How To Watch NOW TV Abroad in 2024: A Straightforward Guide

Written by: Tomas Mazowski, TV enthusiast and streaming expert
Last updated: July 30, 2024

Thinking of some time outside the UK? Going abroad for a bit, but want to take your Now TV pass with you? With the UK out of the EU, your Now TV roaming licence is no longer valid. If you’re not in the UK, all you’ll get is a message saying you can no longer access the service. But don’t despair, we’ve got you covered.

In this 10 minute guide we’ll show you how to unblock Now TV, and be able to watch all the latest Sky series and films from anywhere.

Now TV

Now TV is the on-demand streaming service owned by Sky, for those who don’t have a Sky contract. With Now TV you can decide exactly what you want to watch and for how long without the long-term burden of a lengthy subscription. So, if you want to see the latest blockbuster, or nail-biting series, Now TV is an excellent choice.
Most of the Sky family is available, be it film channels, sports, or entertainment. It’s all there for your binge-watching pleasure. With the Sports pass, you get all ten Sky Sports channels and can watch the latest premiership match or catch up on the cricket.

Geo-blocking explained

TV Broadcasters operate on licenses based on geographical location. This means that as a UK resident, you can only watch Now TV when you’re in the UK. When you head abroad for a break, you have to leave the latest Sky drama behind - unless you have a VPN.

Yes! It is possible to catch your favourite team on Sky Sports or the next episode of Blacklist on holiday. And we’re going to show you how.

What is a VPN?

A Virtual Private Network or VPN is a method for increasing privacy on the internet. A VPN hides your location, and other information, from the places on the web that you visit so that the websites and services you use cannot gather your data.

There are several VPN providers out there and most of them offer a reasonable service for a reasonable price. If you use a reputable VPN you can make it look like you are connecting to the web from a different location than you are. This fools a website into thinking you’re somewhere you’re not. So a UK web service, such as Now TV, thinks you’re in the UK. Instead, you could be anywhere in the world watching the latest from Sky.

Not at home? Watch Now TV using a VPN

VPN services provide software you can install that allow you to change your internet location. Using their app, you can change your internet address to any country that they have a server in. So, if you wish to watch Now TV, you use your VPN app to select a server in the UK. With the VPN using a UK server it looks to Now TV as though you’re at home. When in fact, you could be anywhere. Now TV is not geo-blocked and you can watch Sky Atlantic or the latest blockbuster to your hearts content.

Without a VPN, your computer or mobile broadcasts its location to the websites and services you use. This means that they always know where you are and can block you if you’re in the wrong location. A VPN acts as a third party between you and, in this case, Now TV. Now TV looks at the VPN and sees it’s in the UK and therefore thinks you are too.

Step-by-step: how to watch Now TV if you're abroad

1. Get Now TV

Easy! Go here: Now TV - or download the app in the Apple or Google Play stores. You need to subscribe by first choosing the pass that fits you (starting at £3.99 for the "Kids Pass"and then creating an account. Remember you’ll need a valid UK address.

2. Sign up for a VPN subscription

With a range of VPN providers out there we know it can be hard to choose, so we have tested them for you. We’ve chosen only the ones we know are quality providers that work with UK broadcasters (not all of them do).

All our favourites provide different subscription lengths so you can choose what’s right for you. Do you want a VPN only while you’re abroad or would you want to keep it to access the world’s TV while you’re at home?

A VPN isn’t just great for watching Now TV while you’re on holiday. You can use it to access TV channels from across the world from the comfort of your own home.

Here are the services that we recommend:

#1 ExpressVPN - Our top recommendation

Our top recommendation is ExpressVPN. This is the provider that can unblock the most streaming services because they have servers in the most countries. Their speeds are also excellent so if you want to watch TV from anywhere in the world it’s a really good choice. They offer fast and reliable servers situated all over the globe.

Click here to unblock Now TV using ExpressVPN

#2 Surfshark - A great alternative

Our favourite budget option due to the combination of a great price with great quality. Their cheapest subscription is around £2 a month for a two-year offer and they have shorter lengths if you just need it for a while. The app is easy to use and customer service is helpful. Surfshark lets you unblock most UK broadcasters including Now TV and it also works great to open up more Netflix regions or unlock more content in Prime Video. An excellent feature of Surfshark is the unlimited simultaneous devices you can connect. This makes it an excellent choice for sharing with the family.

Click here to unblock Now TV using Surfshark

#3 NordVPN - Popular choice

NordVPN is a popular choice, it’s got good service and is reliable, and it’s competitively priced, especially if you use one of the longer plans. NordVPN works with all the UK suppliers including Now TV. They allow 6 connections simultaneously.

Click here to unblock Now TV using NordVPN

Which one to choose?
The options we listed are all good but ExpressVPN is our number one VPN if you’re mainly after UK broadcasters. It’s a great choice for all the family with a great selection of reliable servers. All our recommended providers offer 30-day money-back guarantees but right now ExpressVPN are giving you 3 months extra FREE if you sign up for a 12-month plan.

ExpressVPN - Get 3 extra months FREE
30-day money-back guarantee

3. Set up the VPN

Once you’ve signed up for a VPN, you just need their software on your devices (they all have apps for PC/Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android).

All the apps for these VPN’s are easy to install and use:

1. Get the app from the relevant app store or go to their website.
2. Log in with the same email and password you used to sign up.
3. Once in the app you will find a drop-down list or map showing the servers available. Pick one in the UK.
4. The Internet now thinks you’re in the UK, no matter where you are.

Finished! Now TV is open to use. Go back to Now TV and decide what to watch first.

(And, when you’re done with Now TV, you can find all sorts of other channels to watch thanks to your new VPN)