Watch Netflix Overseas: Even whilst enjoying a brilliant adventure overseas, you may sometimes crave a bit of home life. Pancakes, Your own bed or favorite TV show. It’s no secret that Netflix US has the largest library out of all available regions – sitting at over 5900 titles as of 2019. Moreover, fan favorites are may only available on Netflix US – for a limited time, by the way. Both sitcoms are headed to NBC’s “Peacock” service in October 2020 and January 2021, respectively. The good news is that it’s pretty easy to watch Netflix US exclusives and catch the two classics before they depart the platform. Here’s how:
Watch Netflix US with a VPN
If you’ve ever tried looking up Netflix shows that aren’t available in your area, you may have noticed that they aren’t even listed. Trying to access them through a Google search leads you to a 404 error page. Admittedly it’s a cool-looking one, but still not what you’re looking for. The main reason region-exclusives don’t appear in your searches is that Netflix can detect your location through your IP address.
This can be solved by accessing Netflix while connected to a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN hides your real IP and assigns one based on the server you’ve chosen. In this case, you simply select a US server from the VPN provider’s list, and Netflix will believe you’re located in the US.
The best part is that this works on most devices nowadays. Yes, you can even get a VPN for smart TV if you don’t feel like sitting at your desk or staring at a small laptop screen.
That’s the gist of it, though there are some more complex factors at work as well. For example, some providers might use obfuscation methods to bypass Netflix anti-VPN filtering techniques because Netflix tries its hardest to prevent VPN usage on the platform.
Why Does Netflix Block VPNs?
The reason for it can be boiled down to this: movie studios are pressuring them to do so because it’s supposedly “losing them money.” Even though, you know, you’re already paying for your Netflix subscription. It’s just another case of outdated licensing issues and out of touch executives making it difficult for everyone to watch the shows they want legally.
So if Netflix is blocking VPNs, how are you supposed to watch US-exclusive shows? Well, those blocks only really affect smaller VPN companies, or “free” ones that don’t have the funding to keep up with Netflix IP blocks and other filters.
As mentioned before, providers can use VPN obfuscation to bypass Netflix blocks. But again, that takes time and money to implement. Nobody’s stopping you from using a free VPN, of course. Just know that it might not be great for more than unblocking a news article or the occasional YouTube video.
Any Other Way to Watch Netflix US?
It’s understandable that you don’t want to get a VPN subscription on top of your Netflix one. Paying twice to watch a show is nobody’s idea of a good time, least of all when you’re pinching your pennies because of a global crisis.
Just like Netflix, though, top VPN providers have free trials you can sign up for. They might be limited in scope, such as offering fewer global servers or imposing data caps. But for the most part, you’ll find some decent options that include at least one server you can watch Netflix US on.
Alternatively, you can look up providers with 30-day money-back guarantees. This way you get the full benefits without any extra risks. Not to mention you might gain access to multiple US servers in case one has been recently blocked by Netflix.
All this just makes it easier to decide if you want to continue your subscription later on. If you don’t – hey, you haven’t lost more than the few minutes it takes to set everything up.
