Whether you are visiting Russia to take in the culture, cuisine, Russian ballet or anything else, one thing you will not get to see during your stay is TV from the United Kingdom. Once you go abroad, all access to your favourite channels is blocked. However, if you do want to access and watch British TV channels we have a trick to unblock them in Russia. What’s more, we have tested it and it still works in 2024.
This trick to unblocking TV from the United Kingdom allows you to get access to streaming sites such as ITV Hub, BBC iPlayer, 5OD, All 4 and many more outside the UK. You can even unblock Bet365 to place bets using your account when abroad, plus stream from Netflix.
How streaming sites block you?
Streaming websites know exactly where in the world you are located due to the IP address you use to connect to the internet. This is due to all countries being allocated a specific range of addresses.
Take on a British IP with ExpressVPN >
This is also how ISPs know what you are downloading and the websites you visit as all devices have a unique IP address.
How the trick to access British Television abroad works?
The only way to fool websites is to mask the IP in the country you are visiting and get one from another one. In this case, the United Kingdom. By connecting to a VPN server, you are also behind an encrypted virtual tunnel so no one can spy on you.
The change in IP address makes it look as though you are in the United Kingdom so the streaming service does not block you and you can go ahead and watch.
Steps to unblock and watch British TV channels in Russia
To make it easy for you, we are going to provide you with all the steps needed to use a Virtual Private Network specifically to unblock and watch TV from the UK.
1. Sign up with the provider of your choice
Before you can do anything, you need to choose a provider and sign up for a plan.
ExpressVPN is the leading provider for bypassing geo-restrictions and censorship and it is our choice. The provider offers three plans, a one-year, six-month and pay by month.
The biggest savings of 49% are made with the one-year plan and ExpressVPN gives three months free. This means you get a total of 15-months!
2. Choose which apps to download
To be able to mask your own IP and enjoy the security of the encrypted tunnel you need to download and install an app onto the device you plan to stream UK TV outside of the country.
You might want to stream TV on the go. In this case, you can do that on your iPad, iPhone or Android tablet or smartphone. Alternatively, install it on your Windows or macOS computer, laptop or a compatible router to use it on Smart TVs, games consoles and more.
You are not limited to a single device and providers allow simultaneous connections up to a limit so all family members can use it.
3. Install and launch the app
Install the app onto your device then sign in. The main dashboard will open up and this is where you can choose a server.
We have used leading provider ExpressVPN in our example, but other apps from other providers will be similar (such as CyberGhost or NordVPN). The key to being able to unblock and access British television channels while in Russia is to choose a server from the United Kingdom.
ExpressVPN offer servers located in various regions and all are blazing fast, which is essential for streaming in HD.
4. Connect to the server
Make sure that you do press the “Connect” button with the server highlighted in the dropdown box.
You now take on an IP address from the region you connected. This allows you to bypass restrictions and blocks to watch your favourite shows.
Can all VPNs beat geo-restrictions?
When considering a Virtual Private Network to specifically unblock and access UK TV channels, it is important to remember that not all providers are able to beat geo-restrictions.
Free VPNs are definitely not a good choice. Even some paid providers struggle as the ISP and streaming service blocks their servers.
With this in mind, we highly recommend ExpressVPN, NordVPN and CyberGhost. Surfshark can also be a good solution and it is one of the more affordable.
All of the above providers offer what it takes to overcome blocks to stream free British television channels while in Russia. Plus, in other high censorship countries.
More benefits to a Virtual Private Network
A Virtual Private Network can be used for much more than to get access and stream free TV from the United Kingdom. It offers:
- Military-grade encryption to help you remain secure so that no one can read the information you send over the internet;
- It allows you to remain anonymous as no one can see your real location;
- Allows you to torrent without fear of the ISP finding out what you download;
- You can even save money on comparison websites when checking the price of hotel rooms and flights.
In summary
As you’ve seen, it is easy to watch British Television in Russia by unblocking ITV, BBC iPlayer, 4OD and more with a VPN.
Watch British TV in Russia with ExpressVPN >
You can get access to all of the above TV channels that Brits enjoy simply by choosing a reputable and reliable provider and choosing a server located in the United Kingdom.