How to Watch PBS outside USA?
Do you want to watch PBS or PBS Kids in Canada, Australia, UK, or anywhere else outside the US? Get in line. I already gave it a shot and failed. Turns out, I am not in the geographically approved area. But, I learned that I could be if I subscribe to a VPN or Smart DNS service. Just keep on reading to learn how.

PBS is a public American TV station. If you’re an American expat living abroad, you will not be able to access PBS overseas due to geographic restrictions. This means you will miss out on popular TV shows, documentaries, and indie movies PBS has to offer. Luckily, there are two workarounds you can use to watch PBS abroad: VPN and Smart DNS proxies.
How to Watch PBS outside the US with VPN
If you have ever tried watching videos on PBS or PBS Kids in Canada, UK, or elsewhere abroad, you have probably already come across the following geo-error:
“We’re sorry, but this video is not available in your region due to right restrictions.”
The act of bypassing restrictions on geo-restricted content requires the involvement of a VPN tool. In case you don’t know, VPN stands for a virtual private network, and it’s a cybersecurity tool that allows you access to content that is not available to you while keeping your data and traffic completely under wraps with the most secure protocols.
The private tunnel – created by a VPN – passes your data through encryptions which transforms it into untouchable pieces of information. No one under any circumstances can access your data, and that’s how you get ultimate security. But, it doesn’t stop there. Read more to learn about the gains of a VPN:
- Get Content Unblocked: With all the existing geo-restricted content and just as many people wanting to access them, a VPN can help them get all that it is they come across and cannot access.
- Get rid of ISP Throttling: When connected to a VPN, you will no longer have to suffer sudden drops in connections. That’s simply because a VPN prevents that from happening.
- High Privacy: Wrap your data with encryptions, adding layers of privacy and security to all your online activities.
- Friendly and compatible VPN Applications: You can install and set-up any VPN on almost all platforms: PC, Mac, Android, iOS, and FireStick.
Best VPN for PBS
Regarding the best VPN that unblocks content like PBS or just about any other, ExpressVPN tops the list. The company owns a large server network with thousands and thousands of servers in different places. As a result, users from all over the world, find connecting to its servers pretty easy.
Their extremely helpful 24/7 customer service makes you not want to take advantage of the 30-day refund policy but subscribe for good. You might want to check out other providers, which you’ll find in the table here below.

- Best for streaming and privacy
- High speed servers in 160 VPN locations
- Works for Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu
- 24/7/ live chat support
- 3 extra months free on annual plan

- UltraHD streaming
- Free Smart DNS proxy
- Unblocks all major streaming services
- Limited Time 72% Discount

- Unlimited VPN connections
- Over 1000 servers
- Ad-blocking feature available
- User-friendly application
- Exclusive Smart VPN feature
- Standalone Smart DNS subscription available
- Extra security features
- Extensions for Firefox and Chrome
- Split-tunneling available
How to Unblock PBS Abroad with Smart DNS Proxies
A Smart DNS service is also regarded as an online solution that rose to popularity in the age of increased geo-blocking technology. This method has allowed many internet users to access restricted material from all parts around the world. Unlike a VPN, it does not hide your IP address. Instead, it remains visible to the public, which is an answer to a Smart DNS’s lack of encryption process.
The fact that it doesn’t put users’ data through encryptions makes it less of a secure option than a VPN. But, that has no effect whatsoever on its unblocking abilities. If anything, it’s much faster than a VPN. Learn more about a Smart DNS below:
- A Smart DNS tool is compatible with almost all streaming devices.
- You can setup Smart DNS on devices like PS4, PS3, Xbox, Apple TV, Smart TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Wii, PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android.
- Excellent unblocking capabilities.
- What you get to unblock depends on the type you have chosen to subscribe to.
- When transparent proxies or DNS hijacking are present, a Smart DNS fails to work properly.
- You cannot manually select your new virtual location with a Smart DNS.
Unlocator comes fully packed with helpful customer service, a 7-day refund policy, and super-fast speeds. The Danish product is compatible across a wide range of platforms and is capable of unblocking over 200 channels, which is incredible. Not many proxies can do that.
PBS Compatible Streaming Devices
- Windows PC
- Mac
- iPhone
- iPad
- Android
- Roku
- Android TV
- Apple TV
- Amazon Fire TV
How to Unblock PBS outside USA – Wrap Up
In a nutshell, if you want to access geo-blocked streaming channels or websites overseas, you have to spoof your online location.
Both VPN and Smart DNS proxies allow you to do just that. Which method you choose is totally up to you, but we’d love to know anyway, so drop a comment down below.
Hi, I live in Australia and I have Express VPN and an Apple TV. When I try to watch PBS it requires me to use activate PBS video. I follow all the prompts but when I don’t have a U.S phone number it tells me I cannot watch PBS because I am outside of U.S. I was hoping this article would tell me “how to watch PBS outside US with VPN” This article tells me nothing. Can you please assist?