Watch BT Sport outside the UK: FAST method (2024)

BT Sport is aimed at sports fans in the UK, which means you’ll hit a wall when trying to watch abroad without a VPN. To watch BT Sport outside the UK in just a couple of minutes, work your way through our guide.

Top VPNs unlock the BT Sport website by providing a temporary IP address from the UK – meaning the popular service will think you’re in the UK even if you aren’t. See below for more details, along with troubleshooting tips if your current VPN breaks.

Which VPNs work with BT Sport?

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Walkthrough: using a VPN to watch BT Sport abroad

At a glance: To use BT Sport outside the UK, download a VPN, sign in, connect to a server based in the UK (Docklands, for example) and reload the website.

You can watch games on BT Sport from anywhere in the world provided you’re using a reliable VPN. The best VPN’s for BT Sport will assign you a temporary IP address from the UK, which unlocks all of the content so you can use BT Sport even if you’re overseas.

Step 1. Download a VPN

To stream footy and other sports abroad, you need a trusted VPN. We recommended ExpressVPN at the moment as it’s affordable and lets you use up to 5 devices at one time.

Step 2. Sign in to your VPN

Once you’ve created your account and downloaded the software to your device, sign in with your username and password. Make a note of your details in case your forget them.

Step 3. Connect to a server for BT Sport

As BT Sport is targeted at an English audience, you need to connect to a VPN server based in the UK.

To do this using ExpressVPN, open the app, tap the three dots icon and use the search box to enter a location. Then, click the power icon to connect and wait for the green light.

How to fix BT Sport errors

BT Sport is an English streaming service, so you obviously need to be connected to a UK-based VPN server to access it. But if loads of people are using the same temporary IP address assigned by the same VPN, there’s a bigger chance of BT Sport blocking connections from that service. Other sports services, such as NBC Sports and Optus Sport, use the same system.

Below-average VPNs do a terrible job of replacing their blacklisted servers. See our list of troubleshooting tips below so you can regain access to BT Sport:

1. Update your VPN

If your VPN doesn’t let you stream events on BT Sport, make sure you’re using the latest version – an issue might have been patched with an update. You need to study your VPN settings as this is key to solving the issue if you can’t watch BT Sport outside the UK.

From a computer, load your VPN and then choose Settings or Options. Some VPNs display a message on the start screen like this:

Clicking Update will usually take you to the VPN provider’s website, where you can learn more.

If you’re using an Android phone, you need to open the Google Play store, tap your user profile in the top-right corner of the screen and then Manage apps and device. Choose Update or Update all.

On an iPhone, open the Apple App Store and tap your user profile in the top-right corner of the screen.

2. Use a different VPN server to connect to BT Sport

Specific VPN servers can become temporarily unavailable or slower than usual.

The best VPNs offer multiple servers per country. For example, ExpressVPN hosts a ‘UK – Docklands’ server as well as alternatives in East London, London and the Midlands. Cycle between them and see which one works best for you.

Try disconnecting from the current server that you’re using.

Precise steps will vary depending on your VPN, but ExpressVPN users can select the three dots icon to see a list of alternative servers in the same country. You can also favourite the server (use the Star icon) that works best for you.

3. Contact your VPN support team

Our recommended providers manage teams that deal with problems you’re having. If BT Sport streams aren’t working with your VPN, try this.

From a computer, head to your VPN provider’s website and find the Support or Contact us pages. Some VPNs offer a live chat service for members.

4. Reset your VPN

The classic ‘off and on again’ trick often works with computer issues and I’ve found that the same goes with VPNs. Whether you’re on a PC, smartphone or tablet, restart your device and open your VPN again.

If that doesn’t work, delete and reinstall your VPN. Load up your VPN and BT Sport and see if performance has improved.

5. Check your internet connection

The problem might be with your own internet rather than the VPN. Disconnect from your wi-fi and reconnect. Try and run your VPN once again. You can also go a step further and restart your internet router.

Speeds of 5-10Mbps should be enough, but you might prefer over 20Mbps if you’re streaming or gaming.

Run a free internet speed tool and compare results alongside your ISP’s ‘minimum guaranteed speed’ promise. Contact your ISP if your connection is unstable outside of VPN use.

More BT Sport fixes:

Have you cleared cache and cookies? On Google Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data. On Safari, go to Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data.

Have you entered your username and password correctly? Double-check your login credentials. If you can’t remember your details, choose the ‘Forgot’ option on your VPN provider’s website so you get a reset link sent to your inbox.

Are the servers active? If you can’t connect to a server, your provider might be experiencing an outage. The best providers are transparent about this and actively update their server status online.

Check if you have been hit by a DNS leak. To clarify, a DNS (domain name system) leak means your real IP address and location is visible to websites you visit, even if you have a VPN installed. Use the IP Address Lookup tool to see if your IP address changes when you activate your VPN and visit BT Sport. If it doesn’t, your VPN is broken.

Is your firewall causing problems? If you’re experiencing issues on desktop, make sure your VPN is mentioned in the ‘Allow’ list. On Windows, head to open Windows Security > Allow an app through the firewall. On Mac, try System Settings > Network > Firewall.

Are you using the latest version of your web browser? Your current web browser version might be incompatible with your browser-based VPN. Assuming you’ve updated your VPN, make sure you update your browser as well. On Chrome, for example, you would go to Settings > About Chrome.

Are you doing too much with your VPN? When streaming, gaming and using social media at the same time, your VPN might struggle to keep up. I suggest you close a couple of apps to test if doing so has a noticeable impact.

Best VPNs for BT Sport

ExpressVPN

• 1-month subscription: £10.53 per month
• 6-month subscription: £8.12 per month
• 1-year subscription + 3 months free: £5.42 per month (49% off)

🌎 Number of servers	160
📈 Bandwidth	Unlimited
🗣️ 24/7 live chat service	Yes
📱 Number of devices	5
⏱️ Our speed test results	-8.7% download, -5.5% upload (London)

We can’t get enough of ExpressVPN. For starters, it’s easy to use and does a top-notch job of replacing it’s blacklisted servers. With an ExpressVPN membership, you can unlock BT Sport and follow your favourite team from anywhere in the world.

ExpressVPN is a tried and tested service that effortlessly battles against geo-restricted websites to open up the content for everybody. Your IP address will be kept away from prying eyes at all times, so your ISP will have no way of knowing that you’re using a VPN to spoof your location.

This is one of the most popular VPNs around and it’s easy to see why. ExpressVPN is proven to work with BT Sport and provides access to servers in over 90 different countries around the world. Your data isn’t stored by ExpressVPN (it doesn’t need to be) and therefore privacy is 100% guaranteed. Try ExpressVPN today on your smartphone or PC.

Pros: Smartphone app lets you connect in seconds, 'favourite' most-used VPN servers for quick access, performed remarkably well in our chat support speed test

Cons: Rival VPNs are cheaper, can't use many devices at once

Try ExpressVPN today

Ivacy

• 1-month subscription: £8.62 per month
• 1-year subscription: £3 per month (65% off)
• 5-year subscription + FREE password manager: 80p per month (90% off)

🌎 Number of servers	5,700
📈 Bandwidth	Unlimited
🗣️ 24/7 live chat service	Yes
📱 Number of devices	10

Ivacy is a real treat if you’re searching for a reliable VPN that can unlock geo-locked websites. It’s fully compatible with BT Sport and helps you stream footy games without having to worry about your ISP keeping tabs on your activity. In other words, it can help you watch BT Sport outside the UK.

Joining Ivacy today with just a single paid-for account means you’ll be protected on up to 5 different gadgets at once. That means you can stream BT Sport games just by connecting to a US-based server.

Pros: Connection is steady when using multiple devices, notifications mention if Ivacy is disabled, server locations split by country and city

Cons: We think the ExpressVPN mobile app is faster, below-average results in our chat support speed test

Try Ivacy today

NordVPN

• 1-month subscription: £10.49 per month
• 1-year subscription: £3.99 per month (40% off)
• 2-year subscription: £2.79 per month (58% off)

🌎 Number of servers	5,200+
📈 Bandwidth	Unlimited
🗣️ 24/7 live chat service	Yes
📱 Number of devices	6
⏱️ Our speed test results	-14% download, -7% upload (London)

NordVPN hosts reliable servers all over the world. A load of them are based in the UK, which means you can use NordVPN to stream BT Sport games abroad without trouble. All of NordVPN’s servers are protected by military-grade encryption, which means you’re free to stream content without your IP address being tracked.

If you run into a problem, you can reach out to a team of NordVPN experts using the 24/7 live chat service.

Pros: Built-in internet kill switch works well, profile page on app includes 'Security score' with privacy tips, takes less than a minute to reach a live chat agent (based on our tests)

Cons: Other VPNs tested are cheaper, some streaming services require multiple resets to work

Try NordVPN today

PureVPN

• 1-month subscription: $10.95 per month (12% off)
• 1-year subscription: $3.74 per month (70% off)
• 2-year subscription + 4 extra months: $1.96 per month (84% off)

🌎 Number of servers	6,500+
📈 Bandwidth	Unlimited
🗣️ 24/7 live chat service	Yes
📱 Number of devices	10

Take a trip over to the PureVPN website and learn more if you’re looking to unlock BT Sport. PureVPN effortlessly opens up BT Sport and is also compatible with other popular streaming sites including BBC iPlayer, Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime.

PureVPN boasts around 2,000 secure servers in over 130 countries. Try it for yourself if you’re travelling abroad or living overseas permanently.

Pros: Surprisingly affordable considering features, lots of UK and US-based servers, generous with simultaneous devices

Cons: Takes a couple of minutes to reach live chat agents (based on our tests), performs better on iOS compared to Android (in our experience)

Try PureVPN today

FAQs: Using BT Sport outside the UK

Can you use a free VPN with BT Sport?

If you’re looking to save money, it’s tempting to try a free VPN.

Free VPNs for BT Sport could potentially sell your data for money as they do not charge a monthly fee. Connecting to a server might take a long time and your connection could drop.

Top, paid-for VPNs have servers all over the world, letting you access websites and apps. On the other hand, free VPNs often provide coverage for a very limited number of countries.

Is it against the law to use a VPN to watch BT Sport?

This is a complicated topic and one that many of our readers have reached out about.

While using a VPN to stream BT Sport content isn’t illegal, violating the provider’s terms of service could result in account suspension or termination. We recommend you do plenty of research.

Can I subscribe to BT Sport if I live outside the UK?

BT’s subscription page is only available in the UK for obvious reasons. In other words, if you’re based abroad and want to create an account, you’ll need to do so while shielded by a VPN that’s connected securely to a UK server.

Is there a free way to watch BT Sport from outside the UK?

No, you will need to have a valid, paid-for membership with BT Sport to access its coverage from around the world.

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