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How to watch American TV in France



The large American Networks FOX, NBC, ABC and CBS allow you to watch shows free on their web sites, but only if you are in the US.  If you try to watch from France, a message will pop-up saying “you are outside the viewing area”.   There are a few ways to get around this.


Disguising your IP Address


I use a software product called “Private Proxy” which changes my IP address to make it appear that I’m in the US, and therefore, I never have a problem watching the shows directly on the Networks’ web sites. 

Private Proxy works on a subscription basis with fees ranging from $9.95 a month or $24.95 a quarter depending on which subscription option you chose. There is a free 7 day trial so you can always try it out. It's easy to cancel your subscription.

Private Proxy can also disguise your IP address for online shopping. I found it difficult to buy gifts for family in the US using my US credit cards (because the site saw the orders coming from France).  Private Proxy solves this problem.

For more information visit  Anonymous Surfing with Private Proxy

If you wish to watch British TV then you will need to have a UK IP address can access one for £5 per month. Go to www.my-expat-network.co.uk

The program is really easy to download and if you have problems, the help desk is excellent.


Watching Shows through Third Party Websites


Before using Private Proxy I found a few free ways to watch American TV shows over the Internet, but beware because there are also a large number of scam sights and it’s very easy to pick up viruses.   My general rule is “never download anything or fill-out any surveys” on these sites.

My favorite free site is www.ch131.com .  You can generally find a good number of shows and even some movies.  There is nothing to download but some of the shows do prompt a gambling site or some other ad to open in a second window on your computer. Some shows are very slow to load, and it’s really not suitable for children as inappropriate ads can pop up randomly.

www.youtube.com is another option for free viewing .  The problem with youtube is that a  one hour TV shows is broken into about 6 different parts which makes viewing a little annoying especially when you discover that one part is missing!  It can also take a few days for a show to post and shows are often removed by TV networks due to copyright infringement.