If you don't want to miss out on German TV abroad, you need a VPN service. This is because almost all German TV streams, whether public or private, are subject to a country block, also known as geoblocking. Country blocking ensures that certain TV programmes are only available in Germany. In addition to films and series, it also affects live broadcasts of major sporting events such as the European Football Championship, as broadcasting rights are fiercely contested internationally. The broadcasting rights for the European Championship 2024 in Germany are held by Telekom. All 51 matches of the European Championship can be seen on MagentaTV, five of them exclusively. RTL, ARD and ZDF have acquired sub-licences from Telekom. While RTL is showing twelve matches, the two public broadcasters are broadcasting 34 of the 51 matches live. These include all of the German team's matches, the opening game, the semi-finals and the final.
VPN service conceals location
A VPN service is required to access the transmissions from abroad. VPN stands for "Virtual Private Network". These networks are primarily used to establish secure connections between an end device and a server. However, they can also conceal your actual location and online identity from third parties. A new (internal) IP address is assigned to the end device and the IP address of the VPN server is displayed to the other party (e.g. the streaming site of a broadcaster) instead of the original IP address of the device. With the help of a VPN provider, you can access the streaming via a German server. Your own location then no longer plays a role. As soon as the VPN connection is established, you simply call up the page of the desired channel via the Internet browser and off you go. If there are any problems with streaming, you can switch to another German VPN server and restart the TV stream. Here you will find a comparison of various VPN providers.
How can you optimise the Internet on board?
Once you have overcome the hurdle of the country lock, you often face the next problem: internet reception. Especially below deck, not even the weather app's forecast loads smoothly, let alone a live football broadcast. However, with a few tips and tricks, you can optimise the Internet on board. What solutions are available via Wi-Fi and mobile phones read here:
End devices, sticks and apps
Most broadcasters also offer their media libraries, including live streams, as a mobile app for Android and iOS via the app stores. However, if you are abroad, you must first install the app of a VPN provider on your mobile phone or tablet. The apps of many VPN services and the apps of TV broadcasters are also available for some smart TV devices. The installation process is similar to that on a mobile phone. After installation, you establish a connection to a location in Germany in the VPN app and can then use the broadcasters' apps.
But what if the smart TV on board doesn't have VPN apps or you don't want to fiddle with the TV setup on the charter boat? There are streaming sticks for such cases, such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick or Google Chromecast with Google TV. Some VPN services offer apps that can be installed on the sticks. And there are now also VPN offers for Apple TV.
Access foreign streaming services with a VPN
VPN servers not only allow you to access German streaming services from abroad. Of course, it also works the other way round. With the help of a VPN server in Austria or Switzerland, for example, you can unblock live streams and the media libraries of ORF or SRF from Germany and watch the full programme of the neighbouring countries. This is particularly worthwhile for sports fans. ORF and ServusTV Austria broadcast many sporting events such as the Champions League, the Football World Cup or Formula 1 free of charge on free TV.
Are VPN and streaming legal?
In some countries, such as China or Russia, even setting up a VPN connection can be illegal and punishable by law. In most countries, however, VPN use is legal. What is then streamed via this network may, however, be illegal. You need to take a close look at the terms and conditions of the respective provider. Possible consequences of misuse include account blocking or fines. However, this is rarely checked within Europe.
Jill Grigoleit
Editor Travel
