Streaming services have become a major source of entertainment lately. With phrases like ‘Netflix and Chill’ now the mantra for teenagers, it comes as no surprise that this industry has seen some substantial investments and major players entering the arena. TV shows are being produced rapidly to cater to the growing demand from users and to be honest, they are quite spellbinding, to say the least. Once you begin watching one series, it becomes really hard to stop at one episode or even a season.

For those of you who don’t know what we’re talking about, although it is unlikely that might be the case but, nonetheless. Every TV show is split into seasons and each season has a certain number of episodes. This number can range between eight to fifteen on average or even higher than that. These TV shows are getting so popular that Netflix alone gained 29 million new subscribers in 2018, a 33% rise over the previous year.

However, as much as these programs are viewed worldwide, streaming services like Amazon, Netflix and HBO still resort to geolocation and restriction of content. They calculate user demand and take licensing issues into account to make decisions about blocking some content outside some geographic boundaries. This becomes a huge inconvenience for avid watchers because it is not fair to them. Shouldn’t the entire user base be allowed access to the same content? Why do I have to be left out of watching my favorite series just because I live in a different country?

Well, be as it may, but this is currently the case. Still, there is hope for all of us. Just to give you a little heads up, Amazon Prime Video is unavailable outside of US. But, you can still watch Amazon Prime Video outside of US or from anywhere in the world.

Let’s dive deeper into the subject and explain what we’re talking about.

What is Amazon Prime Video?

Amazon is a relatively new entrant into the streaming services industry. Backed by one of the largest ecommerce platforms on the planet, this channel was launched in 2006 and currently has more than 100 million subscribers worldwide. Although this is only a fraction of the total subscribers that Netflix has, Amazon’s number of users has been rising sharply over the past few years. To its advantage, it is backed by one of the biggest companies operating today. This means that they have the investment muscle to pursue a significant chunk of market share in the entertainment industry.

Amazon has been coming up with some interesting shows and its library is growing every day. Despite their customer base which expands to almost every country in the world, they too resort to selective streaming practices. The viewers in the United States are prioritized and have access to the largest number of shows while there are limitations for users in other parts of the world. They might have their reasons for implementing these practices but at the end of the day, it is not fair to consumers in any form.

How to watch Amazon Prime Video from Aboard

If you’re an Amazon Prime Video subscriber living outside the United States, you must severely be underwhelmed. Well, fret not because there are some neat party tricks which can help you unblock any content which might not be available in your area. There as several things that you can do but the most reliable of them all the use of a VPN. These services work effectively to mask the origin of the request you send to access Amazon content. You can conveniently select to connect from any country you like and now, you have access to a lot more content than before. This is simple and easy. Also, there are no drawbacks of using these programs as long as you have a reliable one.

VPN services are quite easy to install, and they are available at affordable prices. Since Amazon doesn’t allow access to all its content from outside the US, it so happens sometimes that even if you’re traveling, the positioning services which they use can restrict your viewership. The shows which are available depending on the region you are in at the moment.  A VPN can effectively take care of this for you. These programs are available for all major devices and one subscription can be used on up to five different gadgets. All you have to do is install the service on your respective device, select the country you want to connect to and get streaming instantly.

Can Amazon Prime Video be accessed from Outside the US?

Amazon does accept subscriptions from around the world but almost 90% of its current customer base resides in the US. So, it comes as no surprise that most of the content available on the platform has restricted viewership. Only the users within the United States can access almost all the movies and TV shows available on Amazon Prime Video. Therefore, while users can signup for the service from anywhere in the world, they don’t get access to as much content as their US counterparts. This can become quite frustrating sometimes.

There are two main reasons why the content from services like Amazon is only available in specific locations. The first is demand. 90 million of Amazon Prime Video users live within the United States. This leaves just ten million to be spread in countries around the world. Amazon takes area wise viewership into account before making a decision on whether to release a movie or TV show in a country or not. If their calculations reveal that the launch will not turn out to be profitable, they decide against it. While the company might be able to justify this action for themselves, it is unjust to the users and fans who purchase the subscription for a specific show.

The second reason in licensing. Every country and even different states in the same country have varying laws regarding digital content which can be aired in their boundaries. Streaming services have to purchase licenses and viewership rights from the authorities in that area. This can sometimes become a challenge for a number of reasons and based on the fact that they got the rights or not, the call is made to allow content in a country or not.

Watch Amazon Prime Video with a VPN

VPNs can solve the limited viewership problem in streaming services quite easily. The underlying principle of a VPN is that it makes the internet think you are in a different location. For instance, if you are using a VPN to connect to Amazon from the UK, you can simply choose an American server, connect to it and begin streaming. Due to the VPN, Amazon Prime will be made to believe that you are a user living inside the US giving you access to a lot more content than usual.

Instead of a ping from your computer’s IP address going to the local internet service provider, the VPN sends it to a secure server located in the country you have selected. It is then sent to the ISP and the website you are trying to access. This way it becomes impossible for anyone to tell that the request for access to the website’s content is coming from anywhere besides the US. Now you have the freedom to access your favorite content without having to worry about anything.

Is Amazon Prime Video better than Netflix?

The answer to this question depends entirely upon the user. Each of the two streaming services are great in their own respects. Which one is better will vary based on the content which customers like. Generally, there are a few advantages which Amazon has over Netflix. The former is cheaper as compared to its elder competitor. Amazon also has more regional content on its platform. This initiative has prompted Netflix to jump on the bandwagon too by creating shows centered on the Indian market for example.

Amazon also offers some added benefits with every subscription. These apply to the ecommerce wing of the parent website. Users get discounts and free shipping with certain limitations. There are also no extra charges for 4K videos and with Amazon, you get access to the Prime Music service too. This is something which is not found in other channels like Netflix etc. These are some of the things which set Amazon apart from Netflix and other streaming services.

Conclusion

Amazon is an amazing service with some of the most popular shows like The Grand Tour airing on it. The limited viewership though spoils the fun for users outside the US. Now, these customers have the ability to get what they want by using VPN services like Ivacy. The program provides users with the ability to connect to more than a thousand servers across the globe. You can stream anonymously and without any data or bandwidth restrictions. The speeds are continuous and to top it all off, the packages offered by Ivacy are some of the most affordable in the business. All these factors combined with the strict zero logging policy followed by Ivacy make it the weapon of choice to help you get access to all the shows and movies that you love on Amazon.