The BBC is Britain's bastion of journalism and entertainment With world news, high-quality original programming, comprehensive sports coverage, and an almost unprecedented zero advertising policy, it remains an indispensable provider for Britons at home and abroad

Although the BBC has its critics, it is widely regarded as a reliable and relatively impartial network providing world-class news coverage, along with iconic television programs such as "Doctor Who," "Sherlock," "Line of Duty," "Fleabag" and "Top Gear It is widely regarded as a reliable and relatively impartial network that provides world-class news coverage Furthermore, its sports coverage rivals that of many pay services around the world

However, while it is relatively easy to access the BBC in the UK, if you are outside the country you may run into problems, even if you live in the UK and pay for a TV license So here's exactly how to watch BBC iPlayer live anywhere in the world

If you're in the UK, watching the BBC live couldn't be easier

Whether you have a TV, PC, mobile device, or streaming device, you can access all of the BBC's live broadcasts On a TV, simply switch to the appropriate channel; on a PC, you can go to the BBC website and start watching on the iPlayer The same can be done on mobile devices, but the app is optimized for touch screens

Remember, however, that although the BBC does not strictly have a subscription fee, anyone who uses the service is obliged to pay the UK TV license fee This is enforced by the credibility of the BBC website, but the law requires payment if you use the BBC

The situation is slightly different if you are outside the UK

If you are outside the UK, you will find that not all of the BBC's streaming content is available This is thanks to the distribution rights and the aforementioned TV license fee However, if you are out of the country, there are nifty ways around this

If you sign up for the best VPN, you can change your location to the UK and trick the BBC website into thinking you are in the UK iPlayer's best VPN recommendation is Surfshark, with its simple yet powerful app, excellent unblocking capabilities and an incredibly affordable long-term plan

We usually recommend the more premium provider ExpressVPN, but a few months ago we experienced problems with unblocking iPlayer It seems to be resolved now, but this time it is not our #1 option

So, for example, if you are in Europe visiting family or for work, you cannot watch BBC live even though you have paid for a TV license With ExpressVPN, however, you can select a VPN server in the UK and virtually relocate

TV does not require you to sign up or enter any information However, if you have never used BBC iPlayer before, you will need to create a free account to watch on PC or mobile

All you need is your date of birth, email address, and a UK zip code (if for some reason you don't want to submit your own zip code, you can easily find a random one)

You will be asked to confirm your email address, but this does not appear to be a necessary step to actually view the content

From there, all you need to do is click on "Channels" and select the live broadcast you want to watch or the one streaming on demand

If you are outside the UK, you cannot sign up for the BBC or watch anything from the BBC without a VPN

If you want access, simply sign up for a service like ExpressVPN, change your location to the UK, and head to the BBC website as usual Then enter your date of birth, email, and zip code, sign up as above, and start watching

No payment is required to watch BBC iPlayer live, so anyone can sign up and sign in from anywhere by using a VPN to disguise their location

If you are a Roku user, setting up BBC iPlayer is super easy Simply download the iPlayer channel, sign in with your free account and watch

However, if you want to watch BBC using a VPN on your Roku outside the UK, you will need to install a router VPN This is because the Roku device itself does not support VPN It's a bit more complicated than on a desktop or smartphone, but our top choices, Surfshark and ExpressVPN, make it super easy with simple setup and clear tutorials

BBC iPlayer is available on the Amazon Appstore, and all you need to do is download the app and sign in with the relevant credentials

Additionally, since the Fire Stick is Android-based, it also supports VPNs If you want to watch BBC iPlayer on your Fire Stick outside the UK, check out our guide to the best Fire Stick VPN services available

The first and most important reason to use a VPN with BBC iPlayer is to be able to access free content anywhere in the world In other words, whether you are in Canada, the US, or elsewhere, you can connect to the UK servers and log in to the BBC as if you were in your living room

And that's not all If you have a good Internet connection but iPlayer is buffering or playing at low quality, you may be suffering from network throttling

This happens when your ISP detects the high bandwidth usage of your connection and intentionally slows down the speed to ensure that everyone gets similar speeds High bandwidth usage includes torrenting, gaming, and of course streaming HD content

VPNs anonymize the intended use of your connection, so the provider does not know that you are streaming As a result, the provider cannot slow down your connection

On top of that, VPNs offer unparalleled privacy and security for any browsing, so if you not only want to watch iPlayer live streaming abroad, but also keep your personal information safe, a secure VPN is the perfect solution