Using a VPN with Netflix

Question

Here's my theoretical question.

Netflix has rights to a show that cannot be seen by subscribers in the US. From what I gather, their servers determine my location via my IP address. If I'm using a "foreign" IP address, courtesy of a VPN service, and that IP address was in a country where Netflix had rights to that show, then theoretically, wouldn't these shows now be available for one to watch? Regardless of where one was physically located?

Thanks much! And happy 2019.

Nathan Kinkead · Answer

Hmmm, Rahul sounds like a spam bot.

Anyway, Fred, yes I think that sound right.  For a while, people from other countries have been using VPNs to access Netflix shows that are only available in the USA.

However, Netflix has also been collecting a database of IPs of VPN servers and they use this to deny users who are connecting to a VPN (to try and stop that circumvention of regional restrictions).

Rahul Thomas · Answer

Thank you for sharing this article. I used showboxvpn installation to watch free TV series!

radioguy · Answer

Nathan:

I thought so. I understand that Netflix does have restrictions due to licensing agreements with various providers (so many now, it's hard to even count). Obviously, being a US customer does have many benefits, and one can be exposed to television from other countries that ordinarily one would never have had the chance to see. So that's a good thing. But there are other shows that Netflix can't run in the US but can in Europe (CBS' Star Trek reboot comes to mind).