If you want to watch amazing TV shows, exciting movies, and fantastic sporting events, the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is the place to go!
This national Australian network offers you unlimited and free access to top-class television, radio, and online content, both live and on-demand.
However, it is geo-blocked everywhere except Australia, so if you are anywhere else in the world, like America, you cannot get access to SBS’s exciting content.
If you want to watch SBS on demand in USA, you can unlock all the magic and stream SBS by using a premium Virtual Private Network (VPN).
Read on for more info on how to watch SBS in the USA Today!
In a Hurry? Here’s How to Unblock SBS on Demand USA with a VPN
About SBS
SBS is an Australian national public television, radio, and online network that offers you live TV, great on-demand content, and a large number of excellent SBS channels.
SBS On Demand is operated by SBS and it is a free-of-charge media streaming service.
This streaming service is only available to viewers in Australia, so if you want to access SBS on Demand while you are in the USA or anywhere else on earth, you need
Why You Need a VPN App to Watch SBS on Demand in the USA
SBS on Demand is geo-restricted from access anywhere other than Australia. If you are traveling outside of Australia, in the USA or anywhere else, and you try to access your favorite shows on SBS, you will receive the following error message:

“Due to publishing rights, SBS on Demand is only available to stream in Australia.”
SBS Australia and other similar services all use a special mechanism to track your IP address in order to prevent users from accessing their content from the USA or other countries outside of Australia.
By using a premium VPN and connecting to an Australian server, you can replace your actual IP address (allocated to you by your Internet Service Provider) with an Australian IP address, making it appear as if your streaming device is in Australia.
This means that by using the best VPN for this purpose (and we will help you to choose one), you do not have to miss out on your beloved radio and TV shows when you are abroad or if you live in an area outside of Australia.
Another bonus of having a VPN is that it also will allow you to unblock other streaming options, like Australian Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and many others.
How to Choose the Right VPN to Watch SBS on Demand in the USA
When deciding on the optimal VPN to use to watch SBS on Demand, you need to take several issues into account. These include:
Good server download and upload speed for streaming SBS quickly and reliably, with no interruptions.
Network size and whether the VPN has enough servers in Australia to effectively bypass the geo-block and access SBS.
Ease of use of the app of the VPN provider.
Optimal level of security to ensure that you are safe online and that your data is safe.
Easy to access, knowledgeable customer support, preferably by means of both live chat and email.
3 Best VPNs to Stream SBS on Demand in the USA
Below we will give you the low-down on the 3 best VPNs for live streaming SBS on demand abroad in USA:
1. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is the best VPN to use to unblock SBS on Demand, as well as other blocked content, like Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and more.
With more than 3,000 servers in over 94 countries, several of which are spread throughout Australia, in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane, ExpressVPN can unblock both SBS on Demand and Stan while in the USA.
ExpressVPN boasts super-fast speeds and outstanding security features that include 256-bit AES encryption, a no-logs policy, a Kill Switch, and many more, assuring your online privacy and security when you watch SBS outside Australia.
It offers expert round-the-clock customer support through a live-chat line and a full 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Extremely fast upload and download speeds
- Outstanding safety and security features
- Full 30-day money-back guarantee
- 24/7 live-chat support
- More pricey than competitors
2. NordVPN
NordVPN boasts the biggest of all the server networks on this list, enabling you to watch SBS on Demand in the USA with ease on one of its more than 190 servers in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, or Adelaide.
With almost 5,200 servers in over 60 countries worldwide, this VPN service is not only ideal for accessing SBS on demand, but also thousands of other streaming services, like Disney Plus, Hulu, US Netflix, and many, many more.
It offers very quick upload speeds and download speeds, which ensures great reception, with no interruptions or buffering when you watch SBS outside Australia.
NordVPN also allows you to connect 6 of your devices concurrently using the same VPN plan and will give you a full money-back guarantee if you find that it does not meet your needs within 30 days.
- Largest server network for SBN
- Offers 6 simultaneous connections
- Full money-back guarantee
- Live-chat support
- More affordable than ExpressVPN
- Speeds are not as good as ExpressVPN
3. Surfshark
Surfshark offers great features at the lowest price of the premium VPNs, enabling you to watch SBS outside Australia on a tight budget.
It has a network of over 3,000 servers in more than 65 countries, allowing it to bypass a variety of geo-restrictions, including SBS on Demand outside Australia, and in the USA in particular.
It offers speedy download and upload speed so you will not experience delays or too much buffering when you watch SBS.
One huge benefit of Surfshark is that it allows you to use your VPN app on an unlimited number of devices all with one VPN subscription, so you, your friends, and your family can all share the account and access SBS.
Surfshark comes with live-chat customer support 24 hours a day as well as a reliable, 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Unlimited simultaneous connections
- Numerous servers in Australia
- Most reasonably priced VPN
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Live-chat support
- Not as fast as some of its competitors
- Some buffering
Can I Use a Free VPN to Watch SBS in the USA?
Even though there are many free VPNs advertised, we strongly advise you to avoid these to watch SBS on-demand in the USA.
It is likely that a free VPN will not have the technical ability to bypass the geo-blocks and they tend not to have sufficient servers in Australia to allow for good download speed or buffer-free and uninterrupted viewing.
In addition, as a free VPN does not charge for its services but needs to make money, using one could result in you being plagued by advertisements or your information could be sold to a 3rd party.
On top of this, your online security and privacy could be compromised as free VPNs tend not to have sufficient security features to protect your online anonymity.
We highly encourage you to use a paid VPN for viewing SBS on Demand.
Creating SBS Account Outside Australia
Once you have chosen the best VPN to allow for online streaming of SBS on Demand, you need to sign up for an SBS account. To sign up for this account from outside of Australia, just follow these simple steps:
- Open your VPN app and connect to a server in Australia.
- Now, open your browser and search for https://www.sbs.com.au/
- Click on Sign In/Create an Account on the top right-hand corner of the screen.
- Either create an account (enter the relevant details) or sign in using an existing social media account.
- Once the process is complete, you can watch SBS on Demand from the USA on your Android, Mac, Apple TV, or any other device, simply by connecting to an Australian server on your VPN’s network.
Devices Compatible with SBS
You can use the SBS on Demand app from the USA via an Australian VPN server that provides you with an Australian IP address on a wide variety of devices. These include:
Samsung Smart TV
Mac OS via a browser
iOS device (iPad or iPhone, via the SBS app)
Windows (via a browser)
Android device (via SBS app)
Android Smart TV (e.g., Apple TV, Sony Bravia, Telstra TV via official SBS App Android)
PS3 and PS4
Firestick
Roku
Chromecast
Xbox 360 and Vbox 1
Popular Movies to Watch on SBS on Demand
When you access SBS World Movies, there are many exciting titles to enjoy streaming, including:
Mother
A Breath Away
Shoplifters
Margin Call
Lion
The Lobster
DogMan
The Square
and many more
Popular Shows to Watch on SBS on Demand
Once you install SBS you can view many exciting shows and videos on demand, even while you are abroad, like:
The Bridge
The Killing
Back to Life
Darkness
Shrill
Deep State
Borgen
SBS Channels
When you watch SBS on Demand outside Australia using a VPN, you can access Australian Channels on SBS, such as:
SBS HD
NITV
Viceland
Food Network (now called SBS Food)
Vice
SBS World Movies
NITV
Radio
FAQs
However, by using a VPN you will be able to watch SBS On Demand even if you are in America, the UK, France, Germany, Canada, or anywhere else.
Make sure that your television’s software is up to date.
Then make sure that you have an SBS On Demand account.
The next step is to download and install the SBS On-Demand app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
Finally, activate your TV and launch SBS on Demand.
Channels like SBS on Demand, Channel 9, Kayo, Stan, and Foxtel go are geo-blocked outside of Australia, so you will need to connect to an Australian server using a VPN in order to watch.
(Alternatively, you could use a service known as Smart DNS to allow you to view geo-blocked content as this will enable you to replace the IP address allocated to you with the smart DNS servers run by your VPN server.)
Conclusion
In this article, we have explained how to watch SBS outside Australia by securing a VPN subscription that unblocks SBS and enables streaming SBS on Demand, even when you are in the USA and there are geo-restrictions on your viewing.
Using the information in this article will allow you to access all your favorite TV and radio shows on SBS on Demand, even when you are outside Australia, by using the best VPN service for streaming geo-blocked content, like ExpressVPN.
Enjoy your viewing!