British Streaming Just Got Easier: How to Watch ITV from the U.S.

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While we live in an increasingly global world, you might be surprised to discover just how much broadcasting remains siloed off in its home country — even when other regions might have an interest in it. One such example is ITV; unlike the BBC, which is publicly funded by U.K. taxpayers via TV licenses, ITV — originally founded as Independent Television — is a publicly listed company that competes with the BBC in the U.K. market. Some of their programming includes shows such as Love Island and Out There. While much of ITV's content is available internationally on global streaming services, that isn't always the case.

That being said, it's time to learn how to watch ITV from the U.S. — and we gathered all the tips you'll need for easy access.

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In addition to the shows mentioned earlier, ITV also offers a variety of sports broadcasts — football, horse racing, rugby, motorsports and more. While the service can be accessed live on television in the U.K., the company also offers a streaming service in ITVX. Viewers can either watch for free, supported by ads, or pay £5.99/month or £59.99/year to stream ad-free. Both the live broadcast and streaming services are officially only available in the U.K.

How to Watch ITV with ITVX from anywhere with a VPN

Like other regional service (such as BBC iPlayer), ITVX doesn't officially support accessing it via VPN. However, you can create an account to start viewing shows with the help of one. 

Many fans of British television in the U.S. use a VPN to access ITVX, but it's important to note that this goes against ITVX's terms of service and content licensing agreements. While using a VPN isn't illegal in the U.S., doing so may violate the platform's user agreement and could lead to account suspension. 

If you're looking to check out a VPN to access, we'd recommend VPN services such as ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access, or NordVPN.

ExpressVPN is our first recommendation thanks to a combination of its reliability and speed. Plans start from $4.99/month if paying for 2-years. Regardless of which plan you spring for though, ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Private Internet Access offers an affordable $2/month option for those willing to pay for 3 years at once; and NordVPN splits the middle with a $3.39/month 2-year plan, similar to ExpressVPN's offering. 

This next part is mostly a precaution, but also serves to make your life a bit easier. When using a VPN to access a service outside of your geographical location, you'll want to avoid any browser cookies giving up the game — and opening a private window that lacks any of your existing cookies can do just that. When right-clicking on a link you can choose to open it in a private window.

Like we said — this step is mostly a precaution. If you make a mistake and access the site without your VPN active, you can reset your browser cookie for ITVX by closing the private window and opening another. Meanwhile if you made a mistake on your regular browsing window, you'd have to erase them manually.

If you've sorted everything else out, all you'll have left to do is create an ITV account, if you haven't already done so. This is where we must note that since ITVX is only officially usable in the U.K., you'll have to supply a proper U.K. zip code when creating your account — and of course, technically accessing the service without living in the U.K. would breach the terms of service. So, keep that in mind while making use of ITVX.

What Does ITVX Offer?

ITV offers a variety of programming. While some, like Love Island, can be found on streaming services across the globe — others like Out There are currently exclusive to ITVX for streaming. ITVX also offers a variety of sports content dedicated to motorsports, rugby, football, and more. Even beyond original programming, ITVX includes third-party offerings from a variety of genres.

How to Watch Live ITV Channels with ITVX

Once you're logged into your ITVX account and connected through your U.K. VPN, you're all set to stream live broadcasts from ITV's full lineup of channels whenever you want. ITVX gives you access to live streams from channels like ITV1, ITV2, Essex TV, ITV Quiz, ITVX Kids, ITV3, ITV4, ITV Signed, Reality 24/7, Comedy 24/7, Chilling Thrillers, Go USA, and more.

To watch, just head over to the ITVX website and use the Live dropdown menu — it's clearly labeled and easy to find. Each channel listed there includes what's currently playing, how far along the broadcast is, what's coming up next, and options to either jump in live or start the broadcast from the beginning.

If you're already watching on-demand shows or movies on ITVX, then you're ready for live TV too — no extra setup needed. Just a reminder: ITVX is officially a U.K.-only service. You can still use the free, ad-supported version from outside the U.K. with a VPN, but it's something you do at your own discretion. That said, having a VPN makes it much easier to enjoy your ITVX content from anywhere in the world. Simple, seamless, and ready to stream.

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