The Best VPNs for ESPN+

1. NordVPN - Best for Watching ESPN+ on Smart TVs

SecurityScore:

9.7 /10

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Product Specs

Server locations	126 countries
Average Speed Loss	6% download & 4% upload
Apps	Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Android TV, tvOS
Best Monthly Rate	$3.39/mo with a 2-year plan
Money-Back Guarantee	30 days full refund

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Who NordVPN is Good For

NordVPN’s smart TV app has an intuitive interface that’s easy to navigate with a remote, making it the best choice for people that stream ESPN+ on a smart TV. They went above and beyond offering a new interface designed with smart TV constraints in mind. For instance, they show the locations we can connect through in a horizontal list with large icons instead of the detailed map they have on their desktop app. That makes it easy to see the options from our couch and scroll over to the location we want to connect through.

Server Network & Streaming Speeds

While NordVPN has servers in 20 U.S. cities, the ones in Detroit do not support ESPN+. Still, servers in 19 U.S. cities are plenty to get around any blackouts. If a local network in your region has exclusive broadcasting rights to a game you want to stream, you can use a VPN to get around that blackout by making it seem like you’re outside of the restricted region. With servers on both sides of the coast, we always found a way to stream games that were subject to blackout with NordVPN.

Not only were we able to get around blackouts, but we never experienced buffering issues with NordVPN either. Even when we did connect to a server in Los Angeles while in New York, we could still stream in 4K without buffering. We found that NordVPN only slows down our connection by about 4%, so we pretty much got our base internet speeds.

Features Helpful for Streaming ESPN+

Like we mentioned, ESPN+ has been cracking down on VPN use. That means they keep blacklisting the IP addresses of VPN servers. NordVPN built a workaround to this called SmartPlay. It’s turned on by default, so you don’t need to do anything to start using it. Basically, when ESPN+ blocks our access, NordVPN automatically uses a new IP address to reconnect. This avoids the trial and error of connecting to different servers until finding one that works.

Another helpful feature we rarely see is split tunneling on smart TVs. Since we only need to use a VPN for ESPN+ when we’re at home, and don’t need it for watching Netflix, we added Netflix to our split tunnel. That means we could keep NordVPN on without routing Netflix through NordVPN.

User Experience

NordVPN works with pretty much any smart TV except Samsung, which runs on Tizen. That’s the only drawback we see in terms of usability, though. Their Apple TV, Fire TV Stick, and Android TV apps are the best we’ve tested. That’s why you’ll see NordVPN at the top of our list of the best Apple TV VPNs, and our roundup of the top Fire TV Stick VPNs.

We don’t only watch ESPN+ on smart TVs, though. We’ve been caught at the dinner table trying to sneakily watch a New York Giants game while using one of the best VPNs for iPhones more than once, or using the Picture-in-Picture setting to watch Thursday Night football on our laptop while finishing up work. So, we get it — you care about more than just NordVPN’s smart TV app. And we do too. Across the board, NordVPN’s apps are some of the best in the industry.

>> Learn More: Best VPNs for Windows Laptops & Desktop PCs in 2025

Pricing

NordVPN’s pricing is flexible. They offer four tiers of service, with three different plan lengths for each tier. That flexibility is what puts it on our list of the best cheap VPNs. Every tier includes full access to their VPN and all of its features. Higher tiers give extra digital protection capabilities like online malware protection and identity theft protection. Here’s how much NordVPN costs:

2. Surfshark - Best for Streaming ESPN+ on Mobile

SecurityScore:

9.5 /10

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Product Specs

Server locations	100 countries
Average Speed Loss	8% download & 50% upload
Apps	Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Edge
Best Monthly Rate	$1.99/mo with a 2-year plan
Money-Back Guarantee	30 days full refund

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Who Surfshark is Good For

Being able to watch hockey on a smartphone is convenient, and if you’re looking for a good mobile VPN for streaming ESPN+, we recommend Surfshark. It has excellent mobile apps; they’re intuitive and allow unlimited connections, letting everyone in our office root for their own teams. Plus, the IP Rotator makes it harder for ESPN+ to block their VPN servers.

Server Network & Streaming Speeds

Surfshark offers servers in 22 U.S. cities, and all of them support streaming ESPN+. We’ve confirmed this through testing. In fact, all Surfshark servers around the world can provide access to streaming services, which is why it’s one of the best VPNs for streaming. This helped us get around every blackout.

That’s one benefit over NordVPN, but when we compared NordVPN and Surfshark, we found Surfshark slightly slower. Our speed loss was around 8% when connected to the nearest server. It got worse when we connected to a server on the other side of the country. As a result, there were a few times we had to wait for our 4K video to buffer, but 1080p streaming worked fine.

>> Read More: Speed Test Results From the Top VPNs Available

Helpful Features for Streaming ESPN+

There’s more than a few helpful features in the Surfshark app when it comes to streaming ESPN+. No matter what platform we use Surfshark on, we can check the load and latency of a server before connecting to it. This might seem like an obvious feature, but a lot of VPNs don’t offer it. With it, we can know that the server we’re about to connect to won’t bog down our speeds due to being overloaded. This feature is one of the reasons we liked Surfshark compared to Bitdefender.

Another helpful feature is the IP Rotator. It doesn’t help us directly, but by periodically rotating IP addresses for its users, Surfshark makes it harder for ESPN+ to identify and block the IP addresses of their servers. Pair this with Surfshark’s feature that changes an Android’s GPS location, and you’ll rarely run into a server blocked by ESPN+.

User Experience

The experience of using Surfshark on our Apple TV wasn’t nearly as good as it was with NordVPN. It feels like they took their desktop app and put it on a TV. For instance, one of the main ways they want us to find a server location is through a search bar, and typing Salt Lake City in a search bar with a TV remote is less than ideal.

When we switched to Surfshark’s mobile apps, we had the exact opposite reaction. They have advanced features like the GPS changing feature we talked about earlier, and the layout of the apps is intuitive. We felt comfortable navigating the mobile apps and finding all of its features within fifteen minutes of installation. Their support for unlimited devices made our experience even better.

Pricing

One of our favorite parts of Surfshark is its price point, especially if you need antivirus software. In their Surfshark One bundle, which barely raises the price, they include Surfshark Antivirus. After testing Surfshark Antivirus, it ended up on our list of the best antivirus software. Needless to say, it’s a solid investment, especially considering it only costs an extra 50 cents per month. Here’s an overview of Surfshark’s prices:

3. Proton VPN - Great ESPN+ VPN With Tons of U.S. Server Locations

SecurityScore:

9.3 /10

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Product Specs

Server locations	122 countries
Average Speed Loss	8% download & 4% upload
Apps	Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Android TV, tvOS, Firestick
Best Monthly Rate	$4.49/mo with a 2-year plan
Money-Back Guarantee	30 days prorated refund

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Who Proton VPN is Good For

All of Proton VPN’s U.S. servers work with ESPN+, giving you plenty of options to bypass ESPN+ IP address blocks and blackouts. Plus, it has a free plan that beats most other providers with a lifetime free VPN plan. They don’t impose any data limits or time limits in their free plan, which makes it a good choice if you’re looking for a VPN to get by until you can afford a premium option.

Server Network & Streaming Speeds

It wasn’t long ago that ProtonVPN barely had 1,000 servers globally. Now, they have over 11,000, and that number grows daily. We only care about their U.S. servers for ESPN+, of which there are 400 spread across 17 cities. That seems small, but all of them work with ESPN+, so their servers never held us back from catching Thursday Night Football. Just like their international server infrastructure has grown exponentially in recent years, we expect the same for their U.S. servers.

Helpful Features for Streaming ESPN+

Proton’s VPN Accelerator helped us when we tried to watch a New York Islanders game from South Korea. Essentially, it speeds up your connection when connecting through servers over long distances by streamlining the delivery of data packets. This feature is what put ProtonVPN on our list of the best VPNs for South Korea.

We also like ProtonVPN’s Profiles feature, which lets you save connection profiles for easy access to the same settings. We set up a profile for when our local college’s basketball game is blacked out. That profile automatically connected us to a server that’s three states away, maintaining fast speeds while getting around the blackout. We also set it to automatically open ESPN+ when we hit connect.

User Experience

Just like NordVPN, ProtonVPN also limits its users to 10 devices. That goes for both subscription tiers. Their free plan has a one device limit, but with a free plan, you can always make more accounts. We never ran into the 10-device limit, as it’s for simultaneous connections, though a big family might hit it.

As for the actual usability of the apps, we think they are well-designed. Even their smart TV apps are easy to navigate with a similar layout to NordVPN. We wish the Profiles feature worked on their smart TV apps, but that would be above and beyond what other VPN providers offer. It only works on smartphones and desktops.

Pricing

ProtonVPN’s prices are weird. Their one-year plan costs less per month on average than their two-year plan. That’s not common in the VPN industry, but it makes Proton a good choice for anyone who isn’t ready to commit for two full years. Here’s how much ProtonVPN costs:

4. ExpressVPN - Best for Streaming ESPN+ on Consoles

SecurityScore:

9.1 /10

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Product Specs

Multihop	No
Obfuscated Servers	Yes
Kill Switch	Yes
Split Tunneling	Yes
Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Yes

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Who ExpressVPN is Good For

Normally, we don’t recommend installing a VPN on your router unless you’re technically proficient, but ExpressVPN makes it easy with an app that turns your router into a VPN router.

Why are we talking about VPN routers? Well, some people like to use their video game consoles to stream ESPN+. Using your Playstation controller might be more comfortable for you than a TV remote, and so streaming from your Playstation will be more convenient. VPNs don’t offer apps for video game consoles, though, so you need to put your VPN on your router for streaming ESPN+ through a VPN with a video game console.

Server Network & Streaming Speeds

ExpressVPN has servers in 18 U.S. cities, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Some cities have multiple server locations within a single city, so they actually have servers in 24 locations in the U.S. All of its servers support streaming, too, so we always found a way to get around ESPN+’s VPN blocks and blackouts during our tests.

As for speeds, it’s similar to Surfshark. We expected closer to NordVPN’s speeds because, when comparing NordVPN and ExpressVPN, we realized both offer proprietary VPN protocols that claim to enhance speeds. So, speeds similar to Surfshark’s surprised us. We experienced buffering a few times with 4K streams, but 1080p video loaded fine. Needless to say, it’s not the fastest VPN.

>> Read About: Surfshark vs. ExpressVPN

Helpful Features for Streaming ESPN+

It might seem silly, but ExpressVPN’s shortcuts are more helpful than we thought. We found ourselves missing them when we moved on to our CyberGhost tests. Being able to hit connect and then press the ESPN+ logo right in the app to start streaming the local game is very convenient. That level of convenience is something we crave in the apps we use.

Plus, there’s the easy-to-setup VPN router we mentioned before. Although this is more of a niche thing for people who want to watch ESPN+ from their video game console, the same goes with the native Samsung TV app. But if that’s you, ExpressVPN is one of the few providers to offer it.

User Experience

We just said it, but ExpressVPN’s shortcuts feature is what improves their user experience the most for ESPN+ streaming. Really, though, the ExpressVPN app is a streamlined experience through and through. It doesn’t stop at their shortcuts feature. The design of the app is aesthetically pleasing, with clear visual cues. For instance, the entire top half of the app turns red when disconnected and green when connected, so you can see at a glance whether it’s active.

Pricing

ExpressVPN has been fairly rosy up until this point, but their pricing leaves a lot to be desired. They don’t offer multiple tiers of service — well, kind of. The longer you subscribe, the more features you get, including up to $1 million in identity theft insurance. That’s great if you need it, but otherwise, you’re paying for features and capabilities you don’t need, which is why we prefer an actual tiered approach. Here’s how much ExpressVPN costs:

5. CyberGhost VPN - Best for Watching ESPN+ on Desktop

SecurityScore:

8.9 /10

View Plans Links To CyberGhost

Product Specs

Multihop	Yes
Obfuscated Servers	No
Kill Switch	Yes
Split Tunneling	Yes
Netflix	Yes
Torrenting	Yes

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Who CyberGhost is Good For

CyberGhost is best for people who use ESPN+ on their Windows or macOS computers. It has a cool feature called Smart Rules that’s similar to ExpressVPN’s shortcuts feature but more automated. The desktop apps are easy to use, too. However, the Smart Rules feature is missing from CyberGhost’s mobile and smart TV apps. They have other unique features we liked, but the mobile app features were aimed at security instead of streaming ESPN+.

Server Network & Streaming Speeds

One of the downsides of using CyberGhost for ESPN+ is the limited number of servers based in the U.S. They only have servers in 11 cities. That’ll usually be enough to get around any blackouts, but it’s more likely you’ll need to connect to a city that’s far away from you, resulting in slower speeds.

When we could get the game we wanted on a server nearby, CyberGhost offered us relatively fast speeds. It wasn’t as fast as NordVPN and Proton VPN, but it beat Surfshark. We only experienced occasional buffering issues when connecting to a server far from our home.

Helpful Features for Streaming ESPN+

Although it’s not a feature that will help you get through ESPN+’s VPN blocks, we appreciated CyberGhost’s Smart Rules. It lets you set up automated rules for your computer to follow when you connect to a CyberGhost server. The easiest way to use Smart Rules is to have CyberGhost open an app, like Google Chrome, when it connects, so you can navigate right to ESPN+.

That’s the easy way, but we preferred the other way around. There’s another option called “App rules” farther in their Smart Rules menu that makes CyberGhost connect when a specific app gets opened. We linked it to our ESPN+ macOS app so that when we opened ESPN+, CyberGhost would automatically connect. That’s one of the reasons CyberGhost is one of our favorite VPNs for Macs.

User Experience

CyberGhost offers native apps for most popular devices, supporting as many platforms as NordVPN and Surfshark. One of our favorite convenience features from CyberGhost, Smart Rules, is only available on their desktop apps, which was a bit of a letdown. Otherwise, using the apps was fairly straightforward. We ran into the same issue with their smart TV app as we did with Surfshark: it felt like they directly ported their desktop app to a TV. That’s a common problem in the VPN industry, so we didn’t knock CyberGhost too much for it.

Pricing

If you’re looking to try out CyberGhost, we recommend at least going for their six-month plan. That might sound counterintuitive since you’d want a short one month plan to test out a service, but the one-month plan only comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee. The six-month plan comes with a 45-day money-back guarantee. Of course, the best price comes with the two-year plan. Here’s an overview of CyberGhost’s prices: