How to stream sports abroad with Private Internet Access (PIA) in 2022

  • Speed: PIA’s average download speed was 117 Mbps, letting it to maintain its spot towards the top of the list of fastest VPNs.
  • Apps: PIA makes apps for more devices than any other VPN including Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Chrome OS and Amazon Fire TV.
  • Streaming: PIA unblocks several popular streaming services, such as Hulu or Amazon Prime Video. However, after some tweaking (switching servers), you would ultimately able to get every streaming service to function.
  • Split Tunneling: Split tunneling allows you to tunnel your torrenting app’s internet traffic through the VPN while using a normal, direct connection for other activities.
  • Encryption Specifics: 256-bit AES encryption, key exchange supports and perfect forward secrecy.

Private Internet Access, or PIA for short, is an established VPN service provider. It bills itself as the “world’s most trusted VPN,” and as the name implies, privacy iterates first.

Private Internet Access is a lightweight VPN that users may extensively customise to their own needs. It provides excellent security and decent speeds, but falls short when it comes to unblocking region-locked content or bypassing government censorship in places such as China. Rather than those who wish to stream video and unblock content, I recommend it to sports streaming and other users who use a VPN to maintain privacy.

What are the alternatives to Private Internet Access (PIA) to watch sports abroad

Here are few of the top alternatives to Private Interne to stream sports abroad:

  • Speed: ExpressVPN is among the fastest VPNs, due largely in part to its proprietary Lightway protocol.
  • Apps: ExpressVPN makes apps for more devices than any other VPN including Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Android TV and Nvidia Shield, Linux, Amazon Fire TV.
  • Streaming: ExpressVPN has reliably worked with Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime Video, Sky TV, Youtube TV and all sports streaming services.
  • Split Tunneling: Split tunneling is supported by the ExpressVPN apps for Windows, MacOS, Android, and routers, allowing you to choose which other apps utilize the VPN and which connect to the internet without it.
  • Encryption Specifics: 256-bit AES channel strong encryption, 4096-bit DHE-RSA keys, SHA512 hash authentication and perfect forward secrecy.

  • Speed: CyberGhost took first place in the average speed test, with an average download speed of 548 Mbps across all locations and times, a significant improvement over previous years.
  • Apps: Surfshark makes apps for more devices than any other VPN including Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android and Amazon Fire TV.
  • Streaming: It also gives you secure access to Netflix’s French, German, Italian, Swedish, and Japanese libraries, which have somewhat different catalogues of programs, some of which are not accessible on the American edition.
  • Split Tunneling: The split-exclude option in CyberGhost allows you to choose which websites should utilize the VPN and which should use a straight connection. This VPN is for you if you prefer a website-based split tunneling functionality over an app-based one.
  • Encryption Specifics: 256-bit AES/ChaCha20 encryption, 2,048-bit RSA keys, SHA256 authentication and perfect forward secrecy.

  • Speed: NordVPN launched NordLynx, a proprietary VPN protocol that greatly enhanced its speeds. This secure protocol is a Wireguard extension, which is newer and more efficient than earlier protocols like as OpenVPN and IKEv2.
  • Apps: NordVPN enables up to six devices to connect at the same time on a single account, making it an excellent choice for sharing with family or a roommate. Apps for Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux, and Amazon Fire TV are all available.
  • Streaming: NordVPN works a variety of streaming services, including but not limited to Netflix, BBC iPlayer, ABC iView, and Hulu. This is accomplished using NordVPN’s proprietary SmartPlay technology, which essentially activates a built-in Smart DNS service whenever you visit a compatible streaming site.
  • Split Tunneling: Split tunneling allows you to maintain two connections at the same time. Your NordVPN software splits your internet traffic into two categories: one that is encrypted and rerouted via secure VPN servers, and the other that is kept untouched and allowed to interact directly with the internet.
  • Encryption Specifics: 256-bit AES channel strong encryption, SHA384 authentication, 3072-bit DHE-RSA key exchange and perfect forward secrecy.

  • Speed: Surfshark fared great in our speed tests and is one of the fastest VPNs we’ve reviewed. At three different times of day, we tested multiple Surfshark server locations. The average speed across all tests was 324 Mbps, easily beating ExpressVPN but falling short of NordVPN and IPVanish.
  • Apps: Surfshark makes apps including Windows 7, MacOS, iOS, Android, Linux Ubuntu and Debian and Amazon Fire TV.
  • Streaming: Surfshark customers may use Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, ITV Hub, All 4, Hotstar, HBO, Sky, and many more local streaming services to access 30 international Netflix libraries. When it comes to safely accessing streaming services, Surfshark is one of the finest VPNs available.
  • Split Tunneling: Whitelister, a split tunneling feature, lets you to choose which apps, websites, or IPs addresses utilize the VPN and which do not.
  • Encryption Specifics: 256-bit AES encryption, 2048-bit DHE-RSA key exchange, SHA512 hash authentication and perfect forward secrecy.

Why Private Internet Access (PIA)

Private Internet Access (PIA) is a capable VPN provider that is currently owned by Kape, which also owns CyberGhost, ZenMate, and ExpressVPN.

The ‘NextGen VPN Network’ of the firm includes locations in 83 countries across the world. (This is an increase from 78 in our previous analysis, as PIA has expanded into Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, and Malaysia.)

We’re not talking about cheap-cost shared servers here. NextGen servers, according to PIA, “have better hardware components,” feature “10Gbps network cards instead of 1Gbps,” employ RAM discs to ensure “all sensitive information is lost as soon as the server loses power,” and now support both WireGuard and OpenVPN.

This VPN network is accessible via apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux, browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera, and detailed setup tutorials for routers and many other device types.

PIA may connect up to ten devices at the same time. That’s twice the allowance you’ll get with many VPNs, however Windscribe and Surfshark have no limits at all.

The extras range from the simple and straightforward (built-in blocking of ads, trackers, and known malicious websites) to the more low-level and technical: a SOCKS5 proxy for extra speed, port forwarding support, the ability to choose your preferred encryption, authentication, and handshaking methods, and more.

If it sounds too complicated for you, don’t worry – there’s always live chat support available to walk you through any tricky bits.

Private Internet Access (PIA) Features

Flexible Encryption

VPN service providers frequently force users to use fixed encryption rates. While this can be an idiot-proof way for keeping users safe, it limits your flexibility.

The higher the encryption rate employed, the more secure your data. Unfortunately, this safety comes at the expense of potential speed sacrifice. While those of you who use modern, powerful devices will be mainly OK, the extra overhead can be crippling on slower devices at times.

We don’t always need to run our VPNs with full encryption. The ability to adjust encryption rates allows you to tune your PIA client to benefit in certain scenarios, such as while downloading large files.

Full Security

Aside from the benefit of adjustable encryption, PIA offers users with a choice of extra security options. Even though they have their own implementation of several standard features, they are not unique to PIA.

Among the security features you’ll discover are:

  • VPN Kill Switch
  • PIA MACE
  • Proxy
  • No Logging
  • Choice of Nameserver

Decent Speeds

The performance of PIA varies greatly among countries and even servers. This trait is not unique and will be shared by all VPN service providers.

To demonstrate how quick PIA is, we ran sets of speed tests (with and without PIA active) for five different locations. While the dataset is not definitive, it may be used as a general indicator of their overall service quality.

Massive Server Farm

PIA advertises a vast network of servers, with about 30,000 of them located in 77 countries. While not entirely indicative of quality, this coverage is significantly more accessible. Even some top-tier providers fall short in comparison. Surfshark, for example, has 3,200 servers across 65 countries.

The significance of availability isn’t seen until you need to accomplish something specific. If you want to bypass geo-blocks in specific regions, make sure you sign up with a provider that has coverage as good as PIA.

User Friendly

While you may be surprised to learn that I like this, not all services are simple to use. This is especially true for more technical services such as VPNs. Despite the fact that it provides a wide range of options, PIA is simple to use.

Once installed, the software is quite easy to use. You won’t waste time looking for what you need to accomplish thanks to the user-friendly interface. The only exception is changing the server by right-clicking on the PIA notification icon.

  • Installation on Linux is a Breeze
  • Available in 19 Languages

Connect Up To 10 Devices

PIA allows you to connect up to ten devices to their service at the same time. Having a high device allowance is more critical than you would think. When I first started using VPNs, I only had one laptop and one smartphone. In my home now, I run more than eight devices.

Consider the VPN to be protection for the entire family, rather than just yourself. That means your PIA subscription may cover all of your home’s devices for a single, low price.

If you’re thinking of being smart and working around this by installing PIA on your router, I’m sorry to disillusion you. While it is possible, your speeds will be snail’s pace. Most routers can handle some encryption, although they weren’t designed to do so.

PIA is available for a wide range of platforms. These include:

  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Linux
  • Android
  • iOS

Browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera are also possible.

Reasonable Plan Duration and Prices

Unlike some VPN providers that try to lock you in for extremely long contracts, PIA offers a maximum discount on their 2-year plan. That sums up to about $2.69 per month, which is a low rate for a VPN service.

To put this into perspective, a month’s worth of PIA would cost less than a Starbucks Mocha Frappuccino. Sure, you can find lower prices, but not many with this combination of price, features, and performance.

Aside from the low cost of the 2-year plan, you also get an additional two months free, making your account valid for 26 months. PLUS, you’ll receive a free subscription to Boxcryptor, a cloud storage encryption service.

However, bear in mind that, like with all other VPNs, signing up for shorter durations is typically prohibitively expensive.

 1-Month12-Month24-Month
Price$9.95$39.96$64.56
Billing Cycle1-Month12-Month24-Month

Large volumes of VPN encryption will simply overwhelm the majority of consumer routers.

Pros and Cons of Private Internet Access (PIA)

  • Connect up to 10 devices
  • Fast speed
  • Economical prices
  • Flexible encryption
  • Cushion to increase the speed
  • Unverified windows installer

What streaming services can I access with Private Internet Access (PIA) abroad

Streaming ServicesNature
Sling TVSports
Hulu TVSports
Amazon Prime VideoSports
Disney+Sports
ESPN+Sports
CNBCSports
ABC GoSports
BBC iPlayerSports
HBO MaxSports
DAZNSports
YouTube TVSports
HotstarSports
Foxtel NowSports
Paramount PlusSports
DirecTVSports
fuboTVSports
MLB.TvSports
NBA League PassSports
BeIN SportsSports
Fox SportsSports
TSN DirectSports
NHL LIVESports
Sportsnet NowSports
BT SportsSports
NOW PassSports
Sky SportsSports
The AthleticSports
Facebook LiveSports
EFL iFollowSports
Premier SportsSports
NOW TV PlayerSports
Sky GoSports
meWatchSports
SuperSportSports
PeacockSports
HesGoalSports
Verizon FiosSports
Foxtel NowSports
KayoSports
Stan SportSports
USTVSports
ITVSports
VuduSports
You can access any type of streaming service from anywhere in the world with Private Internet Access (PIA)

About the author

I am Jeff Loyd and off course I am a sports and tech enthusiast. I have been in the stream research team of many big tech giants for the past 10 years. This is my personal blog where I will be sharing the ways one can watch their favourite sports even when they are travelling abroad or if they have shifted permanently.

Leave a Comment