Last Updated on September 7, 2023

MotD Free Streaming – Direct from the BBC

There are of course lots of ways to enjoy the Premiership coverage online irrespective of which country you are in.  Last year I watched the full show including the Manchester derby on Indian TV in a bar in Goa.  This was streamed live via a broadcaster called Star TV who at that time had rights to all Premier League matches. This worked great until they moved the show to their premium channel, however for most British Premiership fans there’s something more enjoyable about watching it with familiar commentators on Match of the Day from UK TV.   Unfortunately for most of these you have to be in the United Kingdom to watch, and Match of the Day (or MotD) is no exception.

So, although every episode of Match of the Day can be watched live and through their archive section, if you’re outside the United Kingdom then you can’t access it.  There was some talk that it would be made available throughout Europe through the EU’s digital marketplace initiatives but that’s unlikely to happen now because of Brexit.   Yet there’s no need to worry, you can enjoy Motd streaming on BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world pretty easily.

Every visitor to the BBC’s website has their IP address checked.  If it’s outside the United Kingdom, then it’s routed through to the international version of the site without all the TV and iPlayer links.  Even if you go directly to the streaming section of the site, none of the programs will play and you’ll be greeted with the message ‘not available outside the UK’.  This will happen on all the programs not just Match of the Day, which is further restricted mainly due to the licensing arrangements with the Premier League.

So, to enjoy all the Premier League action on Match of the Day anywhere then you need to be able to hide your IP address.  It’s this which is used to identify your location and blocks the MoTD BBC coverage and all the BBC match coverage.  You need to bypass this to watch Match of the Day online and any of the online UK TV content.

Fortunately, there is a workaround as you can see in the following section and video demonstration – we’re using NordVPN to access the site – latest Nord VPN discounts here.

How to Watch MotD Online Anywhere

As you can see when the site is first accessed, the non-UK IP address is easily detected. However, by using a connection to a VPN you can hide your real location. When connected the BBC will only see the address of the VPN server which as long as it’s located in the UK will grant full access.  It means you can actually watch BBC iPlayer from anywhere.

Watch MotD Online for Free

Many millions of people, use these VPN services to access all sorts of resources which are blocked by location. Virtually every major media site for example, uses this ‘geo-blocking’ technology to restrict access to certain locations. Mostly they restrict access to the domestic market although it’s likely this will increase to include different locations and even demographics.

I often get asked if using a VPN to watch things like Match of the Day online is legal? The simple fact is that you’re simply using a tool to provide some privacy to your internet connection.  Sure, this does allow you to watch MoTD and other BBC One shows, but there’s no laws against it.  The only proviso is that you’re technically breaching the BBC iPlayer terms of service.  However literally millions of people do it all over the world! A huge proportion of people who enjoy the full show and watch MoTD on a Saturday night are outside the United Kingdom.

There’s lots of these VPN services available if you want to join them.  However, the version demonstrated in the video above is called NordVPN and works as well as any of them.  You can also install it easily on all your devices, yes you can watch Match of the Day on your mobile phone too.   With the BBC iPlayer download feature, you can even store it to enjoy your favorite BBC match later.

They are always changing their special offers, but if you click the above logo, you’ll go to the latest best deal available.  You can literally install the software and be enjoying Match of the Day in a few minutes.  Although due to the restrictions in the Premier League die to the Corona virus, it’s often at different times if you want to enjoy it live.

Updated Questions – Watching Match of the Day Online

Here’s some of the additional questions, this page has received over the years.   Some of the information may be slightly duplicated but repeated for ease of access.

How to Watch Match of the Day in the US?

In exactly the same way as anywhere outside the UK.  You simply need a VPN or proxy to hide your real location and make it look like you’re in the UK.  You then need to create a BBC account, input a UK postcode (any valid one will do) and log on to the BBC iPlayer site.  You’ll be asked if you have a UK TV license (which you must say you have – there’s no check) then you can watch Match of the Day when it’s broadcast.  It’s not archived for long so make sure  you watch it quickly – usually the week of broadcast.

How to Watch MotD in Australia?

You’ll be blocked until you change your IP address from an Australian one to a British one.  Just sign in to your VPN service and then click on a UK server.  Then you can watch Match of the Day on Saturday night like everyone else.  You’ll need to create a BBC account while you’re VPN is connected just enter a valid UK postcode when prompted (anyone will do as long as it’s valid) and any email address.

The biggest challenge from users in Australia we’ve heard about it the internet speeds.  Routing all your traffic through to the UK and then to a BBC server and back will take up a little bandwidth and will reduce your overall connection speed a little. The minimum recommended speed for BBC iPlayer is 2Mbs for standard definition and 5Mbs for High definition.  When you use a VPN I suggest you’d double that to take into account the extra routing.

Streaming through a slow internet connection is  painful, although remember you can download programs to watch offline if you find you can’t stream MotD easily!