If you're looking for top-flight reality shows, some of the world's most famous soap operas or a ton of quality British drama, you may well be wondering how to watch ITV live.
Unlike the BBC, ITV is ad-supported, and is home to blockbuster reality series Love Island and TOWIE, along with the longest-running soap in the world, Coronation Street. You'll also get comprehensive regional and local news coverage, and plenty of sport, like the Tour de France and Six Nations rugby.
However, while it's very easy to watch ITV live in the UK, you might run into problems if you're outside the country – even if you live in the UK and pay for your TV licence. So, here we'll explain exactly how to watch ITV live, anywhere in the world.
- Check out our rundown of the best streaming VPN services
- Catch ad-free TV for free: How to watch BBC live anywhere
- For something a bit different, here's how to watch CNN live anywhere
How to watch ITV live in the UK
If you're in the UK, it couldn't be easier to watch ITV live.
If you've got a TV, PC, mobile device or streaming device, you'll be able to get access to every live broadcast from ITV. On your TV, all you need to do is switch over to the correct channel. On PCs you can head over to the recently rebranded ITV website and stream live through ITVX. You can do the same on mobile devices, but the app is better optimised for touchscreens.
Remember, though, while ITV is ad-supported and doesn't technically have a subscription price, anyone who uses the service to watch live TV is obliged to pay the UK's TV licence fee.
How to watch ITV live abroad
ExpressVPN is our #1 recommendation for accessing ITV outside the UK. With excellent speeds, unrivalled location spoofing power and easy-to-use apps, it's the perfect choice. Plus, Tom's Guide readers can now claim three months free on any 12-month plan.
Things are a little different when you're outside the UK.
Those not in the UK will find that all of ITV's streaming content is unavailable. This is thanks to distribution rights and the aforementioned TV licence fee. However, if you're out of the country there's a nifty trick you can use to get around this.
If you sign up for the best VPN, you'll be able to change your location to the UK and trick the ITV website into thinking that you're in the country. Our top UK VPN is ExpressVPN thanks to its powerful apps, excellent unblocking power, and comprehensive 30-day money-back guarantee.
So, for example, if you're in Europe visiting family or for work, you won't be able to watch ITV live, even though you've paid your TV licence. But, by using ExpressVPN you can select a UK server and virtually relocate.
How to watch ITV live outside the UK
The process is super simple, and can be done in three easy steps:
1: Sign up to a quality VPN – we recommend ExpressVPN.
2: Connect to a suitable server – for ITV, a UK server will do the trick. Just open up the list of locations and click to connect.
3: Head over to the ITV website – Find the show you want to watch. Make sure you're logged in – details below if you haven't got an account – and enjoy!
How to sign up to ITV
On your TV, you don't need to sign up or input any information. However, if you've never used ITVX before, you'll need to make a free account to watch on your PC or mobile.
All you need to submit is a date of birth, an email address, and a UK postcode (for example, SW1A 1AA).
You'll be asked to verify your email address before you watch anything online.
From there, all you need to do is either click 'Watch Live' to watch ITV live, or pick something to stream on-demand.
How to sign up to ITV outside the UK
Without a VPN you won't be able to sign up or watch anything from ITV if you're outside the UK.
If you want to get access, all you need to do is sign up to a service like ExpressVPN, change your location to the UK, and head over to the ITV website as usual. Then sign up as outlined above with a date of birth, email and postcode, and get watching.
Seeing as there's no payment necessary to watch ITV, anyone from anywhere can sign up and sign in if they've used a VPN to spoof their location.
How to watch ITV live on Roku
If you're a Roku user, it's super simple to get set up with ITVX. All you need to do is download the ITVX channel, sign in with your free account and get watching.
However, if you want to use a VPN to watch ITV on your Roku outside the UK, you'll have to install a router VPN. This is because Roku devices don't support VPNs themselves. It's a little more complicated than on a desktop or smartphone, but our top choices Surfshark and ExpressVPN make it super easy with simple set-ups and clear walkthroughs.
You can also set up a virtual router if you fancy a less permanent solution – all you need to do is follow our guide on how to set up a virtual router.
How to watch ITV live on Fire TV stick
ITVX is available on the Amazon Appstore, and all you need to do is download the app and sign in with your relevant credentials.
Plus, because the Fire Stick is Android based, it supports VPNs. If you want to watch ITV on Fire Stick outside the UK, check out our guide to the best VPNs for Fire Stick.
Why should you use a VPN to watch ITV live?
The first and most important reason to use a VPN with ITV is to get access to free content including tons of Euro 2020 matches, anywhere in the world. So, if you're in Canada, the US, or anywhere else, you can connect to a UK server and log in to ITV as if you were in your living room.
There's more to it than that, though. If you have a good Internet connection but still find that ITV is buffering or playing at a low quality, it could be because you're being subjected to network throttling.
This happens when your ISP detects high-bandwidth usage of your connection and intentionally slows you down to make sure everyone gets a similar speed. High-bandwidth uses include torrenting, gaming, and, of course, streaming HD content.
A VPN anonymizes what you're using your connection for, which means your provider can't tell you're streaming. Subsequently, it can't choose to slow down your connection.
Plus, a VPN gives unrivalled privacy and security for any kind of browsing, so if you want to watch ITV live abroad as well as keep your personal info safe, a secure VPN is the perfect solution.
What is the best VPN for the ITV?
