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Watching SVT Play abroad – what you can see and why

Updated · Läs guiden på svenska

You are on a terrace in Málaga or in a flat in Bangkok and want to watch Agenda, Melodifestivalen or the Christmas calendar. You open SVT Play – and get a message saying the programme can only be watched in Sweden. It is one of the questions we hear most often, so here is how SVT Play works abroad, what you can actually watch and what you can do yourself.

Why are some programmes blocked abroad?

SVT Play is available worldwide, but not the whole catalogue. The reason is rights. When SVT buys a series, a film or a sports broadcast, it often only buys the right to show it in Sweden. Buying rights for more countries is sometimes impossible and sometimes too expensive. So SVT decides programme by programme whether it may be shown outside Sweden.

SVT works out where you are from your IP address, the address your internet connection has online. If the address is foreign, you only see what has rights for abroad.

According to SVT, these are usually blocked abroad:

  • SVT's channels (the live streams of SVT1, SVT2 and the other channels)
  • international sports broadcasts
  • acquired drama series, for example British crime series
  • Donald Duck on Christmas Eve

Much of SVT's own content, on the other hand, can be watched anywhere in the world. The Christmas calendar is usually available abroad until New Year.

Doesn't the EU rule about watching on holiday apply?

There is an EU regulation on so-called portability. It says that paid services such as Netflix, Viaplay or paid TV4 Play packages must work when you are temporarily in another EU country. SVT Play is funded by the Swedish public service fee and does not count as a paid service. That means SVT does not have to make the whole catalogue available inside the EU, and SVT Play works the same in Spain as in Thailand: what has rights for abroad can be watched, the rest cannot.

Step by step: get the most out of SVT Play abroad

  1. Start with the filter. Go to svtplay.se/program in your browser and click the "Kan ses utomlands" ("can be watched abroad") button. Only programmes you can watch where you are will be shown. In the SVT Play app on phones and tablets, only available content is shown automatically.
  2. Sign in with your SVT account. Your viewing history and "continue watching" then follow you between phone, computer and TV.
  3. Check your connection. Stuttering video is more often caused by a slow hotel or apartment network than by SVT. Choose a lower picture quality in the player if needed.
  4. Consider whether you need a Swedish IP address. With a VPN that has a Swedish server, your connection gets a Swedish IP address. See the next section for how that works and what you should know.

Where does a VPN fit in?

A VPN sends your traffic encrypted through a server in another country. With Grip VPN the traffic goes through Sweden, and websites you visit see a Swedish IP address instead of the foreign one. Many Swedes abroad use this to reach Swedish websites, news services and e-services they are used to at home.

It is worth being honest about two things:

  • SVT does not support VPNs and does not guarantee that SVT Play works with one. SVT itself says that a VPN address can sometimes be seen as foreign, in which case the programme is blocked anyway.
  • A VPN does not change the rights. It only changes which IP address you have. Which rules apply to your viewing is decided by the service's own terms.

If you want to know more about what a Swedish IP address is and what it affects, read our guide Swedish IP address abroad – what it is and how to get one.

Swedish TV on the big screen

A phone is fine on the beach, but in the evening most people want to watch on the TV. If you have an Apple TV, you can install the Grip VPN app directly on it. Many smart TVs and IPTV boxes, however, cannot run VPN apps at all. Then a VPN router is easiest: it connects to your normal internet and creates its own Wi-Fi where all traffic goes through Sweden. Read the guide A VPN router for Swedish TV in the whole home or have a look at our VPN router.

Get started with Grip VPN

  1. Choose a period on the pricing page – it does not renew automatically.
  2. Download the app for iPhone, Android or Apple TV and sign in with the same email and password.
  3. Tap Connect. Up to five devices are included.

Frequently asked questions

Can I watch SVT Play for free abroad?

Yes, a large part of SVT Play is free worldwide. Use the "Kan ses utomlands" filter on svtplay.se/program to see what is available where you are.

Can I watch SVT's live channels abroad?

According to SVT, the channels on SVT Play can only be watched in Sweden. Individual programmes that were broadcast on the channels may be available as regular programmes on SVT Play, and then that programme's own rights apply.

Does SVT Play work with a VPN?

SVT does not support VPNs and does not promise that it works. A VPN gives you a Swedish IP address, but we cannot guarantee that every programme will play either. Feel free to try our shortest period first.

Why does SVT Play work in Spain, but not everything?

Because SVT decides rights programme by programme. The EU portability rules apply to paid services, not to public service broadcasters. Read more in the guide to Swedish TV in Spain.

Which other Swedish services can I watch abroad?

It differs between services and between the EU and the rest of the world. We have collected it in Watching Swedish TV abroad – an overview and in the guide to TV4 Play abroad.