AT&T is a US-based telecommunications company that recently merged their two streaming services, AT&T TV and AT&T Now, into one subscription.
However, AT&T is a region-locked channel only available in the USA - unless you have a VPN at your disposal. We show you how to unblock AT&T here. Check out our AT&T VPN guide for details about using a VPN service with AT&T mobile network.
The best VPNs for AT&T Now
Although they're reviewed in much greater detail further down in this article, here's a quick rundown of the best VPNs for AT&T Now:
- ExpressVPN - The best VPN for accessing AT&T TV from outside the US, with great speeds and excellent security measures.
- NordVPN - A great choice for bypassing geo-restrictions and one of the quickest VPNs around.
- Surfshark - A very reasonably-priced VPN that offers an unlimited amount of simultaneous connections.
- Private Internet Access - A VPN that takes security seriously and has thousands of servers in the US.
- CyberGhost VPN - A really good option for unblocking AT&T and maintains a commendable attitude to customer privacy.
How to set up your VPN for AT&T Now in 5 steps
- Choose one of the VPN recommended services listed above.
- Install the provider's software onto your chosen device.
- Choose a server located in the United States.
- Sign up for one of AT&T's subscription packages.
- You're ready to watch AT&T TV from anywhere in the world!
The best VPNs for AT&T Now: a closer look
Here's a much more detailed look at the best VPNs for accessing AT&T TV from outside the US:
ExpressVPN consistently impresses us with its top-of-the-range speeds, excellent security provisions and consistent ability to unblock US streaming services. ExpressVPN has an impressive track record of unblocking US entertainment services like AT&T TV, which makes it one of the more reliable choices for the job. The provider has over 3,000 servers worldwide – several of which are located in the United States – so you'll be spoiled for choice when it comes to connecting to a location overseas. ExpressVPN is one of the best in the business when it comes to security, protecting its customers with AES-256 bit encryption, a kill-switch, and diskless servers so that your activity is never written to a hard drive. Although ExpressVPN allows up to five simultaneous connections from the same account, the provider now has a dedicated router app so you can protect all your devices at once by installing their software onto your router. This is advised if, for example, you'd like to watch AT&T's regional sports networks from your Smart TV rather than a phone or tablet. If you're not convinced, don't worry – if you sign up now, you'll have an entire month to claim your money back if you're unhappy. NordVPN is a super-speedy, Panama-based VPN that will cater to all your streaming needs, both in the US and beyond. It has great apps for Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac. NordVPN is a lightning-fast VPN service that tops the list when it comes to connection and download speeds. With this provider, you won't have to worry about your AT&T content buffering, whether it's Baseball, Basketball or HBO Max. They've reinforced their reputation as a speed demon recently by developing NordLynx, a technology that builds off the super-quick WireGuard protocol software to give users maximal security whilst retaining superior speeds to many of its competitors. NordVPN and its fleet of 5,000 servers aren't all about speed, however, and its security features prove this point well. CyberSec is one of the best ad and malware blockers that comes with a VPN, and features like Double VPN (which reroutes your connection through two servers rather than one) ensure that your privacy is preserved. NordVPN also affords customers a 30-day money-back period, so you can take it out for a test drive without worrying about how much you've spent on it. Surfshark is cheap VPN that keeps pace with the rest of the premium pack, making it a great choice for those on a budget looking for quality product. Surfshark really makes you ponder the question: 'could I survive a month with one less cup of coffee than usual?' The answer in the vast majority of cases is, of course, 'yes'. What if I told you that you could completely transform your internet browsing experience with the spare change? That, in a nutshell, is essentially what Surfshark offers. The provider has over 3,200 servers worldwide – including loads in the US – and for just a couple of dollars a month you can unblock content and surf the web privately to your heart's content. As was noted further up in this article, Surfshark is one of the few premium providers how have refused to cap how many devices you can use the same account on, meaning not just yourself, but all your friends and family can experience the benefits of using a VPN and watch their favorite US sports from all over the world on AT&T TV. Save for NordVPN, Surfshark is the speediest provider on this list, and they have security features like Camoflauge mode (which scrambles your data and makes it impossible to tell you're even using a VPN) to keep you safe. Even though it's a small price to pay for such a great service, Surfshark will still give you your money back within 30 days if you want to cancel your subscription. Private Internet Access (PIA) is an ultra-secure VPN that doesn't cut corners when it comes to securing your traffic. It has advanced security features for keeping your data private too. Private Internet Access is a very reputable name in the VPN sphere. This is partly because it's been around for many years and built up a great relationship with its hundreds of thousands of happy customers, but also because it's one of the only VPN companies to actually be subpoenaed by the US government to release their user logs and had absolutely nothing to give them. So when it comes to protecting your data and traffic, look no further than PIA. The other big advantage this provider has over the others is the sheer volume of servers it has not just worldwide, but specifically in the US. They have over 18,000 servers in the United States alone, which is more than most providers have in total across the entire world. That means you have a real choice of where to connect to if you're looking to unblock AT&T – and with PIA's 10 simultaneous connections, you can get a load of your friends to road test the service with you within the 30-day money-back guarantee window. CyberGhost has been in the VPN game for years – and they've maintained a stellar reputation by simply doing everything they say on the tin. CyberGhost is one of our favorite VPNs here at ProPrivacy. Few VPN companies can claim to have as much experience in this field as CyberGhost, and if you're someone who only buys from brands you are sure you can trust, this might be the one for you. For 15 years now CyberGhost has been dutifully maintaining a no logs system whilst unblocking content from around the globe with its more than 6,000 servers. It offers apps for multiple platforms – the latest iterations of which are very user-friendly – and has a great customer support team. CyberGhost will equip you with all the latest security measures you need to stay safe, and the provider is so confident that you'll like the product that you get an extra two weeks to decide whether it's right for you with their huge 45-day money-back guarantee. So pay now and, if it's not your thing, simply reclaim your cash later! 1. ExpressVPN
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Two channels become one
AT&T Now is in the process of being discontinued by AT&T and, as a result, all subscribers will be moved across to their AT&T TV service, which was released in March 2020 as an alternative to satellite and cable TV.
AT&T TV will continue life as a subscription service that is paid for month-by-month, similar to how AT&T TV Now operated. AT&T Now isn't taking new subscribers, but says existing ones will be able to use their service with little disruption.
The new AT&T TV subscription model no longer requires a contract or a set-top box, making it more similar to a service like YouTube TV.
Why do I need a VPN for AT&T Now?
AT&T Now is a region-locked US service. This means that it automatically bars users trying to access the site from outside the US on account of their location. This can happen for a number of reasons; for example, if AT&T only obtained a license to show certain sports inside the United States.
This is where a Virtual Private Network comes in. VPNs reroute all their customers' traffic through encrypted tunnels to private servers in different locations around the world. What this does is trick all the websites you visit into thinking that your IP address is in fact the IP address of the VPN provider's server you have connected through. In other words, if I connect to a server in the US, I will have a US IP address. This effectively means you can stream AT&T Now from wherever you are in the world. Just make sure you choose a VPN with:
- Good server coverage across the United States
- A good track record with regard to privacy
- A guarantee that they keep no logs of your activity
- Fast connection and download speeds
We'd certainly advise that you make your selection based on these critical criteria, but there's a lot more to VPNs. If you're interested, we'll revisit this point later in the article.
What's on AT&T TV?
If US sports are a passion of yours, this might be the subscription that you're looking for. AT&T TV grants users access to games from several regional sports networks, and no other service shows as many MLB (Major League Baseball) and NBA (National Basketball Association) games. If you're an MLB fan, do also check out our best VPNs for MLB TV guide for more information about beating baseball blackouts.
For the base price of $70, you have access to 65 of the US's top 100 channels, 40,000 on-demand titles, 20 hours of DVR and ABC, CBS, ESPN, and several other popular channels. You can also stream AT&T Now on up to 20 different devices with this subscription in-home or 3 in different locations.
The $85 a month package is the one sports fans will want. Although it's quite pricey, it works out to about the same cost as a Sky subscription in the UK – and you get access to those regional sports networks as well as HBO Max, 45,000 on-demand titles, and access to over 90 channels. They also throw in a premium NBA League pass, too. More information on exactly what's available in each package is available here.
Can I use a free VPN to access AT&T Now?
Free VPNs are everywhere – the Google Play and App store are both full of them. Unfortunately, however, placing your trust in a free VPN isn't always the safest bet.
For starters, a lot of free VPNs share or sell user data with third parties as one means to keep themselves financially afloat. This is the problem with free VPNs; when they don't have any paying customers, you have to ask how they make their money. Often the answer is hidden deep inside a privacy policy and isn't very pretty.
Free versions of premium VPNs are usually not worth signing up for either, simply because there will always be some important features you're missing out on – if the product on offer was identical, how on earth would they convince anyone to sign up for the paid version?
What else can I do with a VPN?
Once you've got yourself up and running with a VPN, the possibilities are endless. Naturally, it won't just let you access AT&T Now from outside the US, but also open you up to a whole new world of TV and entertainment. US Netflix, for instance, has a lot more shows available than other countries do, so you'll have a much broader selection of content to choose from.
VPNs are also a great way to put a stop to bandwidth throttling. Bandwidth throttling is carried out by internet service providers when they feel a network or device is requesting too much data, and it can slow your internet to a snail's pace. But if your ISP has no idea what streaming services you're accessing or console games you're playing, then they can't enforce restrictions on bandwidth.
These are just two examples, but hopefully, they go some way to illustrate how VPNs can be deployed for a diverse range of use cases.
The Verdict
Ready to start streaming shows and sports games with AT&T Now but still undecided which VPN provider to choose? Here's a reminder – and remember, they all offer a money-back guarantee for at least a month!
- ExpressVPN - The best VPN for accessing AT&T TV from outside the US, with great speeds and excellent security measures.
- NordVPN - A great choice for bypassing geo-restrictions and one of the quickest VPNs around.
- Surfshark - A very reasonably-priced VPN that offers an unlimited amount of simultaneous connections.
- Private Internet Access - A VPN that takes security seriously and has thousands of servers in the US.
- CyberGhost VPN - A really good option for unblocking AT&T and maintains a commendable attitude to customer privacy.