topic Re: Accessing Sky+ outside the UK in What's On

Accessing Sky+ outside the UK

JorjK — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 15:52:40 GMT

We are about to spend three weeks in La Gomera (Canary Isles) and we won't be able to watch any of our programmes, especially Sky Sports. There was a time when we could use a VPN in order to appear to be in the UK, but Sky and other streamers are wise to that now. However, we have paid a subscription and if I wanted to read a Kindle book in La Gomera it wouldn't suddenly say, "Sorry, you can't read me, you're outside the UK." I would understand if it was a physical object on which we have to pay a tariff, but this is an ephemeral electronic service. So two questions:
"What is the justification for denying service outside the UK" and
"Is there a way of accessing say Sky Sports outside the UK?"

Thank you in advance
JorjK

Re: Accessing Sky+ outside the UK

GD1 — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 15:55:05 GMT

@JorjK SKy TV services can't be used/purchased outside the UK due to rights.

Re: Accessing Sky+ outside the UK

Annie+UK — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:07:33 GMT

Sky have to pay a license for their content and it would cost vastly more money for a worldwide license than a UK only one, and I for one would not like the huge increase in subscription costs

There is no way to circumvent the terms & conditions to watch outside the UK unless your a ROI customer and IMO it is rather daft asking this on Skys own official forum 😞

Comparing a TV service to a digital book is also not like for like

Re: Accessing Sky+ outside the UK

oj01 — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:14:20 GMT

@JorjK wrote:
We are about to spend three weeks in La Gomera (Canary Isles) and we won't be able to watch any of our programmes, especially Sky Sports. There was a time when we could use a VPN in order to appear to be in the UK, but Sky and other streamers are wise to that now. However, we have paid a subscription and if I wanted to read a Kindle book in La Gomera it wouldn't suddenly say, "Sorry, you can't read me, you're outside the UK." I would understand if it was a physical object on which we have to pay a tariff, but this is an ephemeral electronic service. So two questions:
"What is the justification for denying service outside the UK" and
"Is there a way of accessing say Sky Sports outside the UK?"
Thank you in advance
JorjK

Don't know about La Gomera specifically, but my parents spend a couple of months a year in Tenerife. They often find that the TV in their apartment has Sky Sports (and other channels) and certainly many of the bars show Sky Sports.

Re: Accessing Sky+ outside the UK

TimmyBGood — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:58:35 GMT

@JorjK wrote:

So two questions:

"What is the justification for denying service outside the UK"

It's complicated . Essentially, rights owners licence their content to Sky itself or other channels available through the Sky platforms on the understanding that access is geographically restricted because that means they can sell the same content to other distributors elsewhere. Citizens of EU nations enjoy a limited exemption to this restriction but that ended for UK subscription services with Brexit.

An ebook is not usually distributed with its author having an expectation of geographic exclusivity.

"Is there a way of accessing say Sky Sports outside the UK?"

Not legitimately, no. As noted above, inhabitants and businesses in countries within the footprint of the Astra 28.2E cluster may choose to make arrangements contrary to Sky T&C's (and use really big dishes)

Re: Accessing Sky+ outside the UK

BenJoBanjo — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:50:57 GMT

@JorjK

Might I recommend turning the TV off and enjoying the sights and sounds of La Gomera instead?

Re: Accessing Sky+ outside the UK

JorjK — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 21:08:05 GMT

That's an excellent suggestion!

We want to watch two Brighton Hove Albion matches, that's all.

A previous post suggested the place we are staying may offer Sky Sports so we'll hope for that

Re: Accessing Sky+ outside the UK

Marlu-Nyu — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 21:31:18 GMT

@JorjK wrote:
We are about to spend three weeks in La Gomera (Canary Isles) and we won't be able to watch any of our programmes, especially Sky Sports. There was a time when we could use a VPN in order to appear to be in the UK, but Sky and other streamers are wise to that now. However, we have paid a subscription and if I wanted to read a Kindle book in La Gomera it wouldn't suddenly say, "Sorry, you can't read me, you're outside the UK." I would understand if it was a physical object on which we have to pay a tariff, but this is an ephemeral electronic service. So two questions:
"What is the justification for denying service outside the UK" and
"Is there a way of accessing say Sky Sports outside the UK?"
Thank you in advance
JorjK

I've copied my reply from another discussion: https://helpforum.sky.com/t5/What-s-On/Accessing-Netflix-while-on-holiday/m-p/5072782#M158915

[...]

Have a look at the below for more info::
https://www.sky.com/help/articles/viewing-sky-content-in-the-eu-faqs
(Note, link may bring you to your home country's Sky site and may have different information for the UK and for Ireland)

As I'm in Ireland, the link says I can watch Sky in the following countries:

Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Republic of Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France, including French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion and Saint Martin.
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal, including the Azores and Madeira.
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain, including the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands.
Sweden

However, it says I cannot watch Sky in the UK as the UK is outside of the EU.

At the link above, one can click the flag on the bottom right of the page to change country information.

The UK version of the page says:
"You can still use Sky Go in the UK, just like you do now.
You’re not entitled to access streamed content outside the UK through Sky Go, Sky Sports, and Sky Kids, but some of our apps will let you download and save shows over WiFi before you leave home so you can watch them offline when abroad.

This is because there are certain EU rules which mean people in the EU can use online content services across all EU countries. As the UK is no longer part of the EU, we are not able to provide this service in the same way.

This affects lots of online videos, music, and entertainment services, not just Sky.
[...]

There are certain EU rules which mean people in the EU can use online content services across all EU countries. As the UK is no longer part of the EU, we are not able to provide this service in the same way.

This affects lots of online videos, music, and entertainment services, not just Sky."

Also, a lot of streaming services now block disallow IPs from VPNs, e.g. BBC, ITV, STV, etc., so it's unlikely to work for Sky.

~~

TLDR:
If one is in Ireland, one is permittied to watch Sky in the EU (not in the UK though).
If one is in the UK, one is not permitted to watch Sky in the EU or outside the UK.

Re: Accessing Sky+ outside the UK

Norn_iron_man — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:56:56 GMT

What don't understand is if Sky own the rights in both UK and EU then what harm is it if they allow a UK subscriber the ability to watch the same content in EU? They aren't breaching any licence someone else has paid for.

Re: Accessing Sky+ outside the UK

TimmyBGood — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 21:42:01 GMT

@Norn_iron_man

The EU regulation (2017/1128) on cross border portability of online content services means platforms don't need to have cross-EU rights: having distribution rights in any one EU country creates an automatic time-limited exemption to the content owner being able to deny access by a subscriber temporarily located in any other EU nation while using the distributors mobile platform.

It's this rather clever mechanism which no longer applies to UK subscriptions, because apparently it was undemocratic meddling in domestic affairs...