ITVX Ireland: Watch Live TV Channels Online

There are a number of ways you can watch ITV in Ireland. However the easiest is to use a VPN like NordVPN to change your IP address, this will allow access to any international TV streaming service including BBC iPlayer too.

Update – ITV Hub has been updated and is now called ITVX – it has lots more channels and programmes but is accessible in exactly the same way in Ireland.  So follow the same guidance for ITVX Ireland access below.

What is ITVX ?

ITV Hub was a streaming service that is only available in the United Kingdom. It is a British television channel owned by ITV plc, which also owns other popular channels such as ITV, UTV, and CITV. The hub offers on-demand content and live streaming of all of its channels.

Basically ITV Hub is the online service that lets viewers watch ITV News, ITV2, ITV, ITV2 HD, ITV Be and CITV LIVE streams. It is available either on the ITV website or through one of the various device apps and it can be used to stream some of the biggest shows on these channels.

It has now been replaced, in 2023 ITV launched a new upgrade called ITVX.  This replaces ITV Hub and brings with it lots more content, loads more channels and features.

You can watch some great shows on here and popular stuff like Love Island too. Some of the very best dramas are produced by the UK’s biggest commercial TV company so it’s well worth getting access. Unfortunately that’s not always straight forward as in 2022, ITV Hub is only available in the UK. Previously you could gain access in the EU including Ireland however this changed when the UK left the European Union.

Can You Watch UK TV Online in Ireland?

Unfortunately normally you cannot, as mentioned above previously you could have paid for the premium version (without adverts) and access throughout the European Union. This was due to the EU’s digital market initiatives which meant digital goods and services were available across the community. Obviously this no longer applies as Britain is no longer part of the EU, so you can’t access ITV Hub or BBC iPlayer as soon as you leave the UK.

If you do attempt to watch ITV online in Ireland, you’ll get something like the following error message will appear on your screen: “We’ve detected that you’re outside the UK. The ITV Hub is only available for viewing in the UK.”

Distance is not important, in fact from even a couple of miles across the border is enough to block access to ITV Hub and all the UK TV channels. Unless you can sneak onto someone’s wifi connection in Northern Ireland you’ll receive a similar error message such as this, the ITV Error 006 or just a block.

A British VPN Service Can Change This

A VPN is a service which allows you to access channels like these from anywhere in the world. Basically it protects your privacy by encrypting your data and hiding your location. Which means that you can bypass the technology known as geo-targeting which is used to implement these various blocks and restrictions.

It works because when you surf the web only the location of your VPN server is visible. Which means as long as you connect to a VPN server based in the UK, you’ll appear to be in the UK too. It won’t matter where your internet access actually originates from only the location of the VPN server you are connected to. Any website you visit will consider you to be a British surfer while connected to the UK based VPN.

How to watch ITV in Ireland Using a VPN

However, with the use of VPN like Surfshark VPN you can watch ITV in Ireland. ITV isn’t the only geographically-restricted streaming service a VPN or Smart DNS will allow you to access. Many other UK services can also be made available in Ireland. Essentially with these two tools, you can access international content from virtually anywhere. So, which method are you choosing? Let me know in the comment section below.

VPNs allow you to change your IP address so that you can watch ITV in Ireland. First, you need to sign up for a VPN service. Then, you need to download the VPN software and install it on your device. Once the software is installed, you need to open it and sign in. Finally, you need to select the country you want to connect to and click on the connect button.

So to summarize –

• To watch ITV in Ireland, you need a VPN and a compatible device.
• To connect to a VPN server, log in with your VPN account and pick a UK server.
• After connecting to the server, launch ITV and enjoy the content.

Watch BBC iPlayer in Ireland

Is pretty much exactly the same and you should be able to use the same VPN. Although it should be noted that the BBC is quite active in blocking VPN services so not all of them work anymore.

Again the trick is to hide your real location and make it appear that you’re based in the UK. A decent VPN with UK servers will do this for you. Here’s a short video demonstrating how simple it is  for ITV and BBC, the VPN used here is NordVPN but there are others that work with ITV.

The BBC only sees the IP address of the VPN server and so as long as it’s a British one then everything will work.

Cheaper than Moving to Northern Ireland

Once you’ve started using VPNs and seen how easy it is to access blocked content from all over the world it really broadens your horizons. There are thousands of geo-blocked channels all over the world not just UK TV including most of the world’s biggest media channels.

All of these are normally restricted based on your location. An IP address from Ireland will give you full access to RTE but not to most media sites like ITV Hub outside the country,

Most decent VPN services will include servers in lots of countries across the world. Companies like ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, Surfshark and PrivateVPN will offer servers in most of the developed world. For most media sites having an IP address in the correct country will be sufficient to access them.   So yes you can watch UK TV abroad with the right VPN.

The problem is that some media sites like the BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub actively try and stop these VPN services.

Which is the Best VPN for Watching ITV in Ireland

When it comes to watching ITV in Ireland, first of all you obviously need a VPN that has servers in the UK. Any VPNs you consider should have servers in the UK and unlimited bandwidth, so you can stream content without any issues.

Initially the most important factor when choosing a VPN is whether it has servers in the UK or not. If it doesn’t, you won’t be able to watch ITV Hub or any other region-locked content from abroad. However now many of these UK VPN servers are blocked by the main broadcasters – particularly ITV and BBC iPlayer.

So a VPN will help you access popular websites and services while abroad but only if they don’t appear on these site’s blacklists. An unblocked VPN service is perfect for streaming content from websites like ITV Hub, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and more.

Network and Speed of VPNs – Access TV Channels

Speed is important because it can determine how easily you’ll stream content without experiencing buffering or low resolution. There is nothing more frustrating than having your TV programme or worse Match of the Day buffering and stalling every few minutes. If you are stuck with a VPN like this – it may be better to use the BBC’s download feature where you can watch the programmes offline after downloading.

There’s unlikely to be any bandwidth throttling with the best VPNs but it’s always worth checking. Unfortunately most organisations who do operate throttling rules are unlikely to admit this to potential customers.

Privacy is another important factor to consider when choosing a VPN for ITV Hub. If a VPN’s UK servers are too slow, you’ll encounter numerous streaming issues such as low resolution, lag, and buffering which may jeopardize your privacy in the process of watching region-locked content from other countries (not just outside of the UK).

A secure VPN is important for streaming from ITV Hub. All of the VPNs recommended in this article offer strong security features, so you can rest assured that your data is protected.

Our personal favourite is NordVPN – it’s inexpensive, secure, fast and reliable.  It actively tries to ensure it’s servers are not blocked by the large UK media sites like BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub.

The best VPNs for ITV Hub were found to offer the strongest unblocking ability, making them a good option even when you’re using public wifi abroad. They also have user-friendly apps and live chat support available 24/7, so you can get help if you run into any issues.