Mallorca

How to Watch American and British TV on Mallorca

6 min read#watch US UK TV Mallorca
Sandor Farkas

Sandor Farkas

Mallorca expert and author

Moving to Mallorca does not mean giving up Sunday Night Football, your favorite HBO series or the evening news from back home. Many American and British residents on the island want to keep watching the TV they know, and the good news is that there are several ways to do it. This guide walks you through what works in Spain out of the box, what gets blocked, and how to fill the gaps.

Why your apps suddenly stop working in Spain

Open Hulu, Peacock or BBC iPlayer from a Spanish internet connection and you will quickly hit a wall. The reason is geoblocking: streaming services license their content country by country, and your IP address tells them you are in Spain. Some services switch you to a smaller local catalog, others lock you out completely.

What this means in practice:

  • US-only services like Hulu, Peacock, Sling TV and YouTube TV do not work from Spain at all
  • BBC iPlayer and ITVX are restricted to the UK
  • Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ work in Spain, but show you the Spanish catalog, which differs from the US or UK version
  • Live sports are the most tightly geoblocked content of all

Brexit changed the rules for UK accounts

EU residents can take their streaming subscriptions along when traveling inside the EU thanks to the EU Portability Regulation. Since Brexit, this no longer covers UK accounts: a UK Netflix or Sky subscription does not automatically travel to Spain anymore. US subscriptions were never covered in the first place.

What works in Spain without any tricks

Before you set anything up, check what you can already watch. The big international platforms all operate in Spain:

  • Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+: Work normally with a Spanish or international account. Catalogs differ from the US and UK versions, but a large share of original productions is available everywhere, usually with English audio.
  • YouTube: No restrictions, and many US news channels stream live for free.
  • Podcasts and radio: Apps like NPR, BBC Sounds and TuneIn work in Spain, so American and British radio is one tap away.

For many people this already covers most of their viewing. The gaps are usually live sports, network TV and country-exclusive originals.

VPN: the standard solution for everything else

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) routes your internet traffic through a server in the US or UK, so streaming services see an American or British IP address. It is the most common way expats on Mallorca watch their home TV.

Setting one up takes a few minutes:

  1. Choose a VPN provider (for example NordVPN, ExpressVPN or Surfshark)
  2. Install the app on your phone, tablet, laptop or streaming stick
  3. Connect to a server in the US or UK
  4. Open the streaming app or website you want to watch

A solid VPN costs between 3 and 6 euros per month on an annual plan. Pick a provider that reliably works with the services you care about, because the big platforms actively block known VPN servers and cheap providers get caught more often. You also want enough speed for HD streaming.

Keep in mind that using a VPN to access geoblocked content is against the terms of use of most streaming services, and BBC iPlayer additionally requires a UK TV licence. Blocked VPN servers and occasional error messages are part of the deal, even with good providers.

Tip: VPN on your TV

Most smart TVs cannot run a VPN app directly. The easiest workaround is an Amazon Fire TV Stick or Apple TV with the VPN app installed, or setting up the VPN on your router so every device in the house goes through it. That way you can watch on the big screen instead of a laptop.

Watching live sports from Mallorca

Sports rights are sold per country, so this is where it gets specific:

  • NFL: NFL Game Pass International covers Spain and shows every game, often cheaper than US options. Some games also run on DAZN Spain.
  • NBA and NHL: The international League Pass versions work from Spain and have fewer blackout restrictions than in the US.
  • MLB: MLB.TV works from Spain without the local blackouts US viewers face.
  • Premier League and other UK football: Rights in Spain rotate between providers, so check the current season's holder (DAZN and Movistar Plus+ have carried UK and Spanish football in recent years).

For American sports in particular, living abroad is often an upgrade: the international packages are built for viewers outside the US and skip the blackout rules.

Live TV from home: streaming TV services

If you want the feel of regular channel surfing, a few options bring live US or UK TV to Mallorca:

  • Sky Go / NOW (UK): Works with a UK account plus VPN.
  • DirecTV Stream, Fubo, YouTube TV (US): US-only, so they require a VPN and in some cases a US payment method.
  • IPTV providers: There are legal services with international channel packages. Be careful with very cheap IPTV subscriptions sold through social media; many of them are unlicensed and unreliable.

Whatever you choose, stable internet is the foundation. Most areas around Palma have fiber, and for smooth HD streaming you want at least 25 Mbit/s. Our guide to internet and mobile on Mallorca covers providers and setup.

Which setup fits your situation?

  • Short stays and vacations: Your existing apps plus a VPN on your phone or tablet cover everything.
  • Full-time residents from the US: Keep your US streaming accounts, add a VPN, and use international sports passes (Game Pass, League Pass, MLB.TV), which work from Spain without one.
  • Full-time residents from the UK: A VPN restores iPlayer, ITVX and your UK catalogs. Note the TV licence requirement for iPlayer.
  • Casual viewers: The Spanish catalogs of Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ plus free YouTube news streams may be all you need, no extra setup required.

Conclusion

Watching American and British TV on Mallorca is easier than ever. Start with what works natively in Spain, then add a VPN for the geoblocked rest, and use the international sports packages that are often better than their US counterparts. With fiber widely available on the island, the only thing standing between you and your home TV routine is a few minutes of setup.