How VPNs Can Help You Watch NFL Broadcasts When You’re Overseas
If you want to watch the 2023 NFL season, you will need a reliable VPN service. VPNs can help you bypass geo-blocking and blackouts from local NFL broadcasters.
The European Court of Justice ruled that it’s not illegal for pubs to show live football broadcasts from abroad. This is great news for fans. 해외축구중계
How it works
Streaming giants like Netflix are increasingly turning to Europe’s top leagues as they eschew big-budget originals and seek new ways to attract subscribers. In addition, European football rights are relatively inexpensive compared to those of the NFL and NBA.
British football fans who subscribe to these services can watch games live while they are traveling abroad if they use a virtual private network (VPN) with a UK IP address. However, many services don’t allow access to their content outside of the UK.
Australia’s Seven network offers live streams of NFL games through the Super Bowl on its 7plus streaming platform. The network also offers on-demand replays and highlights of games through its 7mate channel. The service is free-to-use, but it does require a subscription to 7plus. Free VPNs usually have fewer servers and slow connections, which can make them unsuitable for streaming HD video. They can also impose data limits and limit how much you can stream each month.
Getting started
If you live in Australia, you can watch every NFL game through the Super Bowl on Seven’s streaming service 7plus and its 7mate channel. You can also find replays, highlights, and on-demand shows. Brits can also use a VPN to gain an Australian IP address and resume access when they’re overseas.
The ECJ ruling could force football leagues to take more proactive measures to combat illegal broadcasting, especially in European markets. This might push American streaming giants to invest more in European soccer rights, as they seek new audiences and revenue streams.
For example, this week, NFL Network is stationed at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a pair of games — Vikings-Saints on Sunday and Giants-Packers on Oct. 9. The broadcaster has a team in place, including play-by-play commentator Kevin Kugler and analyst Mark Sanchez, and the network is prepping the venue ahead of time. The crew has also tapped IMG’s live world feed, which includes graphics and English commentary.
Legality
A European court of justice ruling allows football fans to buy cheaper live broadcasts from abroad after it said that trying to stop them buying foreign decoder cards was a breach of EU free trade laws. It also ruled that imposing copyright protections was not justified by the objective of protecting intellectual property rights.
Unlike BT Sport which is behind a paywall, Australia’s Seven network offers live streams of most games on its 7plus streaming platform as well as replays and other bonus content. However you’ll still need a VPN to gain a UK IP address.
A rights holder may wish to build into the contract a right for itself to take action against a sub-licensee if it breaches its contract. It can then either negotiate a revised contract with the sub-licensee or terminate its contract altogether. It may also require the sub-licensee to promote the broadcast on free TV (ideally during prime time viewing slots) and on other media such as billboards.
Privacy
Your IP address reveals your location, which is why football streaming services often restrict access to their content when you travel abroad. A VPN allows you to bypass these restrictions, so you can watch all the action from whichever country you’re in.
A top choice is NordVPN, which has plenty of servers around the world and a handy MediaStreamer feature for devices that don’t support VPN. It also encrypts your internet traffic to keep your data safe from ISPs, data thieves and cyber threats.
If you’re an Australian fan, you can stream NFL games on 7plus, the Seven network’s live streaming platform. The platform also offers highlights and on-demand shows. In addition to football matches, you can watch local news and other entertainment on the channel. However, the NFL often blacks out local broadcasts in order to encourage fans to attend the stadium and generate more revenue. This means you’ll need a VPN to gain an Australian IP address while traveling overseas.