Want to watch Sportsnet outside Canada? If you travel or live abroad, you’ll quickly see it’s blocked. The bitter truth is that you can’t stream Sportsnet outside the country due to regional content rights and licensing agreements. But that’s unless you have a VPN installed.
With a VPN, you can bypass regional restrictions and watch Sportsnet+ in the US or anywhere else in the world. What's more, this will not be the only geo-restricted platform that you will be able to unlock.
Read further to get more details on how to watch Sportsnet live streams abroad using a VPN.
How to stream Sportsnet Canada with a VPN
- Choose a reliable streaming VPN. My recommendation is NordVPN, now available at 79% off.
- Download the VPN application and log in to your account.
- Connect to a server in Canada.
- Sign up for Sportsnet.
- Start watching your favorite sports league!
Why can’t I watch Sportsnet abroad?
You’re unable to watch Sportsnet in the US or elsewhere apart from Canada because it’s region-locked. These geographic restrictions exist due to content rights and licensing agreements, just like with many other Canadian TV broadcasters.
If you tried accessing Sportsnet+ outside Canada, you most likely bumped into a message like this: "Streaming is not available in your region. Sportsnet+ is only supported in Canada.":
Even if you’re originally from Canada and have an active subscription in place, you will still receive this message once Sportsnet detects a foreign IP address while traveling. But this only means that you need to hide your location and trick the provider into thinking that you’re in Canada.
To bypass Sportsnet regional restrictions, it’s best to use a top-grade VPN service. With it, you will bypass geo-blocks and start streaming unrestrictedly in the blink of an eye.
Best VPNs to use with Sportsnet in 2025
To help you find the best VPN for Sportnet, I have tested a dozen streaming VPNs and picked the top 3 services. Each of them unblocks Sportsnet+, retains high-resolution video quality, and keeps your IP hidden throughout the session.
- 1. NordVPN – best VPN to use with Sportsnet in 2025
- 2. Surfshark – budget VPN for streaming Sportsnet
- 3. ExpressVPN – beginner-friendly VPN for sports streaming
Find out my detailed insights about these Sportsnet VPNs right below.
1. NordVPN – best VPN for watching Sportsnet abroad in 2025
- Unblocks Sportsnet and other streaming platforms
- Plenty of servers in Canada
- Advanced security suite
- Free trial available
- No free version
NordVPN is the best VPN to bypass Sportsnet regional restrictions, which has over 300 servers based in Canada. During our NordVPN review, I found that it’s peerless when it comes to combining reliable content unblocking and protection services.
| Location | Panama |
| Number of servers | 7,800+ servers in 118 countries |
| Server locations in Canada | 3 |
| Price starting | from $2.91/month |
If you were wondering how to watch Sportsnet without cable, NordVPN is your answer. The VPN supports desktop, mobile, streaming, gaming devices, and even smart TVs, including Apple TV and Android TV. Once you access Sportsnet, you will be able to enjoy live streams in 4K and lag-free.
Aside from streaming, NordVPN is known for its continuously improving security suite, which includes a virtually unbreakable AES-256 encryption, a functional ad-blocker, a kill switch, and more.
NordVPN is available from $2.91/month with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 3-day free trial in place.
2. Surfshark – Sportsnet VPN with affordable plans
- Cheapest VPN on the list
- Retains around 90% of the baseline speed
- Feature-rich applications
- Price increase along with renewal
Surfshark is an affordable and versatile VPN for watching Sportsnet live streams in the US or anywhere else. With over 170 servers in Canada alone and a stable connection, this VPN is a reliable option when it comes to bypassing geo-restrictions.
| Location | The Netherlands |
| Number of servers | 3,200+ servers in 100 countries |
| Server locations in Canada | 3 |
| Price starting | from $1.99/month |
When reviewing Surfshark, I was impressed by how many streaming services it could unblock effortlessly, including ESPN, Sky Sports, and more. Since the provider supports unlimited simultaneous connections, I was also able to catch up with different sports leagues on Sportsnet at the same time.
Another feature that I liked was a dedicated IP. With it, I received a unique IP address, which prevented geographically restricted platforms from detecting shared VPN servers. Meanwhile, a kill switch feature ensured my true IP address didn’t get revealed even if the VPN connection dropped.
Surfshark’s plans start from $1.99/month and they all come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. There’s also a 7-day free trial available.
3. ExpressVPN – easy-to-use VPN for streaming
- Simple and intuitive applications
- Fast speeds with a proprietary tunneling protocol
- 4 server locations in Canada
- Priciest on the list
ExpressVPN is a beginner-friendly VPN that unblocks Sportsnet in the US and many other countries. With a clean and powerful app, it makes streaming geo-blocked content simple. While the provider doesn’t disclose its full server count, it offers 4 reliable server locations in Canada.
| Location | The British Virgin Islands |
| Number of servers | 3,000+ servers in 105 countries |
| Server locations in Canada | 4 |
| Price starting | from $3.49/month |
If you have a TV that doesn’t support VPN services, ExpressVPN has you covered with the MediaStreamer feature, which will help you unblock Sportsnet, DAZN, or another platform. In my ExpressVPN review, the service retained most of my baseline speed, allowing me to stream videos lag-free, although I’m located far from Canada.
Its Lightway tunneling protocol not only keeps connections fast, but also adds an extra layer of advanced protection. Speaking of protection, you also get the Threat Manager, which blocks malicious ads and websites, as well as a functional kill switch, split tunneling, and more.
ExpressVPN subscriptions start from $3.49/month, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee, and a 7-day free trial on mobile devices.
Can I stream Sportsnet for free?
For new subscribers, Sportsnet+ is available to stream for free for up to 7 days. However, afterwards, you will still need to get one of the paid Sportsnet subscriptions that start from $29.99/month.
For those living outside Canada, the Sportsnet free trial option is only accessible with the help of a VPN. For this, I recommend choosing a freemium VPN instead of a free one. Free VPN services are known for collecting user data, having lackluster feature suites, and awful performance.
In the meantime, freemium VPNs like Proton VPN are safer alternatives to completely free VPNs. Nevertheless, they are still very limited in features and servers, which can get overcrowded quickly. This also means that your chances of unblocking Sportsnet with freemium VPNs are almost as low as with free providers.
So, your best chances are to go with premium VPNs from my suggested list, such as NordVPN or Surfshark, that have a money-back guarantee and free trials. This way, you will unblock Sportsnet+ securely and enjoy it for free anywhere without restrictions.
How to watch Sportsnet on your device
If you want to watch Sportsnet live on your device without a cable, that’s easy once you have the correct VPN installed. In this guide, I’ll walk you step by step through how to stream Sportsnet+ on smart devices, streaming sticks, and TVs.
Watch Sportsnet on your smartphone or PC
If you want to watch your favorite sports on Sportsnet on a mobile device or PC outside Canada, these are the steps to follow:
- Select a reliable streaming VPN. My recommendation is NordVPN.
- Head to the app store or official provider website and download the VPN application.
- Once the app is installed, connect to a server based in Canada.
- Depending on your device, either download the Sportsnet app or head to the website.
- Sign up or log in to your Sportsnet account.
- Start watching NHL, MLB, NBA, or another league unrestrictedly!
Unblock Sportsnet on a streaming device
Have you got a Fire TV Stick or Chromecast but can’t enjoy your favorite sports games? Here, I will help you unblock Sportsnet+ on a streaming device anywhere in the world:
- Choose a streaming VPN. I recommend using NordVPN.
- Download and install the VPN on your streaming device. If your device doesn’t support VPN apps, install the VPN on your router or use SmartDNS.
- Open the VPN application and connect to a server in Canada.
- Download the Sportsnet application and log in to your account.
- Start streaming!
Watch Sportsnet on a TV without cable
To watch Sportsnet on a TV without cable, follow these steps:
- Get a VPN with servers in Canada. My recommendation is NordVPN.
- Set up the VPN on your TV. If it’s a smart TV, download the app directly on it. Otherwise, install the VPN on your router or use the SmartDNS feature.
- Log in to your VPN account and connect to a server in Canada.
- Download the Sportsnet app and sign up.
- Enjoy watching Sportsnet live!
What can I watch on Sportsnet+?
The content that you can watch on Sportsnet+ largely depends on which subscription plan you choose. Find more detailed information in the table below:
| Subscription | Subscription price (CAD) | Sports content |
| Standard | ~$29.99/month or ~$249.99/year |
|
| Premium | ~$42.99/month or ~$324.99/year | Everything in Standard, plus:
|
Even with the Sportsnet+ subscription, some NHL games may be blacked out if you are not within the team’s broadcast region. Although a premium subscription can help reduce these issues, some restrictions remain, depending on the game rights.
However, if you use the best VPN for streaming sports and connect to a server in a different region that's not affected by the local blackout, you can bypass the Sportsnet NHL blackout and enjoy your team’s play.
Conclusion
Like many streaming platforms, Sportsnet is region-locked. But with the right VPN, you can access Sportsnet in the US or anywhere else abroad. The key is choosing a VPN that works reliably with Sportsnet.
From my tests, the best option is NordVPN. It offers 300+ servers in Canada, making it easy to bypass geo-blocks. On top of that, you get lightning-fast speeds and advanced security features for a seamless streaming experience.
I say – don’t wait another minute, and try NordVPN using its free trial and a money-back guarantee
Frequently asked questions
You can’t watch Sportsnet in the US unless you have a VPN. Sportsnet is a Canadian streaming service that is unavailable outside the country due to limited distribution rights. However, with a VPN, you can gain a Canadian IP address and access Sportsnet from the US or elsewhere.
Using a VPN to access Sportsnet outside Canada isn’t supported by the streaming service. This means that Sportsnet might be actively blocking shared IP addresses. Therefore, you will need a powerful VPN service with many servers in Canada or dedicated IP rotation features.
Although Sportsnet is a paid streaming service, it has a 7-day free trial, which is available for first-time subscribers. If you’re outside Canada and want to access Sportsnet+ for free, you will also need a VPN with a free trial or a money-back guarantee, like NordVPN.