Ever tried to watch Spanish TV channels online from outside Spain? If you’re reading this, chances are that you have. It’s just as likely that you ran into a digital roadblock that popped up even before you could click “play.”
Whether you’re on the hunt for breaking news, the La Liga, or comedies on Neox TV, Antena 3, La 1, Cuatro, Televisió De Catalunya, and a host of others, geo-restrictions are bound to get in your way as soon as the platforms detect your foreign location. You could have an active subscription to a channel, and it wouldn’t matter.
The good news is, you don’t need to wait until you’re back in Spain to catch up with the content you know and love. There are a few ways to get around these restrictions — and the most reliable approach involves using a VPN. Keep reading, and this article will show you how to access Spanish TV channels from abroad.
How a VPN Helps You Watch Spanish TV Channels Online
Watching your favorite television channels is simple when you’re in Spain. You only need a regular subscription — and not even that on free-to-air channels. The country has a massive, diverse collection of TV channels that provide a range of sports, news, shows, and programs you can enjoy without thinking twice.
However, as soon as you step outside its borders, accessing those same channels becomes a significant challenge.
Why?
Mainly due to copyright licensing agreements between stakeholders and the geographical restrictions that enforce them.
So, when you head to Neox TV for your regular dose of El Joven Sheldon, the platform detects your approximate location and displays this disappointing banner instead, “Content not available in your geographic area.”
This is precisely where a VPN steps in.
When you connect to a Spanish-based server, your internet traffic is rerouted through that server, and your device is assigned a Spanish IP address. It’s like digitally teleporting yourself back to Spain, at least as far as the internet is concerned.
Essentially, the VPN tricks the websites and online services you visit into thinking you’re physically there. That way, Spanish TV channels cannot deny you access, and you can stream all your favorite content once more.
That said, how well this plays out depends on various factors, such as the geo-unblocking proficiency of your VPN service.
Watch Spanish TV Channels From Abroad in 4 Steps
Follow these four simple steps, and you’ll be back to catching up on news, sports, and entertainment on your favorite Spanish television channel.
1. Choose a VPN Service
While many VPNs offer Spanish servers, you should watch out for other properties before making your choice if you’re looking for a seamless experience.
Your ideal VPN should provide excellent and consistent performance, eliminating frustrating buffering. In addition, it must effectively bypass geo-restrictions on preferred Spanish TV channels and streaming platforms.
Moreover, the ease-of-use matters — and the provider should offer responsive customer support around the clock. It goes without saying that it must have the features to keep your online identity and data safe while you stream.
We recommend ExpressVPN because it covers all the bases. You can subscribe to its annual plan for 49% of the usual fee, enjoying three extra months for free in the bargain.
Watch Spanish TV abroad With ExpressVPN
2. Subscribe and Install
If you don’t already have one, visit the VPN’s official website to create an account. On the pricing page, select a premium plan that suits your preferences and budget and pay using one of the available methods.
Once you’re done, download and install the VPN application.
Most VPNs, including ExpressVPN, have dedicated download pages where you’ll find the appropriate app for your device. If you’re using an iOS or Android device, you may prefer to download directly from the App Store or Play Store.
3. Connect to a Spanish Server
Launch the VPN app and sign in using your account credentials. If you go with ExpressVPN, that’s your activation code, which you can find on your account dashboard.
Once you’re in, head to the server selection menu. Scroll or use the search bar to locate a Spanish server and double-click it or click the prominent Connect button on the home screen. Wait a few moments while the VPN establishes the connection.
4. Verify Your Spanish Server and Watch Spanish TV channels live from abroad
If you’ve opted for a highly-rated VPN service, you’re all set to stream Spanish TV channels from anywhere. Otherwise, you might want to verify that your digital presence is genuinely in Spain for added assurance.
To do this, use an IP address checker. If the location and IP address align on both the online tool and your VPN, you can be confident that you’ve been assigned a Spanish IP address.
Congratulations. Return to the TV channel platform to enjoy unrestricted access to your regular Spanish content.
The best VPNs for watching Spanish TV outside Spain
You could use a top-notch VPN in Spain even if it doesn’t come with Spanish servers. However, such a provider wouldn’t be helpful when you’re overseas and looking to stream home-based content on a TV website or streaming service.
So, you need a VPN with Spanish servers, but it must also be exceptional across the board, or you’re throwing money away. That’s why we did some digging and testing to arrive at the shortlist below. These VPN services will help you unlock and stream TV programs smoothly while safeguarding your privacy.
Note that we’re focusing on premium providers for this list.
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for watching Spanish TV channels online from abroad. It comes with 3,000+ servers across 105 countries, including next-gen options in Spain for smooth, reliable connections.
ExpressVPN also holds the crown for the fastest VPN service. With its 10 Gbps ports and unparalleled network optimization, you never have to worry about constant buffering interrupting your streams, even when you’re connected from distant locations. You get the best performance results from its Lightway protocol, which goes neck-and-neck with WireGuard in terms of speed.
What’s more, ExpressVPN gets past any geo-restrictions you throw at it, whether on Spanish TV platforms or streaming services. That means you’ll experience no hassles tuning in to Antena 3, La 1, RTVE Play (to watch Vuelta a España, for example), La Sexta, and other channels, even if you’re thousands of miles away. And you can switch to Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, and more, as long as you have an active subscription.
The VPN scrambles your data with AES 256-bit encryption, so intruders are befuddled. Its deep toolkit also comes with an automatic kill switch, DNS leak protection, obfuscation, and a host of other standard and advanced features. Plus, you never have to worry about what you do online trailing back to you, thanks to its audited no-logs policy.
With an ExpressVPN subscription, you can secure up to eight devices simultaneously. That potentially means streaming on your computer, smartphone, set-up box, and more — the VPN is widely compatible.
The only downside is that ExpressVPN isn’t quite the cheapest. Still, your subscription comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you’re unsatisfied — there’s little to no chance of that — you can request and receive a full refund.
2. CyberGhost
A budget-friendly ExpressVPN alternative (at least considering its longer-term plans), CyberGhost is also pretty easy to use, even for complete VPN beginners.
The VPN offers 200+ servers across three Spanish locations, granting you plenty of connection options to avoid congestion and slowdowns. In total, it has 11,600+ servers in 100 countries, more than the other providers on this list combined.
Like ExpressVPN, CyberGhost has 10 Gbps servers. While it doesn’t catch up to the former in terms of speed, you can still expect smooth connections, especially if you use WireGuard.
CyberGhost comes with streaming-optimized servers, which can come in handy when you’re looking to watch Netflix US, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, and other popular streaming services. However, its regular servers do just fine for unblocking Spanish TV channels from anywhere.
The provider implements military-grade encryption to protect your data while you stream. If you like doing so on public networks, its automatic Wi-Fi protection feature ensures lurking hackers and other cybercriminals cannot access your personal information.
In addition, it uses RAM-based servers and operates a strict no-logs policy, ensuring no details of your online activities are left floating around after you’re done.
CyberGhost works with a wide array of platforms and devices. With one subscription, you can get a Spanish IP address on up to seven devices at the same time.
You can take the VPN on a spin completely risk-free. On plans six months and above, you have up to 45 days to make up your mind about committing or requesting a refund.
3. NordVPN
Its data privacy-friendly jurisdiction (Panama) aside, NordVPN is easily one of the most secure VPNs on the market. But there’s more to the provider, like how effective it is at providing access to Spanish TV channels online, regardless of your location.
The VPN comes with a massive network comprising over 6,100 servers across 61 countries. More than 60 of those are VPN servers located in Madrid and Barcelona, so you’re spoiled for choice when trying to get a Spanish IP address.
Our regular speed tests point to only ExpressVPN consistently beating NordVPN. You won’t experience sharp drops in performance when you connect, which means smoother streams devoid of buffering, even on UHD quality.
What’s more, NordVPN breezes past geo-restrictions on websites and online services. The VPN’s SmartPlay feature combines the best of SmartDNS and VPN functionality, ensuring you enjoy your experiences watching Spanish TV channels without worrying about your IP address getting detected. You can also browse exclusive libraries on Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, and more, hassle-free.
Bank-level encryption works together with IP/DNS leak protection, an automatic kill switch, and several other features to keep your data for your eyes only. If your favorite TV channel has intrusive ads, you’ll find NordVPN’s Threat Protection functionality pretty effective at clearing them.
NordVPN is compatible with virtually every major operating system and device. One subscription covers up to six devices simultaneously.
A 30-day money-back guarantee comes attached to all its plans, so you can check the VPN out free of risk. If you’re unsatisfied with the service, you can request a full reimbursement.
Can You Use a Proxy Server Instead?
Proxy servers and VPNs share a common goal: masking your IP address to get you close to online anonymity. But the similarities end there, and picking a proxy over a VPN to watch Spanish TV channels abroad may not be your best bet.
Both technologies reroute your internet traffic so it looks like you’re accessing the internet from that server’s location. This process helps overcome geo-restrictions, which, as you can imagine, can be useful for accessing region-specific content.
But while proxies offer a level of anonymity, they lack the comprehensive security features of VPNs. They don’t encrypt your internet traffic, leaving your data unprotected. On the other hand, a quality VPN encrypts all your online activities, so you’re all but guaranteed a secure connection.
Besides, proxies tend to struggle with sophisticated geo-restrictions. Chances are that you won’t get the blocks on some Spanish TV channels.
What about a free VPN to watch Spanish TV channels from abroad?
They’re not proxy servers, so you can use free VPN services instead, right?
Well, while we certainly understand the allure of a cost-free solution to geo-restrictions, we don’t generally recommend using free VPNs unless as a last resort.
Many providers in this category have fewer server options, which usually translates to overcrowded servers and slower speeds. That means you’ll have to deal with buffering issues while you stream and an overall poor streaming experience.
Besides, free VPNs may impose data caps or limit bandwidth that restrict how much content you can stream.
Another serious concern is the level of privacy and security provided. Most free VPNs simply do not prioritize user privacy as much as paid services. They log user data to display ads and may lack non-negotiables like a kill switch or leak protection, leaving your connection vulnerable.
For these reasons, we recommend that you stick to premium VPNs instead. Many top providers offer free trials and money-back guarantees, and some are quite affordable.
Conclusion
When you’re outside Spain, the key to reliable, unrestricted access to television content from there is a quality, premium VPN service. More specifically, one that comes with Spanish servers.
Our top choice for watching Spanish TV channels abroad is ExpressVPN. The highly-rated VPN unblocks access to all the local television channels and streaming services, easily bypassing the roadblocks they put up. What’s more, you can count on speedy and reliable connections, plus robust security and privacy.
Take advantage of a 49% discount to hop on its annual plan now, so you can receive three extra months for free. You would be doing so risk-free, thanks to the provider’s 30-day money-back guarantee.
Watch Spanish TV Abroad With ExpressVPN
FAQs
How can I watch Spanish TV live from abroad?
It’s straightforward. Pick out a quality VPN like ExpressVPN and subscribe to its service. Install the provider’s application on your device and connect to a VPN server in Spain. With that, you can return to the TV channel platform to stream the content.
What is the best VPN for Spanish channels?
ExpressVPN is the best VPN service for watching Spanish TV channels when you’re abroad. It provides blazing-fast connection speeds, is easy to use, and protects your data from prying eyes.
Where can I watch Spanish TV channels online?
Many Spanish TV channels have websites, so you don’t need cable or satellite TV to watch their content — only an internet connection.
You can easily access RTVE, La 2, TDP, Mega, Cuatro, Neox, and more on their websites. However, a VPN is the only reliable way to stream content on these websites when you’re not physically in Spain.
