How to Watch BBC iPlayer on Apple TV [Easy Guide]

If you want to know how to watch BBC iPlayer on your Apple TV, you’ll need to take a slightly different approach than you would with other devices. Apple TV does not support VPNs, which are typically used to access iPlayer content from outside the UK.

Now the question arises, ‘can I get BBC iPlayer on Apple TV?” Yes! Fortunately, a little workaround will allow you to watch BBC iPlayer on Apple TV.

You just need to install the VPN on your router and encrypt all the traffic going to and from your connected devices, including Apple TV. This means you’ll be able to access BBC iPlayer content in the USA, even though Apple TV doesn’t have a VPN client.

Best VPNs for BBC iPlayer on Apple TV [In-Depth Analysis]

The VPN market is flooded with hundreds of providers today. There are only a few VPN services that are capable of bypassing BBC iPlayer’s firewall. Below are the 3 best services for unblocking BBC iPlayer based on the following criteria:

• Several UK servers, so you can easily get a UK IP address.
• The fastest speeds for seamless streaming.
• Supports BBC iPlayer.
• Simultaneous connections.

1. ExpressVPN – Best VPN for BBC iPlayer on Apple TV

ExpressVPN is overall the best  VPN for BBC iPlayer. It has a network of 3000+ servers in 94 countries and 160 locations, and around 5 server locations in the UK. ExpressVPN is based in the British Virgin Islands, where data privacy laws are powerful and no data retention laws exist.

According to our experience, ExpressVPN performs pretty well, as we didn’t have any buffering or lagging issues while streaming videos on BBC iPlayer. You can also use the MediaStreamer feature of ExpressVPN to unblock BBC iPlayer on devices that don’t support VPNs, such as Apple TV.

While testing the unblocking capabilities of ExpressVPN, we did not only manage to unblock BBC iPlayer, but we were also able to access other popular streaming services like Hulu and Amazon Prime Video, and we also tried streaming Netflix with ExpressVPN, Yes! it went great without any problems.

ExpressVPN is extremely fast. In fact, during ExperssVPN speed testing, it delivered a downloading speed of 89.42 Mbps and 84.64 Mbps uploading speed. With zero throttling and no in-stream ads, you will get the maximum speeds for watching BBC iPlayer in HD quality on AppleTV.

These speed results are enough to stream videos in high resolution.

ExpressVPN is compatible with all major platforms, including Linux, Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, routers, and more. You can use it on up to 5 devices simultaneously with a single account. Using the MediaStreamer feature, setting up ExpressVPN on Apple TV was pretty easy; this is why it is the best Apple TV VPN.

Using AES-256-bit encryption by default, ExpressVPN is highly secure. A kill switch prevents data leaks when the VPN connection is lost, as well as DNS/IPv6 leak protection and a strict no-logs policy.

You can get ExpressVPN for only $6.67/mo (Save 49% and get 3 extra months FREE with 12-month plan) monthly on a yearly plan with a 30-day money-back guarantee. While testing the ExpressVPN, we also talked with customer support which is available 24/7, and we were highly satisfied with the professionalism of the support staff.

For more information, check out our comprehensive ExpressVPN review.

2. Surfshark – Budget-friendly VPN for BBC iPlayer on Apple TV

Surshark is the most budget-friendly VPN for BBC iPlayer on Apple TV, with prices starting from $2.49/mo . It is based in the Netherlands, where the data retention laws are not very strict. Surfshark has 3200+ servers in 100 different countries, some of which are located in 4 cities in the UK.

When we personally tested Surfshark VPN’s speed with BBC iPlayer, we found it to be very fast and efficient. We did not face any sort of high latency or buffering issues with no in-stream ads. Surfshark gave us a downloading speed of 81.32 Mbps and an uploading speed of 76.12 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

We achieved more or less the same speed results with all of its US servers.

Surfshark offers user-friendly apps for multiple operating systems and devices, including iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and Linux. This also allows you to install Surfshark on Apple TV and other streaming devices using the Smart DNS feature. You can use it on an unlimited number of devices with a single account which makes it ideal for large families or office use.

The security offered by Surfshark is decent since it uses AES-256-bit encryption and has features such as DNS/IPv6 leak protection, kill switch, and strict no-logging policies. With the camouflage mode feature, Surfshark makes it harder for your ISP to detect that you are using a VPN. This is very helpful if you live in a country with strict internet regulations.

You can get Surfshark for only $2.49/mo (Save 81% on 2 Years Plan) with a 30-day money-back guarantee to ensure you’re satisfied with the service. While configuring the DNS on our Apple TV, we contacted customer support, and they were very helpful in resolving our queries.

To learn more about this affordable VPN, check out our thorough Surfshark review.

3. NordVPN – Largest server network for BBC iPlayer on Apple TV

NordVPN is one of the largest server networks with 5500 servers in 100 countries, and 440+ servers are located in the UK. NordVPN is based in Panama, where the data retention laws are not very strict, so your data remains safe.

When we connected NordVPN to BBC iPlayer, the streaming service was unblocked instantly. Once accessed, we could stream all our favorite movies and TV shows without any buffering and in-stream ads.

Besides BBC iPlayer, you can also unblock other geo-restricted streaming services like Crackle, Pandora, and Netflix with NordVPN.

Due to its Nordlynx protocol, NordVPN offers the fastest speeds among all VPNs. With its streaming servers, you can enjoy HD playback for a perfect streaming experience. As per NordVPN’s speed test results, it delivered 83.82 Mbps download speed and 44.64 uploading speed on a 100 Mbps connection which is excellent.

NordVPN proved to be a true streaming VPN by delivering fast-speed results during our test.

NordVPN is compatible with all major platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. For streaming devices that are not compatible with VPNs, NordVPN has a SmartPlay feature, so you can set up NordVPN on Apple TV without any complications. NordVPN allows you to connect six devices simultaneously with one account to use it on all your devices.

NordVPN uses the most advanced security features to protect your data. NordVPN uses AES-256-bit encryption with a 2048-bit key and offers features like DNS/IPv6 leak protection, and NordVPN’s no-logging policy prevents user data collected by the VPN.

Furthermore, NordVPN provides a kill switch that instantly halts all internet activity if the VPN connection is lost for any reason. This ensures that your data remains safe and is not exposed to any potential threats.

You can get NordVPN for only $3.99/mo (Save 70% on 2 Years Plan + Extra Subscription) a month, one of the market’s most affordable plans. NordVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee to use it risk-free.

The 24/7  live professional support is available through live chat and email. The customer support is very helpful, and they resolved all our queries instantly. If you want to learn more about this VPN provider, check out our thorough NordVPN review.

Which Apple TV devices are certified for BBC iPlayer?

Only 4th generation Apple TV devices are certified for BBC iPlayer. Other devices are not certified because they have not either reached the benchmark required for a good BBC player experience or have not been submitted for certification.

FAQs – BBC iPlayer on Apple TV

Conclusion

Now that you know how to watch BBC iPlayer on Apple TV, you just need a VPN with having smart DNS  feature to enjoy watching BBC iPlayer on Apple TV. If you are still confused about which VPN service to choose, we recommend ExpressVPN as one of the best VPNs for Apple TV in the market. It also offers a kill switch, a strict no-logging policy, and military-grade encryption.

You can get its 2-year plan for only $6.67/mo (Save 49% and get 3 extra months FREE with 12-month plan), offering a 30-day money-back guarantee.