Stream the World Cup on your TV if you don't have cable

Colin Nederkoorn -

It’s the World Cup! ESPN, the broadcaster with the rights in the US has a streaming service. However, try and access the stream and you’ll be prompted to sign in to your cable subscription. Why doesn’t ESPN sell direct access to their streaming service? Complicated contracts and deals. Hopefully that will change over time.

During the last summer olympics, I had good luck streaming the olympics TV from the UK using a VPN service. What’s the best way to get the World Cup on the TV in your living room if you don’t have a cable subscription?

I’ve got a couple of great options for you other cord-cutters to get the World Cup on your TV.

Streaming the World Cup from the UK using Hola.org

A friend told me about Hola.org, a browser plug in that allows you to stream from different countries.

  1. Install the “Hola.org” plug in on Chrome.
  2. Connect to either the BBC stream or the ITV stream.
  3. Hola should automatically change to “UK” mode and load the site. If you need a post code in the UK - Here’s the one for the TV Licensing (the government organization that collects tax dollars and pays for TV). BS98 1TL
  4. Stream the game

This is the easiest way to start streaming the game, but I’ve found that the stream doesn’t stay consistently good. Even on the paid tier, the stream via Hola.org is quite inconsistent on my fiber internet.

Streaming the World Cup from the UK using Vyprvpn

Option two is just marginally more complicated and that’s to pay for it VPN access. The downside here is that it sends all your internet traffic to the remote server, not just a single tab in the browser.

Some quick research online for “Fastest VPNs for streaming” had Vyprvpn topping some chart. I’m always skeptical of VPN review sites, but it wasn’t a bad sign that they might be a decent option.

  1. Sign up for VyprVPN (3 day trial, and 50% off the first month)- I don’t get any kickback on this… I’m just a happy customer.
  2. Connect to servers in the UK using the Vyprvpn app.
  3. Connect to either the BBC stream or the ITV stream.
  4. Stream the game

I’ve found that Vyprvpn’s service is much more reliable. It might buffer once every 20 minutes and the quality of the picture doesn’t degrade.

Getting your streaming World Cup game on a TV using Chromecast

Getting it on a computer is fine, but the ideal is that it’s on your TV.

First, you’ll need a Google ChromeCast, a $35 device you plug in to your TV. Once that’s up and running.

  1. Install the “Google Cast” plugin for Chrome.
  2. While streaming the game from the BBC or ITV, click “Cast”
  3. You’ll get your game on the TV

Happy watching!