.

How to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18 on US TV

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 airs live on MTV in the US. If you have a cable subscription, you can watch online by signing in to the MTV website or app using your TV provider credentials.

If you don’t have cable, the cheapest way to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 live on MTV is through a live TV streaming service that carries the channel:

• YouTube TV: $82.99/month (cheapest option for live MTV)
• FuboTV: from $84.99/month
• DIRECTV STREAM: from $84.99/month
• Hulu + Live TV: $89.99/month (includes Disney+ and ESPN+, which is why it costs more)

These services stream MTV live, allowing you to watch new episodes as they air every Friday night, along with RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked immediately afterward.

If you don’t need to watch live, the cheapest overall option is Paramount+. Episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 become available on demand the day after broadcast (US only). The ad-supported Paramount+ plan currently costs $5.99 per month. However, Paramount+ does not include a live MTV feed, so you won’t be able to watch episodes as they air.

MTV and the other US streaming services we mentioned are region-locked to the US. Fortunately, you can bypass these restrictions with a VPN. Simply connect to a US server to get a US IP address and log in to your usual streaming service while travelling.

NordVPN works to unblock MTV and US TV streaming platforms and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee, letting you test it risk-free while watching RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18.

Where else can I watch RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18?

Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can watch RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18 around the world:

Canada

If you’re in Canada, you can watch RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 on Crave. You may already have access to Crave through your Canadian cable TV provider. If so, visit the Crave website or app and sign in using your TV provider login details (email address or username and password).

Alternatively, you can stream Crave cable-free by subscribing directly. The cheapest Crave plan is the Standard With Ads subscription, which costs about $11.99 CAD per month. A higher-tier Premium (ad-free) plan is also available for around $22 CAD per month if you want ad-free viewing and broader device support.

Crave is region-locked to Canada, so if you want to watch while traveling abroad, you’ll need a VPN. Simply connect to a server in Canada to get a Canadian IP address, then log in to Crave as usual.

UK

In the UK, RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 is available to stream on WOW Presents Plus. WOW continues to serve as the main international home for the Drag Race franchise outside the US, including to watch RuPaul S18 in Britain.

You can watch RuPaul’s Drag Race on WOW Presents Plus with a monthly subscription. Current pricing in the UK is around £5.99 per month, or you can opt for an annual plan at £59.99 per year (which comes to £5.00 per month when averaged over 12 months).

WOW Presents Plus is available in many countries, but the library may vary by region due to licensing agreements. If you’re traveling outside the UK, you’ll need a VPN to access the UK version. Simply connect to a server in the UK to get a UK IP address, then log in to WOW Presents Plus as usual.

Australia

In Australia, RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 is available to stream on Stan. Stan offers on-demand access to the US version of RuPaul’s Drag Race, with previous seasons also available on the platform.

Stan currently offers three subscription plans:

• Stan Basic: $12 AUD per month
• Stan Standard: $17 AUD per month
• Stan Premium: $22 AUD per month

A free trial may be available for new users, although availability and trial length can change, so it’s best to check Stan directly for the latest offer.

Stan is region-locked to Australia. If you want to watch while traveling abroad, you’ll need a VPN. Just connect to a server in Australia to get an Australian IP address, then sign in to Stan as usual. A VPN will also help you to access your Stan account at work, or on any other restricted public wifi network.

RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18 – what we know so far

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 sees RuPaul return alongside judges Michelle Visage, Ross Mathews, and Carson Kressley as they continue their search for America’s Next Drag Superstar. The new season introduces 14 new queens, all competing for the crown and a $200,000 cash prize.

As with previous seasons, viewers can expect a mix of runway challenges, acting and comedy tasks, and fan-favorite moments such as the Snatch Game, with each queen fighting to stand out in one of the show’s most competitive lineups yet.

Who are the contestants of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 18?

Watching RuPaul’s Drag Race online: FAQs