Last Updated on November 13, 2026
One of the things you quickly discover when spending time in the United States is just how much of the internet changes depending on where you happen to be. I don’t perhaps mean the actual internet just your perception and experience of it – because it’s just different. Of course, the internet is not the only thing many other things are different too.
As a British bloke temporarily based in America, I’ve noticed this particularly with television online. Back home, I can open ITVX, catch up with a programme I’ve missed, or watch live ITV without giving it much thought. Here in the US, it’s a different story. Try to watch something on ITVX and you’ll soon discover that the service isn’t available outside the UK.
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Fortunately, there are ways to change how websites see your location. The secret is using a VPN and I’ve been experimenting with a couple of VPN services to see what actually works.
Why ITVX Doesn’t Work in America
ITVX is ITV’s streaming platform a bit like the BBC’s iPlayer offering live television and a substantial library of on-demand programmes. Much of the content is available free with advertising, although you need to register for an account. The problem is that ITVX is intended for viewers in the UK and they actively block anyone from any where else! Like many streaming services, ITVX uses your internet connection or more specifically your IP address to estimate your location. When you visit from an American internet connection, the service can recognise that and just prevent playback.
This isn’t particularly unusual in fact it’s common to loads of sites online. Television and film/media companies negotiate broadcasting rights for different countries, and those agreements frequently determine where programmes can be streamed. But it’s frustrating when you’re accustomed to watching British television and suddenly find all your favourites are blocked because of where you are (especially when still paying for a UK TV Licence!).
Can a VPN Help?
So it’s a Virtual Private Network, or VPN, that is the usual solution and allows your internet traffic to travel through a server in another location. For example, I can connect to a VPN server in London while physically sitting in the United States. Websites then generally see the VPN server’s British IP address rather than my American one.
In theory, that makes it possible to access services that would otherwise recognise an overseas connection. However, there’s an important complication: streaming platforms have become increasingly effective at identifying VPN traffic. Simply selecting the UK doesn’t guarantee that a streaming service will accept your connection.
Let’s see the video that expplains it all – watching ITVX from Outside UK.
Testing Firefox’s Free VPN
Before trying a paid VPN, I wanted to see whether a free option would work.Firefox now includes a built-in VPN feature, and my installation offered the option of connecting through the United Kingdom. That seemed a reasonable place to start. I enabled the VPN, selected the UK and returned to ITVX.
Unfortunately, ITVX wasn’t fooled. Instead of allowing playback, it displayed a message indicating that a VPN had been detected. This illustrates an important distinction. A VPN can successfully change your apparent location while still being recognised as a VPN by the website you’re visiting.Firefox’s built-in feature may be useful for other browsing purposes, but it didn’t work with ITVX during my test.
Trying NordVPN Instead
Next, I switched to NordVPN, a commercial VPN service I’ve used for accessing British streaming platforms. I connected to a UK server and attempted to play the same ITVX programme.
This time, the result was different. ITVX accepted the connection, opened the programme and began playback. I also tested the streaming process while recording my demonstration.
Interestingly, ITVX’s programme footage was protected by digital rights management, or DRM. Although I could watch the programme normally on my computer, my screen recording showed a black picture during the protected content. The advertisements, however, recorded normally. It’s a useful reminder that recording restrictions and geographical restrictions are separate issues.
The important result was that NordVPN worked during my test, whereas Firefox’s free VPN was detected. That doesn’t mean every NordVPN server will work indefinitely. Streaming platforms regularly update their detection systems.
Creating an ITVX Account
- You’ll also need an ITVX account to watch programmes.
- Registration is free for the standard advertising-supported service, although ITVX asks for information including an email address, password and UK postcode.
- You don’t need ITVX Premium simply to watch the ordinary free catalogue.
- However, ITVX is a UK-focused service, and connecting through a VPN doesn’t change its geographical eligibility requirements or terms of use.
What If ITVX Still Detects Your VPN?
If you’re using a VPN and ITVX refuses to play, there are a few things worth checking. First, try another UK server. Streaming services sometimes block particular VPN addresses rather than every server operated by a provider. You can also try opening ITVX in a fresh private browsing window or clearing its existing website cookies. This can help when the browser is retaining information from an earlier session.
Finally, remember that successful access today doesn’t guarantee the same result tomorrow. For me, the attraction of ITVX is straightforward: it’s a convenient way to keep up with familiar British television while spending time overseas.
My tests showed that the choice of VPN can make a significant difference, but it’s worth understanding the limitations before assuming any particular service will always work.