Ever since television became a prominent invention and was introduced in most households on the planet, people use it to seek entertainment options with the intention of killing time in a fun way. Europe was one of the first continents to really adopt TV and everything that comes with it as a crucial part of the society.
Europeans love their music, especially if it comes embedded within the framework of a festival or competition. The Eurovision Song Contest provides a perfect environment for people from the member nations of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to showcase their talents and offer people quality entertainment in their TV devices.
The 2018 edition of this widely renowned competition is being held at Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal. Several television cable and satellite companies, as well as streaming channels, are broadcasting the event, available for Portuguese people living in the country. Additionally, other nations have services and channels transmitting the contest.
However, it is very hard to find a broadcasting channel outside of the European Union. If you are, say, in Chile, Australia, or anywhere, you may not be able to watch Eurovision 2018 from abroad with ease.
Fortunately, there are ways to spoof your location and unblock a streaming channel or signal from Portugal, Spain, or other countries that broadcast the event. The most widely used solution involves setting up a Virtual Private Network, often called VPN.
With a VPN service provider, users would be able to watch the 2018 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest from abroad. By signing in and connecting to a server from a country with a streaming signal broadcasting the event, the audience will be able to enjoy the show from anywhere.
Eurovision: the show of the moment!
Based in the Sanremo Music Festival, the Eurovision Song Contest is now the longest-running yearly international TV song competition in the world. It gathers participants from dozens of countries, most of them which are members of the EBU.
The show has been up and running in the European television scene since 1956. This year’s edition of the Eurovision Song Contest is being held in Portugal, specifically in Lisbon. It is by far one of the trendiest TV shows in the planet, continually ranking near or at the top of lists ranking popular programs and often competing with prominent sporting events.
The Eurovision Song Contest, albeit broadcasted mainly in its host continent, may also be available in countries such as the United States of America, China, New Zealand, and Canada. Also, the competition has a website in which fans from all over the world can follow the incidences.
Past winners
Some of the most notable past winners of the show are ABBA (from Sweden, in 1974,) Bucks Fizz (from the United Kingdom, in 1981,) and Céline Dion (from Switzerland, in 1988), and they went on to have long, successful careers.
The record for most victories in the Eurovision Song Contest is held by Ireland, with seven triumphs. Salvador Sobral is the current “champion,” having won the competition in 2017 in Kiev, Ukraine.
Rules and format
By the current rules, each participating nation has to submit and perform an original song, where millions of people worldwide will see it and cast their votes. That is the way the winners are elected.
While the format and rules have changed significantly over the years, people haven’t stopped watching this thrilling and entertaining show for all ages. Each participant nation is represented by one TV broadcaster from that particular country.
Each country or participant, votes for one nation other than itself, as voting for themselves is not allowed. The contestant with the most points after the voting process is declared the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Eurovision 2018: Portugal hosts the party
The 2018 edition of the Eurovision is being held at the Altice Arena in Lisbon, Portugal, a year after the country won for the first time. The first semifinal was held on May 8th, whereas the second one will be held on May 10th. The final is scheduled for May 12th.
Filomena Cautela, Sílvia Alberto, Daniela Ruah and Catarina Furtado are the show’s hosts. The participation is up to 43 nations from the European continent, including most of the members of the EBU.
First semifinal recap
Cyprus, Israel, and Ireland stand out in the list of 10 countries that managed to pass to the final of Eurovision in the first of the semifinals on Tuesday. Austria, Estonia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Albania and Finland complete the list, while Spain, Italy, Germany, France, United Kingdom United and Portugal are already waiting for the big final gala on Saturday:
The semifinal included lights, flashes, and even acrobatics, with Cyprus’ representative as one of the most acclaimed. Estonia, Israel, and Switzerland also gained recognition for their performances.
Broadcasting and available channels
The semifinal and final will be broadcasted in the United Kingdom by the BBC consortium, namely the BBC One and the BBC Four channels. The BBC iPlayer will have the incidences available shortly after they conclude.
As for online streaming, Youtube channels of the Eurovision Song Contest and wiwibloggs will also broadcast the event for Internet users. The best way to access the BBC services, as well as the two signals mentioned in this paragraph, is hiring a VPN.
VPN: the Key to Watch Eurovision 2018 Abroad
Virtual Private Networks are the most commonly used measures to bypass geo-blocking restrictions and help users access international shows and services that would be blocked or off-limits under normal circumstances.
For example, if you are in Brazil and want to watch Eurovision 2018 abroad, you wouldn’t be able to access the BBC iPlayer because the service is restricted to UK users. However, with a VPN, you could spoof your location and connect to a British server, and that way the system will allow you to enjoy the incidences.
VPNs are encryption tools that use technologies or protocols such as OpenVPN, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP, or IKEv2 to protect the user’s data privacy by safeguarding its IP address and generated content in virtual tunnels, where they will impossible to reach by hackers, governmental surveillance agencies, Internet sales companies, and almost any external agent existing online.
How to Watch Eurovision 2018 Abroad Anywhere
- Choose a VPN with servers in numerous countries and robust encryption to unblock international channels and services such as the BBC iPlayer.
- Go to the VPN website.
- Register for the VPN service while providing a valid email address and a payment method.
- Download and install the VPN client or app on your device or operating system.
- Log in your recently created VPN account.
- Connect to a server from a country with a channel or streaming service that broadcasts the 2018 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest.
- Open your preferred streaming site and watch the 2018 Eurovision semifinals and finals from abroad!
Best VPN to Watch Eurovision 2018 Abroad
BEST CHOICE: TorGuard
With more than 3,000 servers in 55 countries, including the United Kingdom and numerous more in European soil, TorGuard combines accessibility with top encryption. It has the best customer service in the industry as well as all the major protocols, including OpenVPN. With AES 256-bit encryption effectively securing users’ content and online privacy, TorGuard offers a complete package for only $10 per month.
IPVanish
Streamers love IPVanish because it is arguably the fastest VPN service in the field. Additionally, it offers robust encryption and several configuration options for advanced users. With 750 servers in 60 nations, watching Eurovision 2018 from anywhere won’t be an issue. IPVanish offers, in addition to that, exciting security functions and features, such as a DNS leak protection and a kill switch.
Private Internet Access
PIA provides quality encryption and a high number of servers – more than 3,000, albeit in just 29 nations – to help users from all around the world watch exciting shows and contests, such as Eurovision 2018. It is one of the most affordable VPN apps in the market, too: the monthly plan costs just $6.95, and you can enjoy secure Wi-Fi, a straightforward user interface, and unlimited bandwidth and server switching.
GhostVPN
With a 15-day money-back guarantee, stealth VPN, unlimited bandwidth, speeds, and server switching, and 1,600 servers in 51 nations around the world, GhostVPN is quickly rising in the VPN industry rankings. Since it has a high amount of servers in Europe, people love this option to watch 2018 Eurovision from abroad with no hassle.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Eurovision is a widely renowned talent show that is broadcasted every year via TV, radio, and online streaming. It is more than 60 years old, and it has become famous outside the continent.
People from all locations and backgrounds are currently enjoying the show, as the first semifinals are already in the books and the second semifinals just hours from now. If you want to watch Eurovision 2018 abroad, hire a reliable VPN service provider and spoof your location from the comfort of your home.
