Has it ever occurred that you’ve been excited about a video and as soon as you click on play, it says that it’s restricted in your region? Well, it happens way too often – but have you ever wondered why? It is actually because of the geo-restrictions that have been imposed by the streaming site. In this article, we are going to discuss everything about geo-blocking and how you can unblock your favorite shows in the UK. So, without any further ado, let’s get started!
What is Geo-Blocking?
Geo-blocking is essentially a type of filtering that occurs when a website is restricted from a certain region. What this means is that users coming to the site from a restricted region aren’t able to view the contents of the site. Whether you are reading an article online or acquiring streaming services from a streaming platform, you will come to notice that everything online is geo-restricted.
Some of the common examples of this include HBO Max, Hulu, Peacock TV, and Disney Plus – these streaming platforms are currently only available to the audience of the United States. And so, nobody can access these platforms without using a VPN to bypass those restrictions. Before we establish how to unblock Peacock TV in UK or any other streaming platform, let’s learn why certain content is geo-blocked in the first place.
Why Is Content Geo-Blocked?
Now you must be wondering why is content in the virtual world restricted? Well, the answer to this simple question is rather complicated. To start off, geo-restrictions are mandated because of the legal distribution of the content across the web. Therefore, some content is acquired for particular regions, and if that content is made available to an audience outside that region, the buyer can get into legal trouble.
In addition to this, geo-restrictions are enforced because of how certain markets are segments. This is based on pricing, preference, and the general language. Hence, there are countless titles available in the Asian markets that aren’t available to the audience in the UK.
Similarly, the streaming of certain games and sports is also geo-blocked around the world. For instance, baseball and NBA are huge in the USA but not in the UK – so these games will be geo-restricted in the UK due to lesser appeal.
How Do You Geo-Block Content Online?
Now that you know what geo-blocking is and why it is done, it’s time to understand how it is done. When it comes to tracking geo-blocking, it is actually not that difficult. Most websites and streaming services have access to your location via IP address or GPS location.
Some of them can even access your customized location to track where the traffic is coming from. And once the platform has the information regarding your location, it can easily decide whether that title would be accessible to you.
How To Avoid Geo-Restrictions While Streaming Online?
The one thing that the internet can guarantee you is access – to anywhere and at any time. How? Well, VPN is an internet tool that is extremely valuable, especially if you get a premium one. Geo-blocking is extremely frustrating when you’re a streamer. And so what you can do is subscribe to a VPN to gain access.
A VPN helps you masquerade your actual IP address by providing you with the IP address that is local to the region where the content you’re trying to trace is available. So, for example, if you want to watch a show on HBO max and you live in the UK, all you have to do is connect your VPN to a server in the US. You will get a local IP address from the US and it will mask your original IP address that reveals your real location. The new IP address safeguards your information and is completely reliable to use.
By using a VPN, you can easily bypass the geo-restrictions and gain access to the content without any obstacles. Although there are countless options available online, there is still difficulty establishing which VPN would serve you well.
Out of the majority, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and NordVPN have proven to be extremely worthy. Here’s why you should use ExpressVPN or Surfshark to bypass geo-restrictions and avoid geo-blocking in the UK.
- Both VPNs are user-friendly and will provide you with access to over 3000 servers in roughly 90 countries worldwide.
- You will gain unlimited bandwidth and the ability to connect to several simultaneous devices.
- Both VPNs are premium and compatible with a variety of operating systems and devices.
- You will gain access to features like Split Tunneling and Kill Switch that add protection and make your experience smooth and protected.
- And lastly, both VPNs are affordable and offer you a supreme level of security that isn’t guaranteed with other VPNs.
In Conclusion
Geo-restrictions are everywhere and the only way to get around these errors while streaming from the UK is to invest in a premium VPN. There are several reasons content is geo-blocked. Thus, instead of wondering why virtual content is blocked, use a VPN to trespass and circumvent geo-restrictions and stream content without any problem.
