How to Watch NRK Outside Norway: Quick Guide for 2024

NRK is an abbreviation of Norsk rikskringkasting (Norwegian); which means Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (in English). It is a radio and TV broadcasting organization owned by the government of Norway. It is also the biggest broadcasting company in the country. However, the services of the media house only air within the borders of Norway.

It is ordinarily impossible to listen to either NRK radio or TV outside Norway, even if you’re Norwegian by birth. That is because the company doesn’t have the license to broadcast abroad. Despite that, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have an extraordinary means of bypassing geo-restrictions and providing added security. With that, you won’t miss any episode of your favorite NRK shows.

How to Watch NRK with a VPN

When the streaming platform locks you out of its website, it’s because it reads your IP address and gets your location to be outside Norway. With the help of a VPN service, a virtual IP address masks your device’s address to make it seem like you’re in Norway. To that effect, you can stream NRK content endlessly outside Norway.

Follow the step-by-step procedure highlighted below to set a VPN up for NRK.

1. Open an account with the VPN and subscribe to any of its plans.

2. Download and install the VPN app on your device.

3. Log in to the VPN service and Select a Norwegian server.

6. You can Stream NRK without bounds.

Top VPNs for Accessing NRK Abroad

To enjoy great content on NRK, you need to secure the services of a top-tier VPN provider. This section discusses five top VPNs in the business of bypassing geo-censors.

Overall Best in Our Tests

ExpressVPN

Overall score: 9.8

• Super-fast servers
• AES 256-bit encryption
• Supports private protocol, Lightway
• Money-back guarantee

Try ExpressVPN

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!

ExpressVPN is a standout VPN amongst the best VPNs in the world. It does the simplest tasks in the most efficient ways. Typically, this VPN easily appeals to every VPN user. It has 3,000+ servers in over 90 countries globally; indeed, it has servers in Norway too. For several reasons (to be discussed), this VPN provider is your best shot at accessing NRK abroad.

To watch TV shows on NRK outside the Norwegian borders, ExpressVPN disguises your address with a virtual Norwegian one. With that mechanism, you’ll have clearance to stream content on NRK. Also, you get a zero-buffering experience, and with its high-speed servers, you won’t have complaints about skips and lags in video quality. To cap it off, ExpressVPN offers you unlimited bandwidth of data.

To promote anonymity, the VPN company does not keep any record of what you do online, and it operates a private Domain Name System (DNS). With the private DNS feature, your traffic is tunneled through a secure route. ExpressVPN also has a kill switch feature that immediately cuts your internet connection off if your VPN connection drops at any point of your stream. 

Despite its streaming excellence, this VPN is security-conscious. ExpressVPN uses the 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to code your traffic, making it inaccessible to snoops and impossible for hackers to infiltrate. The VPN service also has a split tunneling feature to allow only selected apps under the “umbrella” of the VPN. With ExpressVPN, you get to connect up to five devices at a time without having to make multiple subscriptions.

Cheapest Option

NordVPN

Overall score: 9.6

• Incredibly fast servers
• Great security features
• Verified no-logs policy
• Unblocks streaming platforms

Try NordVPN

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!

Even though it comes second on this list, NordVPN is not directly inferior to ExpressVPN in any way. It is easily a quality VPN with new features and combinations evolving to give users a more efficient experience. This VPN has over 5,400 servers globally and 60+ in one Norwegian location. 

NordVPN makes streaming come as smooth as it can be, from speed to stability and even quality. The VPN has a customized SmartPlay feature that helps users to override geo-restrictions easily, so you can listen to NRK radio abroad while you carry out some other tasks. You also get unlimited bandwidth of data and get to stream with no Internet Service Provider (ISP) throttling.

In another light, NordVPN has privacy features to help you remain anonymous even while you stream. It has a kill switch whose essence is to keep you anonymous even if your VPN connection drops. Also, this VPN provider keeps a strict no-log policy. The company audits the policy regularly to make sure your privacy is on the priority list.

This VPN service offers you the options full of the best-in-class VPN protocols (including the hybrid WireGuard® protocol). NordVPN uses uncrackable military-grade encryption for your data encryption. It also has a DoubleVPN encryption feature that channels your traffic via two VPN servers for a double layer of encryption. With such a level of security, hackers are shut out completely. NordVPN uses an ad blocker and allows you to stream NRK on up to six devices with one subscription.

Best for Connecting Multiple Devices

Surfshark

Overall score: 9.5

• Allows unlimited simultaneous connections
• Integrates Stealth mode
• Multihop feature available
• 3,000+ servers

Visit Surfshark

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!

Surfshark is another well-to-do premium VPN provider that is still very active and competitive in the market. The VPN delivers top-notch services without hassles. Surfshark has over 3,500 servers across several countries in the world. The VPN has high-grade servers in Norway.

This VPN service builds a NoBorders system into your connection, helping you get around censorship and regional restrictions at blistering speed. Surfshark gives you the freedom to watch live TV shows and listen to radio programs on NRK regardless of where you are at the moment. As you stream along, you won’t have to worry about content buffering and bandwidth limitations. This VPN has got your surf covered.

In a bid to give you an anonymous status while you stream, Surfshark operates a no-log policy. That, in its full essence, ensures that your online activity doesn’t get into any other hand, let alone the wrong hands. The VPN also uses a kill switch so that your data is transmitted only when you’re connected to the VPN server.

Surfshark comes with the best security features available in the cyber market today. Those features are well combined to complement each other in their ways. It encrypts traffic with AES-256 and still has a MultiHop feature. The advanced MultiHop feature connects you to the internet through multiple servers. That directly translates to extra protection for your device. Surfshark also has a split tunneling feature— Whitelister. Finally, it doesn’t put a limit on the number of devices you can protect with your single subscription.

Offers the best money-back guarantee

CyberGhost

Overall score: 8.8

• 45-day money-back guarantee
• 7,000+ reliable servers
• Strict no-log policy
• Tough security features

Visit CyberGhost

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!

CyberGhost carries the “beginner’s VPN” tag. VPN users call it that because its software app is straightforward to navigate, and the subscription plans are relatively cheap. Despite being the “beginner’s VPN”, CyberGhost offers one of the best services a VPN could offer, and it has a significant level of efficiency. The VPN service has 7,000+ servers around the world, including 34 speedy servers in Norway alone.

This VPN provider goes past regional restrictions with fantastic speed to result in a seamless streaming service. Regardless of how far you are from Norway, you can listen to your favorite NRK radio episodes without missing a single minute, as long as you stay connected to CyberGhost. In addition to those goodies, the VPN service gives you unlimited bandwidth to download and upload as much data as you want.

CyberGhost doesn’t keep data logs and timestamps. That policy also justifies it’s high ranking amongst VPN enthusiasts. Also, you get to enjoy the activities of a kill switch when you subscribe to CyberGhost. The kill switch majorly makes sure your data is not transmitted if you’re disconnected from the VPN network at any point in time.

In conclusion, this VPN service uses 256-bit AES. Such an encryption level makes it virtually impossible for cyber snoops and hackers to decrypt and access your traffic data. Also, you get to choose any of OpenVPN, IKEv2, and WireGuard® protocols. Those VPN protocols are the most common amongst premium VPNs, and they are very reliable. Finally, you get DNS and IP leak protection and the opportunity to connect seven devices to the VPN at once.

Best VPN with a Free Version

ProtonVPN

Overall score: 9.0

• Free version available
• Strong security features
• Reliable no-logs policy
• Allows Perfect Forward Secrecy

Visit ProtonVPN

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee!

This VPN provider is based in Switzerland. That piece of information is crucial because Switzerland is one of the most privacy-oriented countries in the world. Apart from being great with privacy, ProtonVPN is also fantastic for content streaming. It has over 1,000 servers across the globe, with 16 specifically for Norway.

ProtonVPN is intentional with its streaming excellence because it has servers dedicated to this cause. Only Plus and Visionary subscribers of ProtonVPN have access to streaming-optimized servers. The good news is, eleven of the Norway servers are exceptionally engineered to give you a seamless audio and video streaming experience on NRK. Like every other premium VPN, you get unlimited bandwidth.

The country’s privacy laws make this VPN an excellent choice for users that want to remain absolutely anonymous. ProtonVPN does not keep a record of your traffic data and timestamps. It has a kill switch, and even though the servers are stable, it has an Always-On feature to enhance stability further.

In light of security, ProtonVPN uses the ultimate encryption detail known to be military-grade – the AES 256-bit encryption. Also, the company integrates a Perfect Forward Secrecy policy that keeps your data secure even if the encryption code gets compromised after transmission. ProtonVPN uses only the wholly secure protocols and gives you the luxury of streaming NRK content on up to ten devices with just one subscription payment.

Are VPNs Legal?

Some countries are silent about the use of VPNs; some others support it, while a few others place a ban or restriction on Virtual Private Networks. For the most part, the legality of VPNs depends on the region in question.

VPN services are legal in a lot of countries, including Norway, the USA, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, and Japan, amongst others. On the other hand, countries like Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Iraq, Turkey, and Oman have placed a complete ban on VPNs. However, the use is either partially blocked or tightly regulated in China, Uganda, Iran,  and UAE.

It is important to note that, even in the “legal countries,” using a VPN for illegal activities doesn’t make the deeds legal. If you use a VPN to download copyrighted torrent files or engage in fraudulent activities, you can be penalized for those illegal acts.

Finally, we recommend that you stay away from entirely free VPNs. Even though there are a few good ones, the potential risks attached outweigh the benefits.

How to Choose a Good VPN for NRK

We highly rate all the VPNs reviewed in this article, and you can be sure they make the top lists of other VPN reviews. However, you can’t use all of them at once. The best VPN for you might be someone else’s least favorite, so it’s always important to look out for which VPN solves the problems you have the most.

We highlight the features to look out for when deciding on a choice VPN from your shortlist. 

1. VPN’s compatibility with device’s Operating System (OS)
2. Location and number of servers
3. Connection speed and streaming quality (no-throttling and zero-buffering)
4. Limit of bandwidth data (unlimited)
5. Privacy and Security features (no-log, AES-256, kill switch, and security protocols)
6. Advanced features (split tunneling feature and ad blocker)
7. Price and money-back guarantee

With a money-back guarantee, you can request a refund after a stipulated number of days. That policy is enough to guarantee that the VPN is confident of the services they render. All the VPNs in this article operate a money-back guarantee policy.

Put the features above into consideration in order of your priority to choose the perfect VPN for you.

Frequently Asked Questions About How To Watch NRK Outside Norway

What can I watch on NRK?

NRK allows you to access both the Norwegian TV stations and programs. The TV channels include NRK1, NRK2, NRK3, and NRK Super. On the other hand, the radio channels you can access on NRK include NRK P1, NRK Sports, and NRK Super. The TV channels mostly broadcast news items. However, some of them have content specific to Norway. You can watch such TV programs as Poldark, Skam, Louis Theroux, Eagles, The Split, and others.

Can I use a free VPN to access NRK outside Norway?

You could try and may even be successful in some cases. However, in most cases, you would be unable to access NRK outside Norway with a free VPN. This is because free VPNs lack the capabilities to unblock content on the platform. In addition, free providers may not have servers in Norway, so unblocking Norwegian content from your location abroad is out of the question. Other challenges could include the data and bandwidth limit that most free VPN providers impose. Thus, you may have to struggle with lags, delays, and buffering while you attempt to stream content on NRK. In addition, some free providers have been known to put their users at risk by gathering and sharing their online data.

Can I get into legal trouble for watching NRK outside Norway with a VPN?

At the moment, there is no law that you will be violating if you choose to watch NRK outside Norway with a VPN. The same applies to most streaming platforms and their content. However, you may be violating the streaming service’s terms of agreement by viewing their content outside of the designated locations. However, in this sort of situation, the steaming service would most likely block your access. Therefore, you wouldn’t get into any big trouble.

What is the best VPN for watching NRK outside Norway?

The VPN recommendations we have above are assured of getting you access to NRK from your remote location outside Norway. However, if it comes down to one choice, we will recommend ExpressVPN. This is because it hits the mark on all of our criteria.

Conclusion

You might be on vacation away from home (Norway) or relocated to a new country; it doesn’t even matter if you’ve never been to Norway. To watch NRK TV shows and listen to radio shows, all that matters is that you secure the services of any of the five premium VPNs on this list. When you subscribe to any of the VPNs, you also get to enjoy massive security benefits. It’s an all-round win.