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Sky Go makes it easy to watch Sky, which has one of the best content libraries in the UK, on all your devices. However, you can only sign up for Sky in the UK and Ireland, and you’ll get blocked from Sky Go if you travel outside those supported regions. This happens even if you’ve already paid for a Sky subscription. Besides that, the content you can watch on Sky Go will differ in the UK versus Ireland.
Thankfully, you can watch Sky Go abroad by using a VPN. Connecting to a server in the UK or Ireland will hide your current IP address and make it look like you’re in a region where Sky Go is available. Once you’ve replaced your IP in this way, you’ll automatically unblock the streaming platform.
In this article, we’ll show you how to choose the best VPN for Sky Go, recommend the top 5 providers, and break down step-by-step how to use one to unblock Sky Go abroad. We’ll also explain why you need a VPN, provide some recommendations of what to stream, share how much Sky Go costs, offer some troubleshooting tips if Sky Go isn't working with a VPN, and answer some FAQs.
To watch Sky Go abroad, you’ll need a trustworthy VPN. Once you connect to a server from the UK or Ireland, you’ll automatically be able to watch Sky Go abroad. Here’s what you need to do:
You must already have a Sky TV account for this process to be successful. Sky TV requires various details to prove you live in the UK or Ireland, including a UK or Irish postal code and a payment method with a valid billing address in Ireland or the UK.
To find the best VPN for streaming Sky Go, you have to look for several important criteria. First and foremost, the VPN should be able to unblock Sky Go consistently. For this, it must have plenty of servers in the UK and Ireland. Besides that, it needs to have a large worldwide server network, which will help you unblock other streaming services as well.
To prevent Sky Go from seeing your VPN traffic, the VPN should offer obfuscation. On top of that, it must deliver optimized performance and fast speeds for smooth streaming. Then there are security features to consider. Military-grade encryption, strong protocols (WireGuard and OpenVPN), and a reliable no-logs policy are crucial. A kill switch is also important to protect your data if the VPN connection drops.
Last but not least, the VPN you choose should work on many different devices like computers, tablets, smartphones, smart TVs, and more. It also needs to allow as many simultaneous connections as possible. Lastly, go for a VPN that offers 24/7 live chat support and a reliable 30-day money-back guarantee.
Following the criteria set above, these are the 5 best VPNs to watch Sky Go outside the UK in 2024:
NordVPN is the best VPN to watch Sky Go abroad, for good reason, too - it unblocks Sky Go easily (and many other platforms). This is thanks in part to its SmartPlay feature, which masks your DNS requests. It has a huge network of 6,000+ servers in 67 countries, including 440+ servers in 4 UK locations (London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Manchester) and 50+ servers in Ireland.
When we connected to UK servers, we had blazing-fast speeds and excellent performance. HD and 4K videos loaded almost instantly. On top of that, we didn’t experience buffering or quality drops when we skipped through them. Even when we used obfuscated servers, which can often reduce speeds, we enjoyed consistently seamless streaming.
NordVPN has tons of state-of-the-art security features to ensure that your device and data are protected. For example, it has a customizable kill switch and an audited no-logs policy. In addition, it comes with reliable encryption (AES-256 or ChaCha20, depending on the protocol you use) and secure protocols like NordLynx, OpenVPN, and IKEv2/IPsec.
The VPN allows up to 6 simultaneous connections, so you can protect numerous devices. NordVPN has user-friendly apps for all popular systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, smart TVs, Firestick, and many more. You can also install it on your router to protect devices that can't have VPNs installed directly.
For troubleshooting, you can get in touch with knowledgeable reps any time you want because it has 24/7 live chat support. Last but not least, you can try NordVPN risk-free because it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
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Surfshark is another excellent Sky Go VPN recommendation because it easily unblocks Sky Go abroad, as well as other streamers. It has an impressive fleet of 3,200+ servers in 100 countries, including 212 servers in 4 UK cities (London, Manchester, Glasgow, and Edinburgh) and a bunch of Irish servers in Dublin.
It offers lightning-fast speeds and smooth performance. Videos loaded fast, and we could stream continuously without any quality drops. What’s more, Surfshark has Camouflage Mode on all its servers, which is the VPN’s obfuscation feature. This means you can use the VPN even when connected to more restrictive networks like the ones in schools and workplaces.
Privacy-wise, Surfshark comes with excellent features. It has an audited no-logs policy and a kill switch to prevent data leaks if the VPN disconnects. On top of that, it has military-grade encryption (AES-256 and ChaCha20) with secure protocols like OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2.
Surfshark offers intuitive, easy-to-use apps for almost any operating system, including iOS, macOS, Android, Windows, and Linux. Plus, you can use it on unlimited simultaneous devices. Furthermore, Surfshark offers a 30-day money-back policy and, for any questions you might have, 24/7 live chat support.
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ExpressVPN is a powerful VPN that unblocks Sky Go anywhere, along with any other streaming platforms you might want to use. It has a large network of 3,000+ servers in 105 countries with plenty of servers in 5 UK locations (Docklands, London, East London, and Wembley). It also has servers in Ireland.
During our tests, ExpressVPN always provided high-speed connections and consistent performance no matter what UK servers we connected to. The videos on Sky Go loaded smoothly, and we didn’t encounter any major speed losses when connecting to more remote servers for other streaming services. Plus, all servers are obfuscated.
When it comes to security, ExpressVPN offers an audited no-logs policy and a kill switch to protect against IP leaks. In addition, it has secure protocols (Lightway, OpenVPN, and IKEv2) with bank-grade encryption (AES-256 or ChaCha20, depending on protocol choice).
You can install ExpressVPN on almost any device - smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, and PCs. You can also use it on devices that don’t natively support VPNs by installing its dedicated router app. This provider also allows up to 8 concurrent connections, which is very convenient.
While it’s a bit on the expensive side, you can try ExpressVPN risk free thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee. Lastly, it also has 24/7 customer support available through live chat and tons of useful guides on its website.
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CyberGhost VPN is a budget-friendly VPN that still manages to unblock Sky Go easily. That’s because it has an impressive server network of 11,500+ servers in 100 countries. This includes 1,130+ servers in 3 UK cities (Berkshire, London, and Manchester) and 105 servers in Dublin, Ireland. On the downside, it doesn’t have any form of obfuscation.
During testing, we observed medium-fast speeds and suitable performance, so we were able to stream HD and 4K videos. That said, when we connected to servers far away from us, we did notice some drops in speed.
CyberGhost offers modern and reliable security features. For instance, it has an always-on kill switch, an audited no-logs policy, and strong encryption standards (AES-256 and ChaCha20). Plus, it lets you choose between secure protocols like WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2/IPsec.
You can use CyberGhost to watch Sky Go abroad and perform various other activities on 7 simultaneous devices. It supports computers, smartphones, smart TVs, and more. If you subscribe to longer plans, you'll get a generous 45-day money-back guarantee. And, of course, you’ll have access to 24/7 live chat support if you have any questions.
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Private Internet Access (PIA) is another good choice because it works well for unblocking Sky Go and other streaming services. It has the largest network on the market, with thousands of servers in 91 countries, including server coverage in Ireland and 3 UK locations: London, Manchester, and Southampton. Plus, it offers obfuscation via the Shadowsocks proxy to hide your VPN use.
We connected to both distant and nearby servers, experiencing average speeds and stable performance. However, we noticed that 4K videos took an extra 4-5 seconds to load compared to competitors. Once the videos loaded, though, we didn’t experience buffering or quality drops when we skipped through them.
PIA has modern and reliable privacy features as well. It uses strong protocols (WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2/IPsec), bank-grade encryption (AES-256), and a kill switch. It also has an audited no-logs policy. On top of that, all apps are open-source, meaning anyone can inspect the code for vulnerabilities.
You can install PIA on almost any operating system: Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and Linux. Plus, it allows unlimited simultaneous connections, and all its plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. While it offers 24/7 live chat support, be aware there were some instances when we couldn’t connect with an agent.
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You need a VPN to watch Sky Go outside the UK because the service is only available in the United Kingdom and Ireland. This is due to licensing agreements Sky makes with studios to get permission to distribute their content.
You can access Sky's website from unsupported countries, but if you try to stream anything, you'll get this error message: "Sky Go is only available to users connecting from within the UK or Republic of Ireland, unfortunately we cannot confirm that you are within these territories at the moment. Please retry later.
On top of that, if you try to use the Sky Go app when you’re outside the UK, you’ll get this message: “We are having problems connecting the application. Please make sure that you are connected to the internet and try again.”
Fortunately, you can bypass these error messages by using a VPN for Sky Go. A VPN lets you replace your current IP with one from the UK (or Ireland), so you can watch Sky Go abroad. This will also help you bypass any geo-restrictions on any streaming services or other websites. Plus, it hides your private data, blocks ads, helps you avoid bandwidth throttling and censorship, and keeps you safe on public Wi-Fi.
We recommend NordVPN because it has no problem unblocking Sky Go outside the UK and Ireland. It's also impressively fast and has hundreds of UK servers. Moreover, its obfuscated servers will help you avoid detection by VPN blockers.
To choose the best VPN for Sky Go, you need to make sure it meets specific requirements. First and foremost, it needs to unblock Sky Go, so it must have plenty of servers in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Here are the most important features to look out for:
Sky Go has a diverse range of content, including popular shows like Luther, The Witcher, Succession, and Friends. It also features an extensive library of movies from every genre such as The Hunger Games, Interstellar, and John Wick. Plus, it lets you access Animal Planet, MTV, Sky News, and more.
Here's a snapshot of the most popular channels, movies, and shows on Sky Go:
Sky Go is Sky's streaming app for all its content. Sky itself offers flexible 18-month contract plans starting at £26 per month and 31-day rolling plans that start at £29 per month with tons of add-on options. There are options that include hardware (like Sky Q, which we won't cover here), as well as various packages that come with different TV channels and other perks.
The most affordable Sky price is £26 a month for an 18-month contract of Sky Stream with the Sky Entertainment and Netflix package. It streams directly over Wi-Fi and comes with HD video and 30,000+ shows (before add-ons). Many packages and add-ons come with deals like a free month or reduced pricing for the first 18 months.
You can learn more about Sky Stream and its upgrades offered below:
Is Sky Go not working with a VPN? There are several possible reasons for that, including faulty Internet and cache giving away your location. Don't worry, we've got you covered with simple tips to get you back to streaming in no time:
Yes, you can use a free VPN for Sky Go abroad, but we don’t recommend it for a number of reasons. First, free VPNs usually can't unblock streaming services, and if they do, they only let you stream for a few hours a month. On top of that, it's rare to find reliable UK or Irish servers with unpaid services. If there are any, they're likely overcrowded and slow.
Plus, free VPNs are often unsafe and may even collect and sell your data to advertisers to make a profit. Instead, we suggest getting a VPN free trial from a premium provider for adequate security and unlimited high-quality streaming without long loading times.
Our top choice is the NordVPN free trial, which is offered for 7 days on Android. (For other device users, it comes with a 30-day money-back period.) After the trial, if you want to keep using a VPN, you can go for one of the best VPN providers we typically recommend. They all come with a money-back guarantee and tons of secure UK servers that work with Sky Go consistently.
Sky Go is a great addition to your Sky subscription, but it’s only available in the UK and Ireland. This is because it has to comply with licensing and distribution agreements, as well as copyright laws. Thankfully, you can still watch Sky Go abroad with a VPN.
We recommend NordVPN as the best VPN for watching Sky Go abroad. The provider has 440+ servers in the UK and 50+ in Ireland that always work with the platform. It also offers consistently fast speeds for an excellent streaming experience.
That’s all for our guide on the best VPNs to watch Sky Go abroad. If you have any questions, leave a comment just below. Thank you for reading!