Watch French TV abroad live and in replay

Are you located outside the borders of France and you want to access your usual programs from the internet except that a blockage prevents you from doing so? If you have already found yourself in such a situation, know that there is a solution to resolve this problem which can be very annoying. It simply involves installing a VPN – an acronym meaning Virtual Private Network.

Before explaining to you how this software can save you and allow you to watch French television abroad, let's find out why French channels are inaccessible outside of France.

Why are French television channels blocked abroad?

Today, most free and pay television channels have their own online streaming platform: MyTF1, FranceTV, 6Play, myCanal, OCS Go, and many others. It's very practical for watching programs and broadcasts in replay and even live if you don't have access to TNT channels. However, this content is not accessible everywhere in the world. Except in France, it is impossible to view these channels without having a VPN.

The explanation is relatively simple. You should know that television channels are subject to broadcasting rights, that is to say, they must pay to be able to be broadcast on French territory. French channels that have not purchased the rights elsewhere than in mainland France cannot broadcast their content in foreign territories.

When we try to access a live French channel or a program in replay from abroad, we are then confronted with a message like “This video is not available in your geographic area“. This technology is called geo-blocking. Therefore, it is impossible to watch TF1, France 2, M6, TNT or pay channels such as OCS, RMS Sport and beIN SPORTS.

Therefore, we may wonder how the website manages to know our real location and if there is a way to hide it. Good news, the answer is yes!

How to unblock French TV channels?

If you can't watch French TV elsewhere than in France, it's because of geoblocking and your location which gives you away. Many methods have been put in place to determine the geographical position of Internet users, we speak of geolocation techniques. These are based on the IP address of the users as well as the traffic delivery time in order to estimate their geographic distance.

To be able to bypass this blockage and access French television channels (not all, but some), you will therefore have tohide your IP address and go further by changing it. This may seem impossible to you, but it is indeed possible.

To do this, you will need to install a VPN on your computer, tablet or smartphone. These applications make it very easy to hide your IP and change your location virtually by connecting to their network. Since the network of VPN providers covers many countries around the world, you will have no problem connecting to a French server.

Thanks to the VPN connection, your IP address will be hidden and a new one will be assigned to you. If you choose a server in France, you will benefit from a French IP. As a result, you will be located on French territory in the eyes of the internet and TV channel streaming platforms. This trick will work even if you wantinstall a VPN on your Smart TV!

To watch TV as if you were in France and access the many channels without being blocked, the most effective solution is to use a VPN.

That said, it's important to point out that not all VPNs are created equal when it comes to bypassing geo-restrictions. Some have slow and poorly performing servers detectable by websites while others simply do not offer servers in France. And in these situations, even with a VPN it would be impossible for you to view your programs correctly. It is therefore important not to take the choice of VPN lightly.

The best VPNs for watching French TV abroad

To help you choose an effective VPN capable of unblocking French television channels, we tested several and we selected the following three:

1. NordVPN, the best VPN to enjoy French TV outside France

Following numerous tests (in different countries around the world), we can say that NordVPN is the best VPN in 2024 when it comes to watching French TV channels from abroad. This is true for both live and replay content.

From its application, you will have access to a total of around 6,300 servers located in 111 countries. Obviously, France is present and you will have no less than 230 French servers at your disposal to simulate a location in France.

Although some VPNs can slow down your connection, NordVPN stands out for its efficiency, thanks to its NordLynx protocol. No matter where you are in the world, you'll benefit from excellent speeds.

With NordVPN, not only can you watch French TV abroad, but you also benefit from secure browsing thanks to end-to-end encryption of your traffic.

This provider is particularly useful even in the most censored countries in the world, a characteristic that is not true for 95% of its competitors. It can be used, for example, in China and the United Arab Emirates.

Regarding its application, as shown in the screenshot above, the interface is nice and easy to use. Additionally, the NordVPN app is compatible with many platforms. You can install it on devices running Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, as well as Apple TVs or Amazon Firesticks.

A NordVPN subscription allows you to install the app on ten devices and protect them simultaneously, ideal for equipping both your personal devices and those of your loved ones. Finally, every new subscription includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.

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2. ExpressVPN, excellent performance and servers in 105 countries

Thanks to a successful application and powerful servers, ExpressVPN has managed to rise amongthe fastest VPNs on the market in 2024. Of course, if we offer it to you, it's because it is perfect for unblocking French channels abroad.

Indeed, ExpressVPN has more than 3000 servers in 105 countries including several locations in France.

You will have no trouble connecting to it since its application gets to the point with the essential features. As soon as you connect to the French server, your source IP address will be masked and ExpressVPN will provide you with a new IP address in France. As a bonus, your connection will be secure since all your data will be encrypted.

In a few seconds, you will be able to access the platform of your choice and even the Molotov TV application which broadcasts all French channels live. If ExpressVPN is recommended for watching French television abroad, it is thanks to its servers which combine stability, power and speed, essential assets for this type of streaming activity.

Whether you are staying abroad for a short time or for several months, ExpressVPN will be able to accompany you on a daily basis because it is also able to bypass digital censorship. Its application is compatible with computers, tablets, smartphones and Smart TVs to allow you to watch French television on several media and unblock other websites.

Note that by subscribing to the ExpressVPN offer, you will have the right to connect up to five devices at the same time. To top it off, you can test its application for free for 30 days thanks to its unconditional money-back guarantee.

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3. CyberGhost, the benchmark VPN for streaming

CyberGhost is the VPN par excellence for streaming activities and, with its very good quality-price ratio, it constitutes a good alternative to ExpressVPN but also NordVPN.

CyberGhost VPN has the largest infrastructure to date: over 12,000 servers in 100 countries. It is thanks to its servers dedicated to streaming that it is recommended for viewing French broadcasts and programs outside the borders of France.

In the application interface, you will easily find these optimized servers in the “Streaming” tab. You will then find a selection of servers designed to unblock geo-blocked TV channels and radios.

CyberGhost has the advantage of providing fast throughput to its users. To do this, it relies on servers with unlimited bandwidth which allow you to watch French channels without limits.

The CyberGhost VPN will bring you many other advantages on a daily basis, starting with anonymous and secure browsing which can be interesting if you live abroad.

The provider also offers seven simultaneous connections from a single account and a 45-day money-back guarantee.

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Frequently asked questions

To properly conclude this article, here is a series of questions and answers about watching French TV channels from abroad.

How to watch French TV abroad without a VPN?

We are not going to beat around the bush, it is not possible. Indeed, the alternative to VPNs is proxies. Except that this is not a viable option for enjoying French TV channels from abroad. This may be suitable for accessing a blocked site, but it stops there.

Indeed, for everything related to streaming, proxies are unsuitable. The best thing is to use one of the VPNs presented in our article. If you only need it for 15 days or 3 weeks (for a vacation for example), know that they offer a money back guarantee of at least 30 days.

This allows you to take advantage of the service, then obtain a refund as soon as you are back in France (and therefore you no longer need a VPN to watch French TV channels live and in replay).

Is it possible to use a free VPN?

Just like proxies, free VPNs are not recommended in this specific case. There are several reasons for this. First of all, the performance offered is not good enough to watch content in HD (and without interruption). In addition, many of them do not offer servers in France.

But then what to do? The best thing to do is take advantage of the money-back guarantee offered by paid VPN providers (like NordVPN). In the case of NordVPN, this guarantee is valid for 30 days following any new subscription. Thanks to it, you will be able to access the content of French television channels from abroad. If the service does not meet your expectations, simply contact customer support just before the end of the 30-day warranty for a full refund.

And if you need a VPN for a longer period, it is possible to explore similar offers with other providers like ExpressVPN (30 days) or CyberGhost (up to 45 days).

What to do if your VPN can't unblock French TV channels?

Here are some ideas to explore: connect to another VPN server, change the protocol used, and clear the cache of your Internet browser. Also, don't hesitate to contact your VPN provider's customer support.