Doctor Who is one of the best Sci-Fi series ever made. Best of all – it’s available for free on BBC iPlayer!
Hold your horses, though. If you google “BBC iplayer doctor who” outside the UK, you won’t be able to watch it. You’ll find the link and access the web page, sure, but you won’t be able to play any videos. Geo-blocks will stop you from doing that.
What does that mean for you? Do you have to move to the UK or take a month-long trip there?
No, you don’t need to do anything so complicated. We’ll show you how to quickly unblock Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer with a VPN anywhere in the world.
Can a VPN Unblock Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer?
Yes. By hiding your IP address, the service stops the site from knowing your location. Without that information, BBC iPlayer can’t trigger its geo-blocking system.
If you use a VPN server in the UK, your traffic will be routed through a server that’s located in that country. Basically, you’ll communicate with BBC iPlayer using a UK IP address.
How to Watch Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer with a VPN
It’s really simple – just follow these five steps:
- Sign up for a VPN that unblocks BBC iPlayer. We always had the best results with ExpressVPN.
- Download the VPN provider’s app to your device and install it.
- Run the app and connect to a server in the UK.
- Log into your BBC iPlayer account and find the Doctor Who episode you want to watch.
- Hit Play, respond that yes, you have a TV license, and start watching!
Which VPN Should You Use?
There are hundreds of VPNs on the market right now, so it’s tough picking a good one – especially since not all VPNs can unblock BBC iPlayer.
We already said we had the best streaming experience with ExpressVPN. Besides that provider, you can also look into CyberGhost VPN (it has a dedicated streaming server for BBC iPlayer) and Surfshark (it allows unlimited parallel connections).
But the easiest way to find the right BBC iPlayer VPN for you is to use ProPrivacy’s guide. You can read about the best VPNs to access BBC iPlayer outside the UK here. ProPrivacy thoroughly tested dozens of VPNs to see which ones can unblock BBC iPlayer 24/7 and offer fast speeds too.
Which VPN Server Should You Use to Watch Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer?
A UK server, of course. BBC iPlayer content is only available in the UK due to licensing agreements. If you use servers from other countries, you’ll just see the geo-blocking error when you try to watch an episode of Doctor Who.
Here’s something else you should know, though – the location of the UK server matters too. If the distance between it and you is too big, you’ll get slower streaming speeds. Don’t forget – VPNs already slow down your speeds by encrypting your data. Add thousands of miles/kilometers into the mix, and the speeds will be even slower.
Good to know, but what’s your option? You need to use a server in the UK. If you live in the US or Asia, there’s not much you can do, right?
Not exactly – if the VPN lets you pick the city where the server is located, you can reduce the slowdown to some extent. You and the server are still continents apart, but a few hundred miles/kilometers might be just what you need to get high-quality videos.
For example, our tester is in France. When he used CyberGhost VPN, they had faster speeds with a server in London than a server in Manchester. That’s because London is closer to their location by about 343 kilometers (213 miles).
VPN Not Working with BBC iPlayer? Try This!
Even a good BBC iPlayer VPN will sometimes encounter some issues. While BBC iPlayer isn’t as good at blocking VPNs like Hulu and Netflix, it still gets the job done.
So if you randomly start seeing the geo-blocking error message while using a UK server, here’s what you can do to fix the problem:
- Connect to a different UK server. BBC iPlayer probably blocked the server you’re using at the moment.
- Clear all cookies to get rid of tracking cookies. They can sometimes leak your geo-location while using a VPN. Consider using your browser’s incognito mode (also called private mode) too.
- Restart your browser, VPN app, and/or device.
- Change your device’s time zone to match the UK’s time zone.
- Try unblocking BBC iPlayer on your PC instead of your smartphone. On mobile devices, BBC iPlayer could check your device’s GPS location against your IP address to check if you’re using a VPN.
- Ask your VPN provider for a dedicated IP address. It will only be used by you, so BBC iPlayer will be less likely to flag it as belonging to a VPN. If you can make it a residential dedicated IP, it’s even better. Only PrivateVPN offers dedicated IPs free of charge as far as we know – the other VPNs charge for this feature.
Will BBC iPlayer Ban Your Account If You Use a VPN?
We can’t say for sure. The site probably won’t ban your account if it catches you using a VPN. We never heard of this happening to anyone.
Still, keep in mind BBC iPlayer’s Terms of Service specifically mention you shouldn’t “mess with their services” by using a VPN.
Using a VPN with BBC iPlayer is probably safe for now. If you got your account suspended for using a VPN or you know someone who has, please let us know in the comments.
How Do You Like to Unblock Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer?
Do you use a VPN like most people, or do you use other unblocking methods (proxies, Smart DNS tools)? If you use other unblockers, which one do you like the most and why?
Also, do you know which VPNs work or don’t work with BBC iPlayer? If you do, please mention them in the comments.
