SBS On Demand is a popular spot for Australians that want to catch live SBS TV channels including Viceland, World Movies, SBS Food and NITV. However, the website is region-locked, so you can’t access it outside of Australia. A VPN will help you unlock the action, but what if it stops working? Our guide explains what to do if your VPN isn’t working with SBS On Demand.
If your current VPN isn’t letting you access live TV on SBS On Demand, it’s not hiding your real location. When that happens, the network could blacklist the Australian VPN server you’re trying to use. Our VPN guide has details on how to solve the problem in a couple of minutes.
In this article:
At a glance: the best VPNs for SBS On Demand
Some of the VPNs that we’ve tried over the years are, honestly, very bad – they won’t hide your location, which means sites like SBS On Demand will lock you out. On the other hand, the VPNs on this page do a fantastic job of unlocking Australian TV streams in seconds.
If you don’t want to read our entire article and your current VPN isn’t working with SBS On Demand, see the table below.
Note: all of the SBS On Demand VPNs below offer a 30-day, money-back guarantee.
| VPN name | Starting price (per month) | Why do we like it? |
|---|---|---|
 ExpressVPN | £5.75 | Offers over 150 servers and around-the-clock live chat support |
 Ivacy | 80p | A cheap but secure VPN with public wi-fi security |
 NordVPN | £3.49 | Servers in more than 50 countries and a built-in malware blocker |
 Atlas VPN | £1.34 | Effective tracking blocker with a strict no-logs policy |
 PureVPN | $2.08 | A trusted VPN that hides your real location at all times |
Can I watch SBS On Demand outside Australia?
Yes, you can – but you’ll need a reliable VPN if you’re sat in a country that isn’t supported by SBS On Demand. A message on the SBS On Demand website says: ‘Even if you’re an Australian citizen, you cannot access the service from overseas.’
A VPN easily spoofs your location, which means the website will think you’re in Australia even if you’re not.
Why is SBS On Demand not working with my VPN?
SBS On Demand is a region-locked website designed for Aussies. If the site identifies your IP address and sees that you’re not in Australia, the website will lock up and you won’t be able to watch live TV. By using one of our VPNs, you’ll get a temporary IP address that lets you unlock SBS On Demand from anywhere in the world.
Try these fixes:
1. Delete your browser cookies – Cookies saved on your device are used to help websites and apps understand where you’re located. By clearing your cookies, certain sites such as SBS On Demand won’t remember your previous IP address.
2. Try connecting to a different VPN server – Top VPNs for catching live TV offer lots of different servers per country. If the server you’re trying to use to access SBS On Demand isn’t working, disconnect from that one and try another one in Australia. This is an obvious but crucial tip if your VPN isn’t working with SBS On Demand.
3. Contact a support team through your VPN – Lots of VPNs provide customers with a support service to handle technical issues. In fact, ExpressVPN, Ivacy, NordVPN, Atlas VPN and PureVPN all offer 24/7 support.
4. Uninstall and reinstall your VPN software – Sometimes, starting over will help. Head into your computer or mobile settings and delete your current VPN entirely. Restart your device, download that same VPN and see if the problem disappears when you try connecting to an Australian server.
If you’re still having problems using SBS On Demand, switch to a much better VPN for live TV. All of the VPNs below work with SBS On Demand, so pick one and try it out today.
Free VPNs for SBS On Demand
If your current VPN isn’t letting you enjoy live telly on SBS On Demand, you might be thinking about a free VPN to save money. However, we recommend that you stay away from free VPNs for the following reasons:
⚠️ Some free VPNs aren’t safe. Because you don’t pay a standard, monthly fee, free VPNs for SBS On Demand might sell your personal data just to make a profit.
⚠️ Free VPNs can be slow. They might take ages to connect to an Australian server compatible with SBS On Demand, and your connection could drop without warning.
⚠️You might not get many servers. The best VPNs have servers placed all over the world, which means you can instantly unlock loads of different TV streaming sites. However, free VPNs only cover a small number of countries.
The best VPNs for SBS On Demand in 2023
ExpressVPN
- 1-month subscription: £11.16 per month
- 6-month subscription: £8.61 per month
- 1-year subscription + 3 months free: £5.75 per month (49% off)
| 🌎 Number of servers worldwide | 160 in 94 countries |
| 📈 Bandwidth allowance | Unlimited |
| 🗣️ 24/7 live chat service | Yes |
| 📱 Number of devices supported at once | 5 |
If the VPN you have at the moment isn’t letting you enjoy live Australian TV, try ExpressVPN for 30 days. Our own connection tests prove this is one of the best VPNs around, and it’s fast regardless of where you’re based. To catch your favourite channels on SBS On Demand from anywhere, simply open up ExpressVPN, connect to one of the Australian servers and then refresh the SBS On Demand website.
This popular VPN keeps your real IP address hidden, which means sites (including SBS On Demand) won’t know you’re viewing live content from outside of Australia. Every ExpressVPN member has access to more than 150 servers in over 90 countries around the world.
Our verdict: Comparing VPNs for watching live TV, our team has identified ExpressVPN as one of the best for SBS On Demand.
Try ExpressVPN with our unique discount code (30-day money-back guarantee)
NordVPN
- 1-month subscription: £10.99 per month
- 1-year subscription: £4.19 per month (40% off)
- 2-year subscription: £3.49 per month (50% off)
| 🌎 Number of servers worldwide | 5,200+ in 59 countries |
| 📈 Bandwidth allowance | Unlimited |
| 🗣️ 24/7 live chat service | Yes |
| 📱 Number of devices supported at once | 6 |
NordVPN lets you watch live TV from anywhere, which is ideal if your current VPN isn’t working with SBS On Demand. It hosts over 5,000 servers in more than 50 countries, and all of them are protected by military-grade encryption. In just a couple of minutes, you can start watching your favourite shows on SBS On Demand outside of Australia.
NordVPN won’t keep tabs on how you’re using it, so privacy is guaranteed. We really enjoy the CyberSec add-on, which blocks suspicious-looking websites and lowers the risk of your device being infected with malware.
To unlock the full SBS On Demand website, just connect to a NordVPN server based in Australia. If you need help, you can contact NordVPN’s 24/7 live chat experts.
Our verdict: NordVPN is easy to set up with SBS On Demand. In our own speed tests, it only took a couple of minutes to load up the software, log in and connect to a Australian server.
Try NordVPN with our unique discount code (30-day money-back guarantee)
Ivacy
- 1-month subscription: £8.22 per month
- 1-year subscription: £2.91 per month (65% off)
- 5-year subscription: 80p per month (90% off)
| 🌎 Number of servers worldwide | 5,700 in 100+ locations |
| 📈 Bandwidth allowance | Unlimited |
| 🗣️ 24/7 live chat service | Yes |
| 📱 Number of devices supported at once | 10 |
If you’re based outside of Australia, we recommend Ivacy for watching TV on SBS On Demand. This trusted VPN is one of the most affordable options, and it supports 256-bit encryption which keeps cybercriminals away. Ivacy also offers public wi-fi security to protect devices against malware when connecting to public hotspots.
This Aussie-friendly VPN enforces a strict no-logs policy, which prevents your valuable personal data from being sold to third parties. By downloading the software today for SBS On Demand, you get instant access to over 5,000 VPN servers in over 100 locations around the world. A single Ivacy subscription covers up to 10 different devices at once.
Our verdict: a well-equipped VPN that we recommend for fans of SBS On Demand. Wherever you are in the world, you’ll have no trouble catching live TV usually reserved for Australia.
Try Ivacy with our unique discount code (30-day money-back guarantee)
Atlas VPN
- 1-month subscription: £8.09 per month
- 1-year subscription: £2.42 per month (70% off with code BIGDEAL)
- 2-year subscription + 3 months extra: £1.34 per month (83% off with code BIGDEAL)
| 🌎 Number of servers worldwide | |
| 📈 Bandwidth allowance | |
| 🗣️ 24/7 live chat service | |
| 📱 Number of devices supported at once |
We’ve confirmed that Atlas VPN is a reliable shield against online threats, and it can unlock Australian streaming sites such as SBS On Demand. This VPN comes with a tracker blocker that battles against ads, suspicious websites and phishing links. We think it’s a great choice if you want to enjoy live TV on SBS On Demand outside of Australia.
Other features of this trusted service include a data breach monitor that alerts you if your personal details have been exposed. Atlas VPN has a no-logs rule, along with a network kill switch that pauses the service if your connection becomes unstable. Users will enjoy over 750 unique servers all over the world.
Our verdict: If SBS On Demand is one of your favourite TV providers and you’re outside of Australia, Atlas VPN will easily unlock everything for you.
Try Atlas VPN today with our exclusive code (30-day money-back guarantee)
PureVPN
- 1-month subscription: $10.95 per month
- 1-year subscription: $3.24 per month (70% off)
- 2-year subscription + 3 months FREE: $2.08 per month (81% off)
| 🌎 Number of servers worldwide | 6,500+ in over 78 countries |
| 📈 Bandwidth allowance | Does not limit bandwidth per user |
| 🗣️ 24/7 live chat service | Yes |
| 📱 Number of devices supported at once | 10 |
PureVPN is one of our favourites to recommend for those that want to enjoy live TV on SBS On Demand. It’s easy to use, and members have access to optimised servers specifically designed to reduce load times.
With this VPN, data is encrypted and you’re completely anonymous while watching shows on SBS On Demand. There’s a 24-hour support team, so you can reach out if you have a question. PureVPN is a great VPN that allows you to bypass geo-locked streams without a fuss, even if you’re not currently based in a supported country.
If you’re not fully convinced by this VPN after trying it out, you can easily take advantage of the brand’s 31-day, money-back guarantee.
Our verdict: this awesome VPN provides over 6,500 servers in more than 75 countries around the world. For SBS On Demand, it could be a perfect fit.
Try PureVPN with our unique discount code (31-day money-back guarantee)
Watch SBS On Demand on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
- Pick one of our suggested VPNs – we'll use ExpressVPN for this example.
- Once you’ve created your ExpressVPN account, sign in.
- From Windows, open ExpressVPN and select a server in Australia.
- Once you’re connected, head to the SBS On Demand website.
- Log in to your SBS On Demand account and enjoy.
- Pick one of our chosen VPNs and create an account – ExpressVPN, for example.
- After making an ExpressVPN account, sign in with your username and password.
- From Mac, open ExpressVPN and select a server located in Australia.
- When you're connected, visit the SBS On Demand website.
- Log in to your SBS On Demand account and enjoy!
- Head to the Apple App Store from your iPhone.
- Download the ExpressVPN app to your device.
- Download the SBS On Demand app to your device – it’s on the Apple App Store.
- Sign in to your ExpressVPN account, and then connect to a server based in Australia.
- Now that you’re connected to a VPN, open the SBS On Demand app and log in to your account.
- Enjoy SBS On Demand on iPhone.
- Head to the Google Play Store from your Android tablet or smartphone.
- Download the ExpressVPN app to your device.
- Download the SBS On Demand app to your device – it’s on the Google Play Store.
- Sign in to your ExpressVPN account, and then connect to a server based in Australia.
- Now that you’re connected to a VPN, open the SBS On Demand app and log in to your account.
- Enjoy SBS On Demand on Android.
