I recently moved to the United States from England and miss some of my UK Netflix programs. My brother told me about a new special on Tesco, for example, but I can’t find it on Netflix. Is there a way to watch Netflix content that isn’t available in my own region?
Most subscribers don’t realize that the content they see on streaming channels is based on their location. This is true for any multi-national channel too, though some make it more obvious than others. Netflix has a global presence, so its regional offerings are quite different from Germany to India, Japan to the USA, though probably 90% is the same throughout (particularly its own programming and content: You can watch Netflix movies like Atlas (starring Jennifer Lopez) anywhere!
But there are also a lot of programs that are regional, as you’re discovering. Sometimes it’s related to contracts and rights that Netflix buys from the owner (for example, its release of Godzilla Minus One is quite likely available in some regions, but not others) but other times I think it’s just a question of whether the company thinks people will be interested in it. The new Tesco documentary 24 Hours In Tesco is a great example; Americans don’t even know what Tesco is, whereas everyone in the UK is quite familiar with the shopping giant.
Fortunately, there are ways you can watch out-of-region programming. The first way is to check JustWatch to see if it’s available through another channel or stream but failing that, turns out you can use some Virtual Private Network (VPN) services to spoof your location and “trick” Netflix into believing you’re in the UK, Germany, even Australia!
The VPN that I’ve been using for quite a while now with great success is ExpressVPN. It’s also excellent for privacy and a must-use any time you’re on a public wifi network to ensure your data security. It allows you access to servers in a staggering 105 countries too, so you can really go to town with it if you want to! Here’s a download link if you want to try the demo: Download ExpressVPN. [aff link]
With that installed on your computer, here’s how things go…
NETFLIX FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
I’m based in Colorado, USA, so it’s no surprise that when I open up Netflix on my computer, it shows me the US market’s content, which has zero hits for the search term “tesco”:
What’s interesting is that the “more to explore” actually lists “24 Hours in Tesco”, but it doesn’t show up, even if I click on that link.
Going to the home page (“Home” on the top bar) and scrolling down reveals why with the label for the top-ten list:
Top 10 Movies in the U.S. Today. Okay, so it’s showing content for the USA. Since I am also in America, it’s entirely reasonable.
FIRE UP EXPRESSVPN AND CHOOSE THE UK
When I launch ExpressVPN it offers over 100 different countries. On my shortlist is the United Kingdom:
You know your UK geography, I’m sure, so you know that Docklands is in London. ExpressVPN offers a few other places in the UK, but this works just fine. I’ll choose it and after maybe 2-3 seconds I’m reconnected with a different IP address that geolocates me in London!
NETFLIX: UK STYLE
A refresh of the Home page and check out the top ten:
Top movies in the U.K. means it’s working just fine. How about that search for “tesco”?
That entire top row of results is new when the results are compared to the previous search, but most important, the first match is 24 Hours in Tesco. A click and…
Since I was curious about the powerhouse that is Tesco I watched the documentary. Interesting, if very light and superficial. Almost an advert for Tesco, really, but still, I know more about the company than before I watched the docu.
Done with your UK viewing? You can switch ExpressVPN to a US-based location (there are dozens upon dozens of them from which to choose) or you can just shut it back down, as desired. But while we’re spoofing locations…
TOP NETFLIX CONTENT AROUND THE WORLD
Why not look at the top programs on Netflix in a few other regions too?
Completely different to US viewing in Australia. How about Germany?
Looks like Germany and the US are enjoying Colors of Evil: Red, but otherwise it too is completely different.
and, finally:
It’s not until you get to #5 for Italy that you find something different (and in Italian).
Now, a few disclaimers: This is not endorsed by Netflix. You experiment with geolocation spoofing at your own risk. Netflix also has out-of-house limitations on streaming that could be triggered if you keep bouncing back and forth. However, in the case of a documentary about an English supermarket, it’s hard to understand why we Americans can see it show up in the suggested results for our search but not actually view it.
Good luck and enjoy your nostalgic memories of Tesco as you explore this ExpressVPN-based solution!
Pro Tip: I’ve written quite a bit about how to work with Netflix and make it work for you. Please check out my Netflix help area for more useful guides so you too can enjoy this popular streaming service.
Dave, I found your article on Netflix using a VPN most interesting. I use a VPN, which can sometimes use a random server, world wide. When it uses a server in the Netherlands, I end up receiving ads in Dutch.
Ken Stephens
Augusta, GA
PS We will be coming to Parker, CO, south of Denver, later this month. What sort of weather do you expect in the area in late June?
Yep, those Dutch ads are how you know the VPN is working!
In terms of Parker weather in late June, here’s a link to check out: https://www.wunderground.com/history