How to Watch HBO NOW Outside the USA

HBO NowHBO NOW is set to launch in April, 2015.  Just in time for the new Game of Thrones season.  For those who haven’t heard of HBO NOW it is a new service from Home Box Office that allows members to stream thousands of movies and shows without a cable or satellite subscription.  The service is schedule to launch with a 30 day free trial and will cost at $14.99 a month.  Watch HBO NOW from anywhere, including outside the USA with a VPN.

As I mentioned HBO NOW will give you full access to your favorite movies and original series like GoT, Boardwalk Empire, and True Blood.  Along with thousands of movies and shows.  It differs from HBO GO which requires a cable or satellite account.  You can sign up for HBO NOW through your iTunes account.  The only limitation we’ve seen is geographical.  The service will only be available in the United States.

What happens if you plan to travel outside the US and can’t wait to watch the latest GoT episode?  The simple answer is to use a VPN.  Perhaps you’ve used a VPN for work.  If so you already know that it encrypts your data.  What you may not know is that users around the world are using personal VPN services to get around geo-blocks.  You can connect to a VPN server in the US and watch HBO NOW anytime.  Regardless of where you may be traveling at the time.  The same is true for other popular online services like HBO Go, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Instant Video.

Best VPN to Unblock HBO NOW

First you will want to find a reliable VPN service.  In this case you will want one with fast VPN servers in the United States.  There are several VPNs to choose from.  Here are some of our favorites.

RankVPN ServiceOur
Score
Server
Locations
Visit
1ExpressVPN9.8160Visit ExpressVPN
2NordVPN9.487Visit NordVPN
3Private Internet Access9.295Visit PIA

How to Use a VPN to Watch HBO NOW

We will use ExpressVPN for the example of how to use a VPN service to watch shows like GoT on HBO NOW. First, you’ll want to download the VPN client. ExpressVPN offers client software for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Mobile users can download apps for iOS and Android. You can even use the ExpressVPN router app to secure every device on your network. It will send all your communications through the VPN which extends support to devices like game consoles and streaming boxes. They even have an app for Amazon Fire TV devices.

Now that you’ve had a chance to download and install the software, it’s time to connect.  Launch the ExpressVPN client and select a server location.  We’ll walk you through step by step using their Windows client. Keep in mind we are using images from US servers since HBO Now is geo-restricted to the United States.

ExpressVPN server locations

  • Since HBO Now is only available in the US, you will want to pick a server in the United States. ExpressVPN has a large network of servers located all over the US.
  • We recommend you select OpenVPN (TCP) or (UDP). For streaming videos from sites like YouTube, we use OpenVPN (UDP) because its faster than TCP. They also support PPTP, L2TP, and SSTP. We still recommend OpenVPN UDP for the best mix of speed and privacy protection.
  • Click the big round connect button. After a few seconds, you’ll see the shield around the button turn green. There will also be a message letting you know the “VPN is ON”
  • You now have an IP address in the USA, as far as anyone can tell online. As such, you can reach any site as if you were sitting there. The same would be true if you connected to a server in the UK or anywhere else in the world.

It is just that easy to do. Now that you have an IP address from an ExpressVPN server in the US, you can browse the Internet or watch HBO Now as if you were actually there. The same is true from any country, but you will want to connect to a server in the US to watch the live feeds.

As you can probably tell by now a good VPN opens access to content around the world.  If you live outside the United States the service can help you access popular services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Instant.  You still need an account for services like Netflix but the VPN will help you watch US television shows and movies on Netflix as if you were sitting in the United States.

Watch your favorite movies and original programs like Game of Thrones on HBO NOW from anywhere in the world.  Please share this post with your friends so they can enjoy as well.  Follow us @VPNFan for the latest VPN reviews and promotions from leading providers.

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