If you are a U.K. resident and watch tv online you are probably using the apps available on a smart tv or downloaded onto a tablet, phone, computer, Firestick etc. The main apps are BBCiPlayer, ITVHub, All4 and My5 and these are completely free to use (OK you need a TV licence for BBC). If you go on a trip outside the U.K. and want to continue to watch your favourite TV programmes you will find these apps do not work.
I have not tried it but I assume you can use an IPTV service to gain live access to these channels but because of time differences this is very likely to be inconvenient and I certainly want to view on catch-up using the apps.
The apps are geo-blocked so a VPN is required to watch abroad but not any VPN will do. The apps can often detect whether you are using a VPN and will stop the app from working, but this does not apply to all VPNs. I have tried a few and here are the results:
ExpressVPN will work, but only using their Wembley server and I got some buffering.
I could not get Surfshark to work despite suggestions from their support.
Neither would Windscribe work, but I used only the servers freely available without a contract.
I have not tried IPVanish.
NordVPN worked immediately using whatever server it allocated and these were not obfuscating ones. This is the VPN I would recommend for this purpose.
The fact that the other VPNs do not support this particular usage should not put people off using them if they do not have this requirement. I was a satisfied user of ExpressVPN for a couple of years and all have easy to use interfaces and good performance - it is just that they do not meet this particular need at all or well enough.
I believe those who subscribe to Sky TV will be able to get that via SkyGo using NordVPN but I have not tried it.
Ive taken a Firestick from Glasgow to Florida many times. Using Surfshark, Ive not had any issues using STV Player, channel 4, My5 and even ITV Hub. Have not tried BBC as Ive no intentions of paying the UK gov a licence fee 
. On occasions that I need to view BBC content, its via TVMob and all okay 
Well that is interesting. I have never used STV but certainly ITVHub didn’t work for me under Surfshark. I have noticed that some apps have tightened up as new versions come along. I am currently in the U.K. and have turned on Surfshark and ITVHub doesn’t work. I’d be interested to know if it works for you if you tried it now.
STV works for me when tested in Glasgow, Manchester and London UK locations. [I’m Glasgow Based] Although ITV Hub at times directs me to STV Player if I’m using an English location. When I change location to London, it works fine. When in Florida, both worked using Glasgow [STV]/London [ITV]
I do think they “ping” location at times as I get logged out occasionally and have to do the “verify email” routine before stream plays again. Not sure what that is all about, but works for me after doing that.
I can understand STV working for you - perhaps the app does not check for a VPN in use. The All4 app worked fine under SS for me. Our different experiences with ITVHub is mystifying - I could not get it to work on any of the servers including the static ones. Perhaps we are using different versions of either ITVHub and/or SS. I have versions 2.2.5 and 2.7.7.5 on my Firestick respectively.
STV player 4.14.4 and ITV Hub v2.96.4 with Surfshark 2.7.7.5
Im thinking this issue may have something to do with the fact there is a location selection option within the setting in these Apps. You put in a postcode and it uses that to offer regional content. Maybe why I get logged out at times and get the msg to verify email? Ive yet to test whether you can change this location occasionally to suit yourself, but maybe worth investigating.
I live outside hthe UK. At various times I have tried all the VPN’s mentioned and had issues with all of them including Nord. For a couple of years now I have been using Le VPN. Couldn’t be easier to use. Works perfectly across all the UK georestricted app’s. Never had any problems with it.
Good to know - thanks