With so many online streaming services out there, it’s no surprise that finding exactly what you want to watch can often be quite confusing, especially with all of them battling for exclusive rights to broadcast sporting events each year.
Earlier in 2019, lineal heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury signed an exclusivity deal with ESPN, which meant that unless you’re subscribed to their services in the US or to BT Sport in the UK, you can’t watch his upcoming fights. Meanwhile, viewers in other countries might struggle for access, unless they can find some way to subscribe to one of those services.
Struggling with Streaming
One of the great things about the digital age for sports fans, if you’re not afraid of moving with the times, is that we’re no longer tied to just watching our favorite events on the TV. Most of the leading broadcasters now offer big events via their own streaming services, and so as long as you have a subscription, you can watch from anywhere within your country via a computer, tablet or smartphone. Nevertheless, that can also pose a problem if you’re travelling overseas.
Many broadcasters often region lock their streams to certain countries. This means that even if you’re subscribed to a US broadcaster offering MMA, UFC and title fights in boxing, once you travel outside the country you can’t get access. Heading for a European vacation? Tough luck, because the broadcaster will detect your IP location and block you from viewing.
You could find pirated streams, but unless you’ve got your device locked down tighter than a Hulk Hogan chokehold, they’re just not worth it. The quality is usually terrible, streams are often interrupted, while there’s also a good chance of exposing your device to security risks. Viruses, trojans, spyware and theft of your data just aren’t worth all the hassle.
VPN to the Rescue
There is an easy way to access the content you want to watch, wherever you happen to be in the world. What you need is a virtual private network (VPN) service, which will allow you to access servers in the same country as the online streams, thus making them think you’re in the right location.
There’s no shortage of companies offering VPN services, and choosing which one to use can be quite confusing, especially if you’re not familiar with using them. It’s always a good idea to check out what they each have to offer, read through plenty of different reviews, then go with the best option to suit your own needs.
Prices for VPN services can vary, and while some include lots of bells and whistles included in the services they offer, there’s no point paying extra for those things if you’re never going to use them. Sometimes, choosing something simple and easy to use is the best option, especially if you’re new to using VPN software or struggle with anything too complicated.
Nevertheless, it’s always worth comparing VPN services to find the right combination of quality to suit your needs. Some provide a huge choice of host servers in lots of different countries, others offer top-notch security and encryption, while the quality of connection and speed are the priority for pretty much all of them.
Putting VPN to the Test
All the best VPN services usually offer free trial options. Taking advantage of these is well worth the time. Using free trials not only helps familiarize yourself with the software they use, but it also helps you get first-hand experience of their service. Also, just because a VPN service has high review scores, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best one for you.
Try a few different VPN services via their free trials, then choose those which best suit your budget and preferences. After that, getting access to your favorite sports streams should be a breeze, and you’ll never miss the big fight, ever again.