Many top-rated US shows are available in the UK through services like Netflix, Prime Video, and ITV, but those don't have everything. Popular US content is now available free through NBCUniversal's Peacock service, but unfortunately, Peacock is geo-blocked in the UK. That doesn't mean you're out of luck. You can watch Peacock in the UK with a VPN. Our top recommended VPN for Peacock is ExpressVPN.
Let's explore how a VPN like ExpressVPN works and how to get it working with Peacock in the UK.
ExpressVPN: The best VPN to watch Peacock in the UK
ExpressVPN is one of many VPN providers currently on the market, but it's also among the best you'll find. The service offers over 3,000 servers in 94 countries and 160 locations. That many locations, countries, and servers make ExpressVPN one of the most expansive VPN providers on the market for UK fans who want to stream Peacock and services geographically locked to the US.
That server variety becomes incredibly important when talking about geographic content blocking. Many streaming services (Peacock included) limit who can access their content based on location. They'll block anyone who attempts to access streams from unapproved IP addresses, which identify your geographic location. At present, Peacock employs very strict geographic content blocking, and few VPN providers can effectively bypass it.
We've found ExpressVPN easily gets past Peacock's geographic content blocking, allowing you to watch all of Peacock's free content.
How to watch Peacock in the UK
To watch Peacock in the UK, you'll need to do the following:
- Sign up for a VPN provider
- Download and install your VPN client
- Connect to a VPN server in the US
- Go to the Peacock website
- Create a free account
- Start watching Peacock for free
All of these steps are necessary to watch Peacock in the UK. Without a VPN, your free access to Peacock will be blocked from the outset.
Can I watch Peacock in the UK without a VPN?
The simple answer here is no. You cannot watch Peacock in the UK without a VPN. Unlike many other streaming services, Peacock completely blocks access to its website if you're trying to connect from a county outside of the US on an unsecured connection.
Need proof? Here's what happens what you'll see if you go to the Peacock website from the UK:
Source: Peacock
Here's what you'll see if you're connected to an ExpressVPN server in the US:
Source: NBC
An ExpressVPN connection to a US server completely bypasses Peacock's geographic content blocking. Once in, you can create a free account and stream away.
Is ExpressVPN legal?
Yes, it is! ExpressVPN and other VPNs like it are completely legal to use in the UK. Additionally, Peacock is a completely legal streaming service, as well. Services like Peacock employ geographic content blocking due to pre-existing content licensing agreements. These are contractual limitations on where they can offer the streaming content.
Core ExpressVPN benefits
- 30-day money-back guarantee. Your ExpressVPN service comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Once you sign up, you can use the service with no restrictions. If you find there's anything you don't like, you can request a full refund. ExpressVPN honors all refund requests within the first 30 days, no questions asked.
- Discounts and deals available. ExpressVPN offers three pricing tiers. You can sign up monthly, or with a 6-month or 12-month subscription plan. Signing up for the longer subscription options results in significant subscription discounts of up to 35% with the 12-month subscription option. Click here to find out more.
- 160 server locations in 94 countries. This VPN service offers over 3,000 fast, high-quality servers in 94 countries. You can choose between 160 server locations in some of the largest cities in the world. There are hundreds of servers and over a dozen server locations in the US alone.
- Strict no-logs policy. VPNs are all about anonymity. ExpressVPN offers a strict no-logs policy that's been means-tested and proven to be effective. Leave no trace behind when you connect through an ExpressVPN server. In a 2019 case, police found no usable data on an ExpressVPN server.
- Fast customer support. Sometimes, servers go down. And in the case of bypassing geographic content restrictions, you may find only certain servers work. ExpressVPN offers fast chat support that will get you up and running in just minutes.
- Simultaneous device streaming. You and all of your family or flatmates can watch Peacock and other US streaming services at the same time. You can run ExpressVPN on up to 5 devices at once.
ExpressVPN works perfectly to unblock Peacock in the UK. However, you can use ExpressVPN to bypass other US-based stream services, like CBS All Access, Tubi TV, and Hulu. You can also use it to access content from the American Netflix library.
How to get Peacock in the UK with ExpressVPN
You can sign up for ExpressVPN and start streaming Peacock in minutes. Here's a step-by-step process to help you get started.
Step 1: Sign up for ExpressVPN
First, sign up for your new ExpressVPN account. You can sign up with the monthly subscription option. If you want a 35% discount on your service, opt for the 12-month subscription plan. The reduced price means you'll get 3 months free with your subscription.
Source: ExpressVPN
Step 2: Download and install the ExpressVPN client
Now that you've signed up for an account, you'll need to download and install your ExpressVPN client. First, go to your email and click on the confirmation link. In your account settings, select the ExpressVPN app for the device you want to use to stream Peacock's TV shows and movies.
There are ExpressVPN apps for:
- Windows
- Mac
- Linux
- Chromebook
- iPhone, iPad, iPod
- Android
- Amazon Fire TV Kindle Fire
- Apple TV
- Xbox
- PlayStation
- Some smart home devices
- MediaStreamer
- Firefox
- Google Chrome
- Routers
If you're looking for a device that's not listed here, ExpressVPN may still work. There are manual setup instructions available for some devices that don't have a ready-made client.
Step 3: Activate your client
The next step is to activate your ExpressVPN client. Once you've installed the client, you'll be asked to insert the activation code. The activation code is available in your account settings from the ExpressVPN website. Just click to copy it, then paste it into the activation code box.
Once activated, you'll be ready to connect to a server.
The ExpressVPN interface should be similar across most devices.
Step 4: Connect to a US server
With ExpressVPN installed and activated, you can now connect to a US-based server. Do the following:
- Find and click on the "Smart Locations" button. Type in "United States".
Source: Flixed.io
- Click on the arrow to the left of the country name to get an expanded list of server locations within the US. At present, any US server should bypass Peacock's geographic content blocking. However, this may change in the future, or you might need to connect to a different US server for better speed.
- If your connection attempt is successful, the main button on the ExpressVPN client will have a green outline and say "VPN is ON".
Source: Flixed.io
Once you've connected to the US server of your choice, you're ready to watch Peacock in the UK! Just head over to Peacock, create a new (and free) account, then start streaming.
How to sign up for Peacock in the UK
You cannot sign up for Peacock in the UK unless you have a US-based IP address. Once you connect to an ExpressVPN server in the US, you'll be assigned a US-based IP address. Peacock's website will determine you are in the US and let you right in.
Once you're connected to an ExpressVPN server in the US and you've loaded up Peacock, do the following:
- Click on the link that says "Start Watching Now"
- Enter your email address and a password for your new Peacock account
- Click "Create Account".
That's it! You're ready to watch Peacock in the UK completely for free. Just click on "Start Watching".
Still getting a blocked message when you try to stream?
ExpressVPN optimizes certain servers to work for Peacock TV. If you find the server you're on doesn't work, contact ExpressVPN chat support to determine which servers are currently working to bypass Peacock TV's content blocking.
Can I access the full Peacock library in the UK?
Peacock has multiple tiers. The free tier gives you thousands of hours of ad-supported content. The paid tiers will unlock all of the content. Depending on the tier, that content will either be ad-supported or completely without ads.
Unless you have a US payment method available, you won't be able to sign up for any of the paid streaming tiers.
Still, the free option is fairly packed full of content. You can still get live TV streaming, on-demand streaming of NBCUniversal's content, and even some live sports.
Peacock TV guide: What's on Peacock?
Peacock offers 24/7 live TV channels that you can view at any time with your VPN. We recommend you pair your Peacock viewing with our free Peacock TV guide. The TV guide takes a more minimalist approach compared to Peacock's built-in guide and lets you view upcoming or current live broadcasts by adjusting for time and date. Broadcasts are also color-coded for sports, TV shows, and movies.
Peacock features and content
Source: Peacock
Peacock is a direct competitor to the popular streaming service CBS All Access. Given that competitive factor, Peacock attempted to match the most popular CBS All Access features, and add in others that CBS All Access doesn't offer.
Here are several amazing features you'll find with Peacock.
A free subscription plan
You can't go wrong with free. But it's not just that Peacock provides a free tier. They also don't require you to input any payment information to sign up for the free streaming option. And despite being free, the free plan also has a ton of content available.
Popular and iconic shows
NBCUniversal owns a significantly large amount of content. That results in a large library of well-known and culture-defining shows. In the near future, Peacock will be the new home for The Office in the US. It's also the new home for Friends and the Law and Order series of TV shows.
Live news
Unlike Paramount+, Peacock offers a wide selection of topical live TV options, under its "Channels" section. You'll find a mix of 24-hour channels for individual shows or genres, such as NBC News, CNBC, Sky News, reality TV, and more.
Sports
NBC offers live sports. The free tier will have a limited number of full live sports, but you'll still find a good amount of other sports-related content. Watch on-demand replays for major leagues, and sports documentaries that you won't find anywhere else
Related: Peacock Review in 2023 – A Worthy Competitor in a Crowded Space
Why does Peacock block UK viewers?
NBCUnviersal's content is available not just in the US, but in many different countries worldwide. Peacock is fairly new, but much of the content it offers is already available through other streaming services. Those licensing agreements likely prevent NBCUniversal from competing against the services that have licensed that content, making it difficult for Peacock to offer its service in other countries at this time.
Much like with The Office and Friends, it's possible that NBCUniversal will eventually pull most of its content back to its own streaming service. After that happens, it may start offering Peacock in the UK and other countries.
How does Peacock block UK viewers?
Streaming services like Peacock block different regions by detecting each user's IP address. An IP address works like a physical address on the web. Every country has unique IP addresses that indicate a physical location. When you connect to a website, your IP address will tell that website roughly where you are coming from. All a website has to do is block all IP addresses for different regions.
Geographic content blocking is not new or uncommon. Most streaming services do it. Netflix, for example, will serve up different libraries of content based on your IP address. A VPN will assign you an IP address based on where the VPN server is located. And some top-tier VPN providers, like ExpressVPN, also employ additional technology that will hide the fact that you're using a VPN to help evade VPN blockers.
Can Peacock block VPNs?
Peacock can easily block some VPN providers. Free VPNs, for example, usually do not employ the type of technology needed to avoid being detected. Many other VPN providers simply don't have enough VPN servers or use different types of technology that make it far easier to block their VPN connections.
If you plan to watch Peacock in the UK, avoid free VPNs and VPNs that have a very limited capacity. Instead, opt for a VPN provider that offers proven bypass methods for Peacock and other streaming services.
Sam Cook • Author
Sam Cook is a full-time content strategist by day, a part-time freelance content writer since 2015. In another life, he was a high school English teacher for nearly a decade. Based in sunny New Orleans, he writes long-form educational content on technology, including Insurtech, Fintech, HRtech, and content streaming.
Lisa Holden • Editor
Lisa Holden is an editor and creative based in Houston, TX. Lisa holds a BA in African-American Studies from Temple University and has spent her career working in news publications and magazines, even founding a magazine herself. She began working as an editor for Flixed in 2023. When she’s not editing or working on one of her many creative endeavors (whenever that is), she enjoys traveling to new places and biking on sunny days.