Viewers around the world may recognize Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video as the major streaming platforms, but Hulu is one of the biggest players in TV and movie streaming in the United States, offering content from all over the world. range of film studios and TV channels.
Outside of the United States, Hulu is virtually non-existent.
This can be a big headache for some though – if you’re an American Hulu subscriber trying to watch your content overseas, or someone who lives elsewhere but wants to watch original Hulu shows like What We Do in the Shadows, Castle Rock, and Only Murders in the building as they are released, geo-blocking the service can make this nearly impossible.
Almost impossible, but not quite. There’s a way to watch Hulu abroad, whether you want to stream live TV or catch up on shows or movies, just like you can watch US Netflix, HBO, BBC iPlayer or The Criterion Channel from anywhere in the world. the world. Here’s how.
It’s worth pointing out that much of Hulu’s content is now bundled into Disney+ internationally under the Star banner – although there may be a slight delay at times. You can sign up for Disney+ for £7.99 per month or £79.90 per year.
Watch Hulu with a VPN
By far the easiest way to watch Hulu from abroad – and really the only one we recommend – is to use a VPN (virtual private network) service.
If you’re unfamiliar, a VPN allows you to use the internet anonymously by assigning you a different IP address – one of the ways your internet usage can be tracked online. Read our full VPN explainer to learn more.
Many people use a VPN to hide what they’re doing online from prying eyes, but they can also be used to trick websites into thinking you’re accessing the internet from another country – the VPN simply assigns you a US IP address. , For example. , and Hulu and other websites will believe that’s where you are.
Of course, there’s a disclaimer: this goes against Hulu’s terms of service, as it violates the platform’s content license agreements. Proceed at your own risk.
What is the best VPN for Hulu?
The good news is that most VPNs will be good choices for watching Hulu – they just need to offer a range of US servers, along with decent speeds and bandwidth allowances.
Our favorite choice is NordVPN, which at the time of writing has over three thousand servers available and very competitive prices. We’re currently ranking it as the best VPN for just about everything, partly because it’s great value for money – the two-year plan is available for as little as £2.99 per month at the time of writing , with a 30-day money-back guarantee Just in case.
We’re also happy to recommend Surfshark – and you should check out our full ranking of the best streaming VPNs if you want to take a look at the rest of the competition.
Keep in mind that no matter what VPN you use, Hulu may recognize that you are using a VPN and block you from using the service. If this happens, try several different servers within the VPN of your choice. Hopefully you’ll find one that will work after a few tries. Even if you don’t, try again another day and you might find a new server available for you to connect and watch.
There are free VPNs that work with Hulu, but they have limitations. There are often data or bandwidth caps – which you can reach quite quickly when streaming videos – and free VPNs often have lower speeds and limited server options, so you could suffer from a lower quality video or even have trouble finding a server that lets you access Hulu. .
Add to that the fact that free VPNs can sometimes play a little fast and loose with your private browsing data, and we highly recommend spending whatever it takes to get a paid VPN.
How to watch Hulu with a VPN
Once you’ve chosen a VPN, watching Hulu from the UK, Canada or elsewhere is simple. Simply log into your VPN service on the device you want to stream from and select a US server – most VPNs will allow you to choose the location of your IP address – then head to Hulu’s website .
It’s worth remembering that you’ll still need a Hulu account to watch anything, and Hulu itself isn’t free. Luckily, it’s not too expensive – you can pay either $7.99 per month (or $79.99 per year) with a few ads, or $14.99 with no ads at all. Either way, new subscribers can get their first month completely free.
Additionally, students can get a plan for $1.99 per month. To register, you must be 18 or older and enrolled in college.
If you want to start live TV too – with over 60 channels – there’s a big jump up to $69.99 per month for ad-supported content and $82.99 per month for ad-free content. – although that also includes Disney+ and ESPN+.
You can also get these services bundled without the live TV element, all for just $12.99 a month with ads — or just add Disney+ for a total of $9.99 a month.
Unfortunately, there is another complication. Hulu sometimes blocks non-US credit cards – so if you don’t already have an account and want to create one, it may reject your sign-up attempts if you don’t have a US bank.
If so, there is an easy workaround. Walmart sells Hulu gift cards, for $25 or $50, that let you create an account without a credit card at all. Walmart simply emails you the code, which you can then use to set up your account. You may also need to get a US address and phone number to register, but you can get them for free online if needed.
Once you’re signed in, you can access Hulu on lots of different devices, including your smart TV or game console – take a look at the full list of devices here – but be sure to check your Setup specific VPN service for each of your devices.
