The Best VPNs for YouTube TV 2026

We recommend NordVPN as the best virtual private network (VPN) for YouTube TV based on our testing and research. With an easy-to-use (and free) GPS-spoofing tool, Nord allowed us to change our YouTube TV location and IP address to a region other than our physical location.

Surfshark and ExpressVPN were also successful, but we think Nord is the best option. Read on to learn why.

The best VPNs for YouTube TV 2026

Compare the best VPNs for YouTube TV

VPN
Best for	Overall	Affordability	Streaming
Starting price	Starts at $3.39/mo	Starts at $1.99/mo	Starts at $2.44/mo
Unblocks YouTube TV
Number of servers	9,000+ servers in 130+ countries	Unlisted in 90 countries	Unlisted in 105 countries
Also unblocks	Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, DAZN, and more	Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, DAZN, and more	Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, DAZN, and more
Learn more	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review	Get ExpressVPN Read ExpressVPN Review

NordVPN: Best overall

Who it’s best for

NordVPN is best for YouTube TV and beyond. With over 1,970 servers across 16 U.S. locations, you have plenty of options for unblocking regional streaming content.

We had no issues using NordVPN and Location Guard, an extension for hiding your geographic location, to switch our YouTube TV location to regions where we weren’t physically located.

What we liked

Nord is one of the best VPN services because it strikes a balance between affordability and reliability.

Starting at $3.39/mo, you’re not breaking the bank for a premium VPN service. But with great results in speed, DNS leak tests, and online privacy tests, you also aren’t skimping on quality.

From our personal testing, NordVPN delivered high speeds across servers worldwide and has consistently proven itself to be a reliable VPN provider. It also passed our DNS leak and WebRTC leak tests, which can help give peace of mind that your personal data will be kept private as you browse.

We especially like how it optimizes servers for obfuscated VPNs, double VPNs, dedicated IPs, and more, depending on your needs. It also includes Threat Protection, which helps protect your device from ads, trackers, and malicious downloads.

What we didn’t like

NordVPN offers 9 plans, each with different features and subscription lengths. It can be a bit confusing, especially if you only want the VPN. A good rule of thumb is to choose a one-year or two-year plan over a monthly plan if you want to save money. You can also take advantage of its 30-day money-back guarantee.

And while Nord is affordable (starting at $3.39/mo), it’s not the least expensive VPN available. Two more affordable options are Surfshark (starting at $1.99/mo) and Private Internet Access (starting at $2.19/mo), both of which offer unlimited simultaneous connections.

NordVPN specs

Price range	$3.39–$25.29/mo
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days
Unblocks YouTube TV	Yes
Number of servers	9,000+ servers in 130+ countries
Number of connected devices	10
Average speed change	4% slower
VPN protocol	NordLynx (WireGuard), OpenVPN, IKEv2/IPsec
No-logs policy	Yes
Learn more	Get NordVPN Read NordVPN Review

Test results

Star rating summary

Surfshark: Best for affordability

Who it’s best for

Surfshark makes sense if you want an affordable VPN that provides high speeds and unlimited simultaneous device connections. Starting at $1.99/mo, there aren’t many high-quality VPNs that are cheaper.

Using Surfshark and Location Guard, we successfully switched our YouTube TV location to regions outside our physical location.

What we liked

You might expect an ultra-affordable VPN to lack in features or have a small server network, but that’s really not the case with Surfshark. It has thousands of servers, including 600+ servers in 24 cities across 19 U.S. states.

You can use a VPN like Surfshark to watch Netflix and other popular streaming platforms. And having unlimited simultaneous connections means you and your whole family can use a VPN on as many devices as you want.

Another handy Surfshark feature is CleanWeb, which blocks ads, trackers, and malware. With CleanWeb 2.0, which is available with Surfshark's browser extension, you can even block ads on YouTube and streaming services. That way, you can stream YouTube TV with minimal interruptions.

What we didn’t like

Surfshark has a lot of servers to choose from, but you don’t have options for every major city in the U.S. For example, there aren’t servers in Philadelphia, Austin, or Portland. 

VPNs don’t always cover all major cities; it just means you might have issues watching local channels in certain regions with YouTube TV or a similar service. For instance, if you're trying to watch out-of-network NFL games and need servers far from your local network.

Surfshark specs

Price range	$1.99–$20.85/mo
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days
Unblocks YouTube TV	Yes
Number of servers	4,500+ servers in 100 countries
Number of connected devices	Unlimited
Average speed change	8% slower
VPN protocol	WireGuard, OpenVPN, IKEv2
No-logs policy	Yes
Learn more	Get Surfshark Read Surfshark Review

Test results

Star rating summary

ExpressVPN: Best for streaming

Who it’s best for

ExpressVPN is a reliable option if you want a VPN that works with loads of popular streaming sites, including Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+.

We successfully used ExpressVPN and Location Guard to change our YouTube TV location to regions outside our actual physical location.

What we liked

We’ve tested ExpressVPN extensively, and it has consistently ranked among the best streaming VPNs. Whether we're using different devices or traveling, we haven’t had any issues accessing regional streaming content while using ExpressVPN.

It’s also one of the fastest VPNs we’ve used, with only a few, if any, issues with bandwidth, buffering, or connection speeds. One reason is the Lightway protocol, created by ExpressVPN. It was made to ensure faster, more reliable, and more secure VPN connections. 

ExpressVPN also has some of the most extensive compatibility for its VPN apps. Beyond the standard operating systems, you can install ExpressVPN on your routers, smart TVs, and even on an Amazon Fire TV Stick. It even has its own proprietary router, Aircove, that covers 1,600 square feet on a single device. 

What we didn’t like

A starting cost of $2.44/mo isn’t the end of the world, but it has a higher price than Surfshark (starting at $1.99/mo) and lower device count among (up to 14 connections vs. unlimited).

However, you typically get what you pay for with ExpressVPN. And what you’re paying for is a wide selection of servers, high speeds, and plenty of streaming reliability. If you want to save money on ExpressVPN, check for promotions and deals around different holidays.

ExpressVPN specs

Price range	$2.44–$19.99/mo
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days
Unblocks YouTube TV	Yes
Number of servers	Unlisted in 105 countries
Number of connected devices	14
Average speed	12% slower
VPN protocol	Lightway, OpenVPN, IKEv2, WireGuard
No-logs policy	Yes
Learn more	Get ExpressVPN Read ExpressVPN Review

Test results

Star rating summary

Speed tests

We test all our VPNs to determine how much they affect our internet speed. First, we record our internet speed without the VPN connection (also known as the baseline internet speed). Then, we connect the VPNs to various server locations and conduct speed tests to determine the impact. 

We conduct repeat testing quarterly, and these results reflect our historic average speed loss or gain. 

	Average speed change
NordVPN	4% slower
Surfshark	8% slower
ExpressVPN	12% slower

Of our three best VPNs for YouTube TV, NordVPN was the fastest by far. It increased our speed on the U.S. server, as well as on every server we tested. ExpressVPN also slightly increased our speed, while Surfshark decreased it, but not by much. 

Speed is an important factor to consider when choosing a VPN. You can typically expect your VPN to slow down your internet because it secures your traffic. 

However, you won't want your VPN to slow your speeds to the point where you're dealing with nothing but lag and buffering. That's why you can't go wrong with NordVPN, Surfshark, or ExpressVPN.

Why do you need a VPN for YouTube TV?

The YouTube TV app has geo-restrictions, and YouTube TV streaming is available only in the U.S. Also, the channel lineup available to you depends on your location in the U.S.

For example, local channels in New York, Los Angeles, and other areas are typically different from each other. But your in-country location shouldn’t affect your ability to access national channels, including Fox, AMC, CBS, and USA.

If you want to watch YouTube TV outside the U.S. or access a different lineup of live TV channels while in the U.S., you need a VPN and a GPS-spoofing tool to go along with your YouTube TV subscription. That will help you bypass YouTube TV geo-restrictions.

How to use a VPN to bypass your YouTube TV location

These are the steps we used to successfully change our YouTube TV location:

1. Install a VPN with U.S. servers located in the city where you want to watch TV. We recommend NordVPN.
2. Download the Location Guard Chrome browser extension.
3. Open Location Guard’s options and choose “Use fixed location” under “Default level.”
4. In the menu on the left of your screen, select “Fixed Location” and set Location Guard to a fixed location by placing the location pin on the city where you want to watch TV. You may need to use the zoom-in and zoom-out buttons to move the world map.
5. Choose a VPN server that matches your fixed location and connect.
6. Once your VPN is connected, open YouTube TV and go to Settings.
7. Choose Area. The next screen may show your previous home location, a blank space for your current playback area, or indicate that your location is unknown. Choose Update.
8. On the next screen, click Update Location.
9. YouTube TV should now show your VPN server location and Location Guard’s fixed location. Click Update to set this as your playback area.

Learn more about how to change your YouTube TV location with a VPN.

How we tested the best VPNs for YouTube TV

We tested NordVPN, ExpressVPN, CyberGhost, and Surfshark with YouTube TV. All of these VPNs have previously tested well for streaming, speed tests, and general features.

To test whether these VPNs work with YouTube TV, we ensured each service was up to date. We then spoofed our geolocation with Location Guard and connected to each VPN individually. Finally, we opened YouTube TV in a Chrome browser on our MacBook Pro running macOS Monterey.

Using this method, we successfully changed our YouTube TV location with all the VPNs we tested.

The following VPN features are important for streaming YouTube TV:

• A server network with plenty of options in the U.S. (since YouTube TV is only available)
• Streaming-optimized servers or obfuscated servers to hide your VPN usage
• Compatibility with smart devices like Apple TV and Fire TV
• Smart DNS to extend spoofing abilities to smart devices without VPN apps

To learn more about how we test, check out our full testing methodology here.

Bottom line: The best VPNs for YouTube TV

NordVPN is the best VPN for YouTube TV according to our testing, experience, and research. With high speeds, loads of servers, and an affordable price, it checks all the boxes.

We also tested Surfshark and ExpressVPN, which are our runners-up. We recommend Surfshark if you want a low-cost alternative, and ExpressVPN if you want compatibility with loads of streaming services.

If you find YouTube ads annoying (like we do), check out our list of the best YouTube ad blockers.

Best VPNs for YouTube TV FAQs