When HBO announced its own streaming service, fans of the channel rejoiced. Finally, they would have the option to watch their favorite shows like Game of Thrones without having to pay for a very expensive cable subscription.
HBO Now was also seen as yet another blow to the traditional cable TV model. With services like Netflix proving to be extremely popular with everyday users, HBO Now could be constituted as a way to combat piracy by allowing people to pay for what they consider to be quality TV.
As most people expected, of course, HBO did not make this service available everywhere in the world. Even if you want to support them directly, there are very few ways to do that if you are located in countries like the UK, India, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Mexico, Japan, or anywhere else in the world.
Not only that, but HBO Now will be blocked for you even if you are a US resident who is just travelling abroad for a while. As long as you are not in US ground, you will get the same message as everyone else:
“HBO NOW is available only in the United States, including the District of Columbia, and the US territory of Puerto Rico. If you reside in one of these areas and are experiencing difficulties, please contact your broadband provider. Visit http://help.hbonow.com for additional information”
So what can you do?
Bypassing the HBO Now so-called Blackout Restriction is easier than you think
With a VPN, you can watch HBO Now from pretty much anywhere in the world, whether you are travelling abroad or you are a US expat who doesn’t want to miss out on the channel’s shows.
How? It’s actually pretty simple:
- Buy a subscription to a reputable VPN (see further below for more).
- Install the VPN client in as many of your devices as you want.
- Set the VPN to a US server.
- Watch HBO Now!
When we talk about reputable VPNs, we mean that you should stay away from any service which seems too good to be true. There are dozens of decent options out there but we have compiled a list of some of the best in the industry right in the table below. Make sure to also read our reviews if you’d like to find out more about them.
- Provider
- User Rating
- Our Review
- Price
PureVPN- 4807 Votes
- $3.24 / month
ExpressVPN- 3795 Votes
- $6.67 / month
Is there anything else I should know?
There is really only one thing you should be aware of: if you are receiving the same message as above, HBO might know you are using a VPN and could be blocking you on purpose.
In case you get that message, you should not despair. Instead, you should just be persistent and try to stream the show you are trying to watch as many times as possible. Following that, you should switch VPN servers and see if you can get through.
If none of that works, you should still remain calm. All of the VPNs in our list offer a money-back guarantee, which means that if their service is not working for you, they will simply give you a refund and you can go your separate ways.
Have any questions, concerns, or comments? Feel free to share them all with us!