Consistently producing world-class content for absolutely free, The CW is something of an outlier in today's TV world where you seemingly need a paid subscription to watch just about anything. Below we'll be running down how to watch The CW from anywhere.
The CW has released its fall schedule and it looks like October and November are packed with the latest seasons of our favorite shows. All American will return to our screens when season 4 airs on October 25. The month after there's a double whammy, with season 8 of The Flash and season 6 of Riverdale airing on November 16.
While it's super simple to access The CW from the US, though, you might run into problems if you're outside the States – even if you regularly watch it back home. So, here we'll explain exactly how to watch The CW in the UK, Canada, and anywhere else in the world.
- Check out our rundown of the best streaming VPN services
- Here's how to watch Fox News live...
- ...and for overseas Brits, here's how to watch UK TV abroad
How to watch The CW in the US
If you're in the USA, it couldn't be easier to watch The CW.
Anyone with a computer or mobile device can access the network's wide free selection by heading over to The CW website, and simply choosing a show to watch. There's no sign-up, and no credit card payments to make.
On a mobile device, you might prefer to use The CW's app – but no matter which way you choose, it's simple and free.
If you want to watch The CW live on your TV, however, you may need to sign up to a streaming service. Our top choice would be Fubo.TV thanks to its great selection of other channels and keen pricing, but The CW is also carried by AT&T TV Now, YouTube TV, and Hulu with Live TV.
How to watch The CW in the UK, Canada, and anywhere else
ExpressVPN is our #1 recommendation for accessing The CW outside the US. 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 US.
Whether you're looking to watch the free content that's available to everyone currently in the US, or you're abroad and want to watch The CW live with your streaming service, unfortunately you'll find that access is blocked.
However, we've got a trick that'll let you watch The CW from absolutely anywhere.
The most efficient way to do this is to pick up the best VPN to change your location to the US. All you need to do is sign up to your chosen provider (we recommend ExpressVPN), connect to a US VPN server, and head to The CW's website. It really is as easy as that.
We recommend ExpressVPN thanks to the fact it's incredibly reliable for unblocking just about every streaming service, has tons of servers worldwide to ensure great speeds, and it's one of the most secure VPN services we've tested as well.
So, for example, if you want to watch The CW in the UK and want to stay up to date with your favorite shows, you'll find yourself blocked from accessing them. But by connecting to a US server with ExpressVPN, you can watch as if you were right back at home.
Plus, you can also watch The CW live when you're abroad by using a VPN with your streaming provider – the process is exactly the same as above.
How to sign up to The CW
If you're just after the free content, you don't have to sign up at all! For those in the US (or anyone using a VPN to appear to be), all you need to do is head over to the website and choose a show to watch.
If you want to watch The CW live, you'll need to sign up to a streaming provider. We recommend Fubo.TV, but you can also catch The CW live on AT&T TV Now, Hulu with Live TV, and YouTube TV.
How to watch The CW on Roku
Thankfully, The CW app on Roku is free, and allows you just the same access to the free content you'll find online. And, all the streaming providers mentioned above work great with Roku, too.
However, if you want to use a VPN to watch The CW on your Roku outside the US, 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 choice ExpressVPN makes it super easy with a dedicated router app and clear walkthroughs.
How to watch The CW on Fire TV stick
The CW has an app available on the Amazon Appstore, and all you need to do is download the app and start watching.
Plus, because the Fire Stick is Android based, it supports VPNs. If you want to watch The CW on Fire Stick outside the US, check out our guide to the best Fire Stick VPN services available.
Why should you use a CW VPN?
The first and most important reason to use a VPN with The CW is to get access to the content you pay for anywhere in the world. So, if you're in Canada, the UK, or anywhere else, you can connect to a US server and watch The CW 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 The CW 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 The CW in the UK, Canada, or anywhere else as well as keep your personal info safe, a private VPN is the perfect solution.
What is the best The CW VPN?
