How to Watch Spanish TV in the US & Abroad With a VPN in 2024: Stream Antena 3 & Other Spanish TV Channels From Anywhere
When you’re looking for TV shows, movies and live TV programming from your home country while overseas, it can be tricky knowing where to start. This post explains how to watch Spanish TV content in the U.S. and abroad.
If you’re looking for Spanish content, whether you’re a language learner or an expat yearning for a touch of home, you’ll be pleased to know that there is an abundance of ways to watch Spanish TV online in the U.S. and abroad. This guide explains your options and how to access content from Spanish TV channels and streaming services.
In the U.S., several streaming platforms host Spanish TV shows, sports events and movies, but these services often require a paid subscription. If you’d like to watch Spanish content for free, you can do so by accessing a free platform based in Spain, but sometimes these sites are regionally restricted, which means they’re not available outside Spain or, on occasion, Europe.
To get around this, you can use a virtual private network (VPN) that’s reliable with streaming services, like NordVPN. Read on to find out which Spanish TV channels you can access online and how to use a VPN to evade the geoblocks.
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10/01/2024
We realigned the VPN order based on current performance metrics and feature sets.
How to Watch Spanish TV: Where Can I Find Spanish Content Online?
Let’s start with the subscription services you can use to watch Spanish content online before we get into the free options. Streaming platforms and channels available in the U.S. that host Spanish content or content from Spanish TV channels like Antena 3 include Sling TV, YouTube TV, fuboTV and DIRECTV.
Netflix (Spanish library — more on this farther down), Peacock and Max are on-demand streaming service options with Spanish movies and shows. On Max, you can access a variety of worldwide content and adjust the language settings to watch in Spanish.
Pluto TV, which has a free plan, also hosts Spanish content, and there are various Spanish Roku channels available, both free and paid. ViX Plus, a free service with premium content, is yet another option for those in America, as is Estrella TV, which is headquartered in California.
Moreover, you can access sports content like La Liga matches on various platforms, including ESPN+/Deportes and DAZN. In Spain, the matches are on Movistar Plus. Bear in mind that some of the services mentioned have Spanish-language packages, often called “Latino” packages, so be sure to check out all the available packages to see which one works best for you.
How to Watch Spanish TV Online Free?
As there are so many Spanish TV streaming sites, we’ve compiled the table below to keep things simple. The channels in the table are the free live TV streaming services hosting content from Spanish language channels (i.e., livestreams of programming) you can access with (or, in some cases, without a VPN). Some of the channels are from Latin America and the U.S., but most are based in Spain.
Many of these free platforms are ad-based. Furthermore, if you want to watch the channel’s livestream as it appears on TV, click “en directo,” which is usually somewhere on the top-left or right corner of the channel’s site.
Channel: | Content | US VPN | English Subtitles | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
RTVE Play | Series Films News Live TV LA 1 LA 2 Clan Teledeporte 24H | We were able to access some content without connecting to a Spanish server, but some content was restricted. Spanish subtitles are available | ||
ATRESplayer | Series News Documentaries Films Live TV Antena 3 MEGA Neox La Sexta | Some content is available for free if you register, but some requires a premium subscription; there is an international version available | ||
Cuatro | Series Live TV | N/A | ||
Mitele | Series Films Documentaries | Some content is only available via the PLUS subscription; an international version of PLUS is available. Spanish subtitles are available, and the PLUS international version might have subtitles in other languages | ||
Telecinco | Series News Live TV | No VPN needed if you sign up for mitele PLUS internacional | ||
Caracol Television | Series News Colombian TV | VPN needed for Colombian content | ||
ARTE in Spanish | Films Documentaries Series | With few exceptions, a lot of Spanish content is available for free for U.S. viewers without a VPN. Six languages available | ||
TV Publica | Argentinian TV News | Some content is available on the YouTube channel. | ||
FluentU | Language learning | N/A | ||
ViX/ViXPremium | U.S. TV with Spanish content Content from Univision | Some content is free, some is only available with a premium subscription | ||
Estrella TV | U.S. channel with Spanish shows & films | N/A |
How Does a VPN Help You Unblock Spanish Content Online?
Due to licensing agreements, Spanish language content differs in terms of availability by country. For this reason, some of the content you want to watch might be blocked in the U.S., but a VPN can get you past the geoblocks.
A virtual private network (VPN) is a type of online security software that allows you to connect to various servers located in different countries around the world. This assigns you a new IP address in the location you selected.
For example, if you’re in the U.S. and want to stream Spanish TV on a geoblocked site, you can connect to a Spanish server on a VPN to get a Spanish IP address. Online, you would then appear as if you actually are in Spain, which allows you to unblock Spanish TV sites and streaming platforms.
Bear in mind, however, that it’s crucial to choose your VPN carefully. Pick one that has an excellent security record and has Spanish servers — we’ll share our top recommendations farther down.
How to Watch Spanish Shows & Movies on Netflix
Netflix is another service with regional restrictions in place, meaning the content library isn’t exactly the same everywhere. For example, some content is available in both the U.S. and Spain, but some is only available in Spain, and vice versa.
If you have a Netflix account, you can use a VPN to switch from the American library (or the library of whichever country you’re in) to the Spanish library to explore more/other Spanish TV shows and movies, as some may not be available in the U.S.
To do this, open your VPN’s app and connect to a Spanish server. Then, open Netflix and you should be in the Spanish Netflix library. Search for “Spanish movies” or “Spanish TV shows” to see what’s on offer.
How to Watch Spanish Channels Online With a VPN
In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to watch restricted content on Spanish streaming service RTVE Play, but you can also use this method to access other streaming services and change Netflix libraries.
If you’re traveling outside the U.S. but usually watch Spanish content on an American streaming service, like Sling TV or YouTube TV, simply connect to a U.S. server.
Some RTVE Play content is widely available, including in the U.S., but some is restricted to Spain.
- Subscribe to a VPN
Your first step is to navigate to NordVPN’s site and choose a discounted plan at 73% off. Don’t worry — you’re covered by a 30-day refund policy if needed.
- Download and Install the VPN
Each site will look different, but you might be prompted to download the VPN’s app after signing up for a plan. If not, find the “download” tab on the website to get started with the installation process.
- Connect to a Spanish Server
Select a Spanish server from the server list within the VPN’s app and click the “connect” button.
- Start Watching Spanish TV
Open RTVE or your streaming site of choice and start streaming your desired content.
The 3 Best VPNs for Watching Spanish TV
The best and safest way to get a Spanish IP address and watch live channels and on-demand content is to connect to a VPN with servers in Spain. If you’re not sure where to start, here are some reliable VPN options.
1. NordVPN— Best VPN for Streaming Spanish TV
Very Fast
Very Fast
Very Fast
NordVPN, which takes the top spot in our overall best VPN recommendations roundup, is one of the most consistent and secure VPN services for streaming and general online activities. During testing, it worked very smoothly with Spanish content sites like RTVE Play and ATRESplayer, which made a world of difference to our streaming experience.
In addition to being both fast and highly secure, NordVPN has a straightforward user interface and a good selection of Spanish servers to choose from.
You can give it a go with its 30-day money-back guarantee. Take a look at our NordVPN review to learn more about why we consider this service to be the best.
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
- *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
- Unlimited GB
- 10
- Yes
2. Surfshark— Best Budget VPN for Spanish TV
Very Fast
Very Fast
Good
Surfshark is one of the best cheap VPNs on the market. Though relatively new, Surfshark’s pocket-friendly two-year plan combined with its array of features, strong streaming performance and decent speeds make it a popular alternative to veteran services.
All that said, though Surfshark’s worldwide upload and download speeds are good on average, it has shown higher latency on U.S. servers than its competitors. This is just something to be aware of if you plan to use U.S. servers for gaming. Like ExpressVPN and NordVPN, Surfshark has a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you can dive into more details in our full Surfshark review.
- Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Plans renew: $231.75 for one year, $417.15 for two years
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Yes
- Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Plans renew: $239.25 for one year, $430.65 for two years.
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
- Everything in One, plus Data removal Plans renew: $269.25 for one year, $404.65 for two years
- Unlimited GB
- Unlimited
3. ExpressVPN— Best User-Friendly VPN for Spanish TV
Very Fast
Very Fast
Very Fast
ExpressVPN is another service that works efficiently with Spanish TV sites, which doesn’t come as a surprise given ExpressVPN’s excellent speeds. We’re also especially fond of ExpressVPN ’s desktop interface, which is easy to navigate.
There are multiple plan options too, so it’s easier to pick a plan based on what you do and don’t need. On the other hand, it’s one of the pricier options, but you can give it a go with its 30-day money-back guarantee.
While this works well on a big screen, it’s harder to use on a small screen. Nevertheless, this is a pretty minor inconvenience. Find out more in our ExpressVPN review and check out how the service performs for yourself with its 30-day money-back guarantee.
Can I Use a Free VPN to Watch Spanish TV Online?
Unfortunately, neither of our top two free VPN recommendations — Proton VPN and Windscribe — have free servers in Spain. One option you can try is TunnelBear, which gives you access to all its servers on the free plan, but the data limit per month is only 2GB, so you won’t be able to use it for free for very long. Instead, you might want to consider a VPN with very cheap plans, like Surfshark.
Final Thoughts
With NordVPN’s risk-free 30-day refund period, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by giving the service a try. The great thing about Spanish content is that there are so many options and ways to access it.
You can get an account with a U.S. service hosting Spanish TV shows, movies and live TV (and continue to use it with a VPN while traveling) or simply connect to a Spanish server on a VPN and see what’s on offer on actual Spanish sites.
Whatever you decide to do, having a reliable VPN up your sleeve can really open up your streaming world for the better. Are you a language learner looking for Spanish content to learn from? Or do you just love Spanish television and want to access it from outside Spain? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading.
FAQ
Univision and Telemundo are available via U.S. livestreaming services DIRECTV, YouTube TV and fuboTV. You can also watch Telemundo content on Peacock and Hulu with Live TV and Univision content on ViX.
Amazon Prime Video doesn’t have Spanish TV channel programming like a live TV streaming service would, but it does offer a selection of Spanish TV shows and movies on demand.
Yes, Roku has both free and paid Spanish channels and content, including Espacio Latino on The Roku Channel and ViX.