The Olympics started on 5th August 2016 and will run until the 21st August. Taking place in Rio, Brazil the games will see 207 nations taking part in a multitude of sports.
Many people around the world are excited at the prospect of the Olympic Games taking place in Brazil and will hope to tune in to watch the games.
Sadly the amount of action you get to watch will be largely dictated by what country you’re in as some will be showing more than others. While the BBC in the UK, CBC in Canada and other networks will be showing many of the events other networks and other countries will only be showing a few or none.
The great news is with a VPN you can tunnel into one of the countries showing all the events and watch online for free from anywhere in the world.
Finding the best VPN for the Olympics can be difficult because not all have servers in countries that are showing the games. Even some that do aren’t suitable because they’re just not fast enough.
Streaming video requires a good quality VPN service and some are just too slow which will leave you with buffering and stuttering totally ruining your enjoyment of watching the events.
I’ve been testing a selection of providers and rounded up my top 5 best VPN services to watch the Olympics anywhere in the world.
Let’s find out who the best are.
Best VPN for the Olympics
| RANK | PROVIDER | PRICE | COUNTRY LOCATIONS | SIMULTANEOUS CONNECTIONS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | $6.49 /mo | 61 | 5 | VISIT |
| 2 |  | $8.32 /mo | 78 | 3 | VISIT |
| 5 |  | $8.32 /mo | 48 | 2 | VISIT |
| 4 |  | $5.83 /mo | 21 | 2 | VISIT |
| 3 |  | $6.67 /mo | 70 | 2 - 5 | VISIT |
1. IPVanish
When it comes to watching the Olympic games online IPVanish is without a doubt the best VPN.
One of my favourite features of the service is they’re one of the fastest VPN providers I’ve tested beating almost every other provider out there in the speed stakes.
This means you’ll suffer no buffering or stuttering which is important when you’re watching live events and even if you’re watching on catch-up you don’t want to be plagued with breaks in the action caused by slow speeds.
There are numerous TV stations around the world showing the Olympics live online such as BBC in the UK and CBC in Canada. IPVanish make the best choice for a VPN service for the Olympics because they have servers in over 60 countries meaning you’ll be able to access all the major streaming services around the world.
With so many Olympic events it’s impossible for one TV network to show them all and some may be missed. If there is an event you want to see then just by changing servers you can access another country’s streaming service.
IPVanish is just $6.49 per month if you take an annual package so is competitive to the other options out there and with so much server choice and easy to use software for PC and Mac and apps for Android and iOS it makes them good value for money.
Best VPN for the Olympics
2. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN makes a very good second choice for a VPN for the Olympics so if you don’t wish to sign up to IPVanish then ExpressVPN are certainly worth a look.
They’re a little bit more expensive than IPVanish which is a negative aspect of the service costing $8.32 per month if you take an annual package but they do offer a very good service too.
In terms of countries available to connect to ExpressVPN are slightly bigger than most of the competition with 87 different available locations. However, for the Olympics, you’re unlikely to need such a wide choice but the option is there regardless.
Like IPVanish, easy to use software is available for Windows and Mac and apps for Android and iOS so you’re free to watch the Olympics on any device.
All the major countries are covered such as the UK, US, Canada and Australia so you’ll be able to access the major TV networks that are showing the games and from any country in the world.
I find ExpressVPN fast but not quite as fast as IPVanish. You certainly won’t have any trouble streaming with ExpressVPN but if you want to stream in ultra high quality then you may find IPVanish a little more advantageous.
3. Overplay
Overplay make a good third option for watching the Olympics from anywhere in the world.
If you want to watch on a PC or Mac then they’re ideal because they supply software for both systems. Unfortunately they don’t have apps for Android or iOS so if you want to watch on a mobile device then you’re best sticking with IPVanish.
If you do want to watch on a desktop system then you’ll be pleased with the speeds Overplay offer as in recent months they’ve been upgrading their network and now offer some of the fastest speeds available.
Overplay have access to over 40 different countries with all the major streaming nations covered so regardless of what network you want to access to watch the Olympics online then they’re sure to have you covered.
Like ExpressVPN they are more expensive than IPVanish but they do have the added bonus of a free SmartDNS feature. SmartDNS will allow you to stream content without speed loss so it’s worth considering for watching the Olympics especially if you’re somewhere more remote or with a bad internet connection.
4. StrongVPN
StrongVPN are another provider who has been improving their speeds lately which makes them a good option for watching the Olympics.
They offer software for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS which will allow you to stream the Olympics on any device. However, I do find their desktop software a little difficult to use and prefer the solutions from IPVanish or one of the other providers above.
StrongVPN has a smaller selection of countries to connect to with just 20 available. This does cover most of the major streaming nations such as the UK for BBC iPlayer, Canada for CBC, the US and others but it would be wise to check if the country you want to stream from is covered.
For example there are no Australian or New Zealand servers so if you want to stream the Olympics from a network in one of those countries you won’t be able to. However, you can still access other countries services.
Although StrongVPN doesn’t quite offer as much as the other providers you will be rewarded with a cheaper price so if they do offer what you need then you’ll only have to pay $5.83 per month when taking an annual package.
5. VyprVPN
VyprVPN round up my selection of VPN providers suitable to watch the Olympics and again they’re another provider who offer a good selection of worldwide servers allowing you to watch the Olympics from a range of different TV networks.
They offer servers in over 50 different countries with all the major nations covered that will stream the Olympics.
VyprVPN also has some really easy to use apps and software so if you’re new to VPN use and a little intimidated by all the technical terms then you need not worry. The software and apps can be used with just a few clicks leaving you free to watch the Olympics online without any hassle.
One of the best features of the service is that they offer a 3-day trial. You need to enter your payment details but if you don’t like the service you can simply cancel before the 3 days has passed and you won’t be charged. Unlike some companies VyprVPN actually honour this trial so there is nothing to worry about.
The service is a little pricey as the lowest package isn’t really suitable if you’re concerned about protecting your privacy and streaming the Olympics which means you’ll have to opt for the mid-tier package and at $8.33 per month when taking an annual package or $14.99 on a monthly basis they are one of the more expensive providers.
If you can ignore the higher price then the service is fast and reliable.
Summary: Best VPN for the Olympics
There is so much choice these days when it comes to choosing a VPN provider which can make things confusing.
After testing a range of providers the 5 above are my favourite choices to watch the Olympics online from any country in the world, however, my top choice is IPVanish.
They ultimately offer one of the best services with a range of countries available to connect to and some of the fastest speeds. Coupled with the fact they’re also one of the cheapest providers it makes sense to sign up to them to stream the Olympics.
There are plenty of networks around the world streaming the Olympics but some of the best to try are:
- UK – BBC iPlayer
- Australia – Seven
- USA – NBC
- Canada – CBC
To recap on the available options check out the table below. Simply click “Visit Site” to visit one of the providers.
| RANK | PROVIDER | PRICE | COUNTRY LOCATIONS | SIMULTANEOUS CONNECTIONS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | $6.49 /mo | 61 | 5 | VISIT |
| 2 | | $8.32 /mo | 78 | 3 | VISIT |
| 5 | | $8.32 /mo | 48 | 2 | VISIT |
| 4 | | $5.83 /mo | 21 | 2 | VISIT |
| 3 | | $6.67 /mo | 70 | 2 - 5 | VISIT |
