Updated on: May 6, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best VPN for live streaming sports for free in 2024:
- 🥇 ExpressVPN : It works with a long list of streaming sites that live stream sports content, such as Sling TV, Peacock TV, YouTube TV, 9Now, and it’s the fastest VPN on the market, so you’ll enjoy buffer-free sports live streams. It has apps for all major OS, as well as a router app and a smart DNS feature that lets you stream sports on your gaming consoles and smart TV, too.
I always use a VPN when I live stream my favorite sports. A VPN protects your connection by encrypting your traffic and hiding your IP address, and some VPNs even prevent you from visiting fake and malicious sites that claim to live stream the sports events you’ve been waiting for.
In theory, a VPN can also help you live stream sports on free sites that aren’t available in your location, but keep in mind that this is against most sites’ Terms of Services — and may even be considered as copyright infringement.
However, not all VPNs are good for live streaming sports on free sites. I’ve tested a ton of VPNs and found that a lot of them are really slow and laggy, which is super annoying if you’re watching a live stream. Some even lack the basic features that protect your security and privacy online.
After extensive research and testing, I’ve found the best VPNs for live streaming sports on free websites. These VPNs have superfast speeds for smooth streaming and excellent security features. My top pick is ExpressVPN because it’s the fastest and always worked with every sports streaming platform I tested.
Quick summary of the best VPNs for live streaming sports for free:
- 1. 🥇 ExpressVPN — Best overall VPN for live streaming sports for free in 2024 with the fastest speeds.
- 2. 🥈 Private Internet Access — Excellent VPN apps for live streaming sports for free on Android and iOS devices.
- 3. 🥉 CyberGhost VPN — Great VPN with dedicated streaming servers for free sports streaming platforms.
- 4. NordVPN — Great security features for free live broadcasts + fast speeds on all servers.
- 5. Surfshark — Affordable VPN for live streaming sports for free + great for beginners.
- Plus 2 more!
Disclaimer: Neither I nor anyone else at SafetyDetectives condones copyright infringement. The VPN services I recommend in the list below follow strict no-logs policies, so they won’t record or view your online activities. This means you are responsible for how you use your VPN, so I recommend following all the relevant rules and regulations.
🥇 1. ExpressVPN — Best VPN for Live Streaming Sports For Free
ExpressVPN is my #1 VPN pick for watching live sports on free streaming services, as it consistently works with free streaming sites that offer live sports broadcasts, such as BBC iPlayer, Tubi, and Red Bull TV (as confirmed by our team members in locations where these streaming services are available).
ExpressVPN is the fastest VPN out there. In my tests, live streams loaded instantly, and there were no lags interrupting the broadcast. I also like how ExpressVPN has servers in 105 countries, which means you’ll always be able to find a nearby server to get the fastest possible speeds and enjoy your favorite sports event without any interruptions.
It’s very secure, too. ExpressVPN uses perfect forward secrecy (frequently changes the encryption key to protect your traffic constantly), RAM-only servers (they wipe all data when rebooted), and an audited no-logs policy, which means nobody would know what sports streaming sites you use or what you watch. I especially like Threat Manager, which blocks trackers malicious live streaming sports sites.
ExpressVPN has apps for all major operating systems, including Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS, so you’ll be able to stream sports on free sites on all of your devices. These include your devices that don’t natively support VPNs, such as your smart TV and gaming console, thanks to ExpressVPN’s smart DNS feature, called Media Streamer. When I tested it, it was super easy to install.
Its apps are user-friendly. There’s a quick-connect button that connects you to the fastest server for a lag-free sports live stream, but you can also manually pick any server you want. I’m also a huge fan of the Shortcuts feature, which allows you to create 1-click shortcuts to your favorite free live streaming sports apps and sites that show up on the screen after you connect to a VPN server.
ExpressVPN’s plans start at $6.67 / month. It backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try out its subscription plans without risk.
Bottom Line:
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for free sports live streaming services. It works with all sites that live stream sports for free, has super fast speeds for buffer-free streaming, and provides excellent security features to protect your connections while live streaming. It has apps for all major OS, so you can watch sports on any of your devices, and there’s a smart DNS feature that lets you live stream sports on your smart TV or gaming console. It backs purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full ExpressVPN review
🥈 2. Private Internet Access — Great VPN for Watching Free Sports Live Streams on Android & iOS
Private Internet Access is great for live streaming sports on your smartphone. Its Android and iOS apps are very easy to navigate, and I like that PIA auto-connects you to a server when your device detects an unsecured Wi-Fi network, such as when you live stream sports on free sites in a public space (like a café, or a hotel).
Its Windows and macOS apps are user-friendly, too, and you get a smart DNS feature to live stream your favorite sports for free on your smart TV or gaming console. Plus, you get unlimited connections, so you and your entire family can watch different live streams on all of your devices at the same time.
PIA has great streaming support. I had no problem live streaming on Red Bull TV from my location when I connected to a local PIA server. My colleague in the UK also tested it with BBC iPlayer and was always able to watch live streams without any issues while connected to PIA’s servers.
PIA has great speeds for watching free live stream sports. All live streams I tested loaded in 1–2 seconds, which is slightly slower than ExpressVPN. That said, I didn’t experience any buffering once the live stream loaded.
PIA protects your privacy while live streaming sports online. In addition to perfect forward secrecy, RAM-only servers, and full leak protection, it also comes with PIA MACE, which is one of the best VPN ad blockers on the market. It also blocks trackers and protected me from fake free sites that claim to stream sports events.
Private Internet Access has cheap plans that start at $2.03 / month, and it offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for all plans.
Bottom Line:
PIA mobile apps are great for watching sports on free live streaming sites. They’re easy to use, offer fast speeds for lag-free live streaming, and they maintain these speeds on an unlimited number of devices. PIA MACE keeps you safe from fake sports streaming sites and blocks annoying ads that interrupt your stream. You get a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans.
Read the full Private Internet Access review
🥉 3. CyberGhost VPN — Streaming-Optimized Servers for Free Sports Platforms
CyberGhost VPN has dedicated servers in 5+ countries that always work with 10+ free sites that live stream sports, including BBC iPlayer (UK), 6play (France), or RTÉ (Ireland). But if none of these sites are available in your location, you can use CyberGhost’s regular servers, too — our international team was able to live stream sports on free sites available in their location while connected to its regular servers, too.
It has great speeds for live streaming games on free sites. My colleagues and I tested both streaming-optimized and its regular servers and waited for only 2–3 seconds to load all live streams. There wasn’t any buffering, but ExpressVPN had slightly better speed on more distant servers.
I like how beginner-friendly CyberGhost VPN’s apps are. Everything in the apps is clearly labeled and explained, and it doesn’t take more than 2–3 clicks to find your preferred server location, connect to it, and live stream your favorite sport! Its desktop apps have got great automation, too — they auto-launch your browser or your favorite free live streaming app after you connect to a server.
CyberGhost VPN’s got great security features. It uses perfect forward secrecy and RAM-only servers, and protects against DNS and IPv6 leaks. It’s got an ad, tracker, and malware blocker, too (Content Blocker), but I prefer PIA MACE as it blocks more ads.
CyberGhost VPN’s plans are affordable, starting at $2.19 / month. It backs its short-term plans with a 14-day money-back guarantee, and its long-term plans with a generous 45-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
CyberGhost VPN has optimized servers for live streaming sports on 10+ free sites, including BBC iPlayer, 6play, or RTÉ. It offers good speeds for buffer-free live streaming, great security features, and its apps are beginner-friendly, with great automation. Its long-term plans come with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full CyberGhost VPN review
4. NordVPN — Reliable and Fast VPN for Live Streaming Sports
NordVPN has great speeds and security for live streaming sports on free platforms. It uses RAM-only servers and perfect forward secrecy and comes with full leak protection. You also get NordVPN’s Threat Protection, which blocks annoying ads, trackers, and malicious sites that falsely claim to live stream sports for free.
It works with 10+ free sites that live stream different sports. Our international team tested it and were able to watch sports live streams on platforms available in their locations, including BBC iPlayer, Tubi, 9Now, Peacock TV, and RTÉ.
NordVPN has fast speeds thanks to its proprietary NordLynx protocol. In my tests, live streams took only 2–3 seconds to load and then ran at the highest quality smoothly without any buffering. Even without NordLynx, the speed didn’t go down enough to really interrupt my streams. However, ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access were faster in comparison.
Its apps are both beginner-friendly and feature-rich. I like the interactive map that lets you connect to a server by clicking on the country pin, and I think it’s very convenient how NordVPN automatically connects you to the fastest server when it detects an unsecured Wi-Fi network.
NordVPN’s plans start at $3.09 / month, and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee backing all plans.
Bottom Line:
NordVPN is a fast and secure VPN for live streaming sports on free sites. It works with 10+ free sites that live stream sports (as confirmed by our international testing team), it has great security features, and maintains fast speeds for live streaming sports. NordVPN backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. Surfshark — User-Friendly VPN for Live Streaming Sports for Free
Surfshark is great for watching free sports live streams, especially if you’re new to VPNs. Its apps are easy to navigate and all settings come with brief explanations, so you’ll never feel lost. I also find it super convenient that it lets you connect an unlimited number of devices (Private Internet Access also allows unlimited connections).
Surfshark offers great speeds for live streaming sports on free sites. In my tests, sports live streams took about 3–4 seconds to load and played without buffering once they’ve loaded. You’re also highly likely to find a nearby server for the fastest possible speeds with Surfshark — it has servers in 100 countries.
Surfshark has advanced security features, too, such as RAM-only servers and perfect forward secrecy. However, it only offers DNS leak protection, so I’d feel safer streaming with ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access, which also protect you against WebRTC and IPv6 leaks.
Surfshark has cheap plans that start at $2.29 / month, and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee on all of them.
Bottom Line:
Surfshark is a beginner-friendly option for live streaming sports for free. It has easy-to-use apps with explanations for settings, descent speeds, and good security features. Surfshark backs all purchases with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Surfshark review
6. PrivateVPN — Good for VPN Beginners
PrivateVPN is great for VPN beginners who live stream sports on free sites. PrivateVPN’s Simple View mode lets you quickly connect to a server and leave the VPN working in the background as you watch your favorite sport.
It works with a lot of free streaming services that live stream sports content for free. Our international team tested platforms available in their locations, such as 9now, Sling TV, and BBC iPlayer and more, and was able to live stream sports while connected to PrivateVPN’s servers. But the VPN isn’t as fast as most of the VPNs on this list. It took 5–6 seconds to load a live stream, and there was some buffering in my tests.
PrivateVPN is a secure VPN for live streaming sports on free sites — it comes with perfect forward secrecy and protection against DNS and IPv6 leaks. However, I wish it used RAM-only servers and offered WebRTC leak protection, so it would be on par with top VPNs like ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access.
PrivateVPN’s plans start at $2.00 / month, and all are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
PrivateVPN is great for sports fans looking for a simple VPN that works with free sites. Its apps are very beginner-friendly, it works with a lot of sites that live stream sports for free, and it offers decent speeds for streaming in HD quality. All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full PrivateVPN review
7. Proton VPN — Privacy-Friendly VPN With Decent Speeds
Proton VPN keeps you anonymous when you live stream sports on free sites. It’s got a strict no-logs policy, perfect forward secrecy, full leak protection, and all of its servers are fully encrypted, which means nobody would be able to see what sites you live stream sports on even if someone tried to hack its servers. I also really like NetShield, ProtonVPN’s ad, tracker, and malware blocker that’s almost as good as PIA MACE.
In my tests, Proton VPN has okay speeds. My colleagues tested it on sites available in their locations, like BBC iPlayer, Sling TV, and Peacock, and said live streams took 5–6 seconds to load, and there was some buffering and lag. The good news is Proton has a VPN Accelerator feature, which boosts your speeds on distant servers. It helped improve my speeds by 40%, but it was still slower than ExpressVPN.
Proton VPN’s Plus plan costs $4.49 / month and are backed by a prorated 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Proton VPN is a good pick for protecting your privacy while live streaming sports for free online. It’s got advanced security and privacy features and good speeds for streaming. All of its plans come with a prorated 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Proton VPN review
Quick Comparison Table
How to Choose the Best VPN for Live Streaming Sports for Free in 2024
- Look for a VPN that works with free sports streaming platforms. All VPNs on my list work with free sites like Tubi, 9Now, and Red Bull TV (as confirmed by our international testing team), which live stream different sports events for free.
- Pick a fast VPN. AVPNs slow down your connection because of the encryption process and the time to route your data through the VPN server before it arrives at its final destination. But with top VPNs like ExpressVPN, you’ll barely notice any latency.
- Choose a VPN with a large server network. This way, it’s more likely you’ll find a nearby server for the best possible speeds.
- Consider strong security features. A good VPN protects your data and anonymity online with standard security features, including 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, a no-logs policy, and a kill switch that prevents data leaks by disconnecting you from the internet if your VPN connection drops.
- Check if it works with all OS and has user-friendly apps. Every VPN on my list offers apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices that are very easy to navigate. Most of them also have a smart DNS feature that allows you to live stream sports on free sites on your smart TV and gaming console.
- Buy a VPN that offers excellent value. Check if the VPN offers any extra features like split-tunneling, an ad, tracker, and malware blocker, and router support. A good VPN also backs its plans with a money-back guarantee so you can try it risk-free.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- IPVanish. It’s very secure and offers decent speeds, but it doesn’t work with a lot of free sites that live stream sports.
- TunnelBear. It’s one of the most beginner-friendly VPNs on the market, with decent speeds and great security, but its server network (in 47 countries) is a lot smaller than all VPNs on my list.
- VyprVPN. Its speeds are good, it’s very secure, and it works with sites that live stream sports for free, but it doesn’t offer any extra features like an ad, tracker and malware blocker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why would I need a VPN to watch sports live streams on legal free streaming platforms?
Using a great VPN with free sites is great for security. When you connect to the internet, especially on public networks, others can often see your activities and access your data. By using a VPN, you actively secure your connection — it encrypts your traffic so nobody, not even your ISP (Internet Service Provider), sees what you’re doing online.
In addition, in theory, a VPN can help you access a free local sports stream that’s not available in your region by hiding your IP address and assigning you a new one that matches the location of the server you connect to. However, it’s important to note that using a VPN to watch a stream that’s otherwise unavailable in your location may violate the streaming site’s Terms of Service and also be considered copyright infringement.
Can I use a free VPN to watch free sports live streams?
Yes, but I don’t recommend it. Free VPNs come with a lot of limitations — they only let you connect to a limited number of server locations, cap your bandwidth, and some even limit your speed, which results in a lot of buffering when you’re live streaming sports on free sites. Worst of all are free VPNs that don’t have features like a strict no-logs policy, log your online activities, and sell information to third parties.
To securely live stream sports on free sites, I suggest getting a premium VPN like ExpressVPN. It has super fast speeds, works with all free sites that live stream sports, and has excellent security features.
How do I watch free sports live streams on a gaming console?
You’ll need a VPN that has a smart DNS feature or router support. A smart DNS feature allows you to use the VPN on devices that don’t natively support VPNs, like your smart TV, PlayStation, or Xbox. You can also protect these devices by setting up the VPN on your router.
Most VPNs on my list offer a smart DNS feature and work with most routers. If you prefer setting the VPN on your router, I recommend ExpressVPN as it’s one of the only VPNs on the market that has a dedicated router app — it’s very easy to install and use!
How can I live stream sports for free in Europe?
You can securely live stream sports for free in Europe with a VPN. If you’re currently in Europe and you want to watch a live stream available in your current region, all you have to do is connect to a VPN server in your location and start the live stream. If you’re looking to watch a live stream that’s available in Europe while you’re abroad, in theory, you can do that with a VPN by connecting to a server located in the place where the live stream is available. However, keep in mind that this goes against most streaming sites’ Terms of Service and can even constitute copyright infringement.
